DOT MATRIX

Artist Information

Biography

Six different members with six different backgrounds, Dot Matrix, came together as they are after years of toying around with other bands and band members. They just felt it was "right" to be good and different with an exciting and entertaining ora in which everyone could relate to. Lyric is the classic emcee with a buttery smooth style that makes the music sound like music. Mike is your entertainingly energetic vocalist emcee that guarantees an enjoyable show. Justin is laid back cool with the soul purpose of laying down the funky bass line. Harper has it down with his signature sax riffs that always send the crowd into hysterics. Q is "oh so nice and precise" on the drums with style rhythm unmatched by few. Last on the line up, but first on the cuts, placed in the right place at the right time is BRYAN X. It does not get any better than this.

The six member crew immediately hit the ground running when Dallas area night spots were requesting their artistic presence faster than the guys could get in a good rehearsal. Insighting an instant party atmosphere upon every performance, Dot Matrix continuously left venues, die hard fans and new admirers of their craft wanting more.

From 2001 thru mid 2005, the guys played over 140 shows including opening for the Beatnuts, Nappy Roots, Pimpadelic and Spoonfed Tribe. Dot Matrix ignited the crowds at the ASA Mobile Skate Park Series, The Taste of Dallas Festival, North Texas New Music Festival, Dallas Music Festival and Texas-OU Weekend 2003 & 2004 and Taste of Dallas 2003 & 2004. The guys also made their mark at The COZ Records Showcase in 2003 and the 11260 Records Showcase in 2004. The crowing achievement in their short history was being nominated for and winning the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Rap/Hip Hop Artist.

As 2005 rolled in, so did the shows, along with a big buzz about Dot Matrix spreading like wild fire, in addition to being nominated for and winning the third consecutive year for Best Rap/Hip Hop Artist for the Dallas Observer Music Awards. Once again Dot Matrix was the heavy favorite. Keep your eyes and ears open as you get ready to party. Dot Matrix is coming through.

Instrumentation

2 emcees
1 saxaphoe
1 bass
1 drummer
1 d.j.

Discography

SATURATED PHAT - 2001
NO QUESTIONS - 2003

Audio

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Winner: Best Rap/Hip-Hop 2004 [+ Show ]
  

  Dot Matrix Winner: Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist April 14, 2004 So right off, you can tell that Dot M...Dot Matrix
  Winner: Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
  April 14, 2004
  
  So right off, you can tell that Dot Matrix isn't your average rap group. There's a saxophonist in the corner, slinging out jazzy riffs and looking like Thomas Dolby in the "She Blinded Me With Science" video. There are three MCs, one of whom hides beneath a floppy hat, and one who busts out in soulful song, veins popping out on his neck, his face reddening to keep the pace. There's a mix board, sure, but also a bassist and a drummer. The songs are funked-out, high-voltage things that settle into that sweet spot between the smooth grooves of hip-hop and the sarcastic, hard-bitten edges of rap. It's 3 p.m. in a windy field at Denton's WakeUp '04 music festival, and the crowd is as tame as Sunday churchgoers. Onstage, Dot Matrix plays the set like it's their last.
  It's that kind of commitment that has earned Dot Matrix Best Rap honors for the second year in a row. This 3-year-old, seven-piece Dallas crew is dedicated to the orgy of sounds, to the plain entertainment of playing live. They're not your average rap group, and they don't want to be. As Dot Matrix put it on their demo for ACM Records: "There's a possibility that we gon' change your views/About the way that hip-hop is supposed to groove. " --S.H.
  

• Review of Dot Matrix's GRATUITY [+ Show ]
  

  Nice to hear something other than a sampler from you guys. There's not really too much for me to say...Nice to hear something other than a sampler from you guys. There's not really too much for me to say about this as far as improving goes, so I'll just babble on about it.
  
  I love the strong bass line. The drums are great. I like how the sax is mixed. Cool wahwahs. Good vocal flow. Wow, awesome fx on the sax solos. Awesome feel to it. Great track guys. Going places, you are. I would enjoy a live show.
  

• Dot Matrix - Winner: Rap/Hip-Hop 2003 [+ Show ]
  

  Dot Matrix Winner for: Rap/Hip-Hop April 17, 2003 Finally a Dallas-based rap group that doesn't...Dot Matrix
  Winner for: Rap/Hip-Hop
  April 17, 2003
  
