Corry BanksRANDOM BASTARDS present GEORGE KAPLAN, ERK & CHEFEN in TRAINSPOTTERS “BASTARDS!” – shot during the France tour in April – May 2012. Thanks to everyone involved!
Trainspotters’ reputation as a reliable live act has been rightfully earned through numerous gigs worldwide. Since 2007, the group has developed an explosive scene show together with experienced CHEFEN behind the turntables. The mixture of crazy stage dives, tight rap verses, skilled scratch and unique freestyles has received love with small and big crowds from northern Lapland to New York via Barcelona, Paris and all over the Nordic countries. Weather they’re headlining major Swedish festivals or opening up for Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan down in Europe, the Random Bastards crew always gives the crowd a crazy live show to remember!
The rap duo, consisting of childhood friends ERK & KÄP a.k.a. RICKY REWIND & GEORGE KAPLAN, has accomplished a lot yet barely started. Just like their life project and worldwide creative collective RANDOM BASTARDS, Trainspotters was naturally formed in 2004 though skateboard, interest for graffiti and hanging out around the polar circle. After a dozen independent releases on limited cassettes, 12″, mixtapes and of course a bunch of Japan vinyl, “DIRTY NORTH” landed in 2010. The debut LP was nominated for P3 Guld (Sweden’s biggest and most important music award) “Best Hiphop/Soul of the Year” and the demon producer ALEXANDER JUNEBLAD a.k.a. ACADEMICS for “Best Hiphop of the Year” at credible Manifest gala. The single “FAN FIRST” was awarded “Music video of the Year” by Sweden’s biggest hip hop site Whoa.nu. In interviews with legendary Mats Nileskär for P3 Soul / Musikguiden as well as print magazine Kingsize the group has told the world more thorough about their dirty north.
Chefen has been a DJ half of his life. With turntablism as his orientation, a few hundred shows and events (as producer for and resident at Random Bastards own clubs GOODFELLAS, SKETCH and RB RYTM) as well as sharp scratch hands ready, he shows in an exemplary way that turntables are nothing less than an active, versatile and — today — underestimated live instrument. As the booking and live manager for the group things have stepped up a lot on and off stage the last few years!
On New Year’s Day 2013, “BASTARDS!” was released online and during the spring also as a lavish limited edition double vinyl (with exclusive instrumentals). Exclusively produced by Academics, this album is also a musical journey that through ten tracks describes the feeling from dropping in to stomping your trick and cruise on — with all its nuances. Guest spots from the queen and label mate CLEO and a big dose of scratch from Chefen, together with cocky, insightful and dreamy lyrics welcomes the listener to get to know Trainspotters even more throughout the album. Also, in January 2014 the last part of the album trilogy is being recorded in the Lapland mountains…
A faithful and growing bunch of bastards today represent RB skateboards, snowboards, sunglasses, hats, clothing collections, tape and stickers all over the globe, while views on YouTube and Spotify streams are counted in many millions. During the rest of 2013 Trainspotters welcomes you all to look forward to new music videos, a live vinyl from mythological Scharinska, lots of new merchandise, interesting collaborations as well as a summer and fall tour throughout Europe and the world.
VIDEO CREDITS
Produced by Random Bastards
Edited by Nils Moström
DoP Jonas Ernhill
Animation by David Sandberg
Recorded 2012 all over France
MUSIC CREDITS
Produced by Supreme Beatmaker Academics
Rap by George Kaplan & Ricky Rewind
Scratch by Jonas “Chefen” Ernhill
Extra vocals by Tove Andersson
Cover design by Marc Strömberg
Cover art by Anders Engberg
Recorded 2012 in UÅ, Sweden
From “Bastards!” LP (RB034)
Follow Trainspotters on @randombastards and #BastardsLP