  Finally a Dallas-based rap group that doesn't beat you over the head representing where their apartment lease happens to be. Close your eyes while listening to Dot Matrix's music and you might just think they were from Detroit or Brooklyn. Lots of old-school call-and-response stuff, traded verses, real horn charts and a frenetic live show to beat the band. No hint of that slow-and-low Dirty South crawl, just a banging party on wax from a lucky-seven gang of kids who truly appreciate all the right influences; from the Pharcyde to Coltrane, J5 to the Jungle Brothers, you can tell their hearts (and ears) are in the right place. In the hyperkinetic, transitional world of sixth-gen hip-hop, I have a feeling Dot Matrix may be around a while. Hope so, because besides The D.O.C., Dallas has yet to produce a hip-hop artist who successfully beats down our image as Vanilla Ice's hometown. Maybe DJ BMX, Lord Regal, Anoimis and the rest of the relentless Matrix crew are ready to put all that to bed. Raise a glass and bust that ass--Dot Matrix is jumping off right here and now, y'all. --Jeff Liles
  

• Spotlight Dot Matrix: HIGH CALORIC SOUNDS [+ Show ]
  

  By: Mut Asheru Published: October 10, 2002 Hip-hop just isnt the same any more. Or is it? Dot Ma...By: Mut Asheru
  Published: October 10, 2002
  
  Hip-hop just isnt the same any more. Or is it? Dot Matrix has what it takes to be considered authentic hip-hop. The numbers on Dallas group Dot Matrix are impressive. In the past 15 months theyve done 26 shows where 80 % they headlined.
  
  Why are they in such high demand? The answer is so simple it hurts. Dot Matrix adheres to the basic rules of the art. The group offers live instrumentation and a fresh soul-filled sound that reeks of creativity and innovation. The seven-man ensemble is made up of three lyricists, one D.J, one sax, bass and drummer. The live sound is refreshing and so is the word play between their two lyricists Anonimis and Lryic.
  
  Voted Best Live Hip-Hop Band by a local paper in 2001, the group has not slowed down and is currently working on their second album. Their first As refreshing as their sound is, you might not find them on radio any time soon because just like The Roots, Commen, Mos Def, Hi Tech, and many more; radio doesnt know what to do with them. The group did win six nights in a row on 97.9 The Beats Future Flavors segment. Mr. Drummond, the Dot Matrix beat keeper, is comfortable with the fact that their sound is not the typical definition of rap music. release, Saturated Phat is destined to become a must have for any serious rap fan.
  
  Lets talk about live shows. Its about having fun, something that hip-hop thrived on in its earlier days. Their sets run the gambit from laid-back to extremely high-energy. Mr. Stevensons sax gets into your veins and its no wonder with idols like Charlie Parker, Archie Shepp and Eric Dolphy. The bass played by Justin helps the music navigate uncharted territory. DJ BMX executes the turn-tableism while Mike G brings it home.
  
  When asked where in the record store do they think theyll be placed, the entire group pauses and comes up with everything from jazz to pop. I think honestly if they were to put us in the record stores, knowing how the record industry is theyd probably put us in pop, said BMX. Because they cant classify us.
  
  Theres the rap. Its not hard enough for rock. Its too alternative for the radio and its definitely too hard for the jazz lovers, stated Justin.
  
  Adding to their classification dilemma is the fact that the members are mostly white guys, BMX being the only black man in the camp. That really doesnt matter once you wrap your ears around their talent. Dot Matrix is soaked in it.
  
  Im not going to try and convince you of their skill level. They are more than capable of doing that themselves. Treat yourself to one of their shows and see for yourself. Dot Matrix has faced their share of blank stares when theyve taken the stage. Converting naysayers into believers, those blank stares turn into raised hands and satisfied grins by the time the set is finished.
  - Mut Asheru

• Whats's In The Changer - DOT MATRIX [+ Show ]
  

  WHAT'S IN THE CHANGER Published November 8, 2001 Dot Matrix Saturated Phat (Mr...WHAT'S IN THE CHANGER
  
  Published November 8, 2001
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dot Matrix
  
  Saturated Phat (Mr. Drummond Productions, 2001)
  
  With this self-released debut, Dot Matrix emerges as one of Dallas' best hip-hop acts. The sax riffs are basic, but the beats, melodies and lightning-tongued raps are infinitely jazzy.
  -Thor Christensen
  

• DOT MATRIX [+ Show ]
  

  Mainstream hip-hop is a genre largely driven by sampling, but Dallas-based Dot Matrix uses live ...Mainstream hip-hop is a genre largely driven by sampling, but Dallas-based
  
  Dot Matrix uses live instruments and lyrical flow to create a distinct sound. Saturated Phat, the group's debut CD, strikes a nice balance between the witty, satirical rhymes from each MC and the aggressive sax licks, thick bass lines and robust drumming. The band has been together about 21/2 years and regularly performs at Liquid Lounge, Curtain Club and Fusion. If you enjoy a frenetic and high-energy show, see what develops Saturday at Liquid Lounge, 2800 Main. Doors open at 9 p.m. $6 for those 21 and older, $9 for ages under 21.
  
  -Brian Carr
  
  

Setlist

get ready for a party that can last anywhere from a 20 minute quickie to a 2 hour long stroke....a selection of over 35 original songs

Basic Requirements

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