LABJACD

Their name may read like an optometrist’s eye chart, but Melbourne-based band LABJACD (pronounced “lab-jacked”) is a dynamic nine-piece outfit that’s been making a big splash lately, both in their hometown and beyond. Since their formation in mid-2004, they’ve quickly built up an impressive reputation for their exhilarating mix of old school hip-hop, Cuban salsa, jazz and even Andean folk music. Singing and MCing in both English and Spanish, the group’s three vocalists all share a Chilean heritage, and like the band’s other members, they’ve all previously performed in a number of well-known Latin big bands and a variety of funk/jazz configurations.

LABJACD have performed at major festivals both nationally and internationally, including WOMADelaide, the Woodford Folk Festival, Live en Août (New Caledonia), the Queenscliff Music Festival, Earthcore and will be playing at the Falls Festival and Woodford in 06/07. They have staged their own shows at popular Australian music venues such as the Corner, the Zoo, the Espy, Hamer Hall and the Evelyn, and graced the same stage as MC Eternia (Canada), Los Van Van, The Herd and True Live. They have been featured on JTV, a music programme on ABC produced by Triple J Radio as well as on a broadcast of WOMADelaide on ABC2.

Released on September 1st 2006, “Vote With Your Feet” is LABJACD’s first full-length album, recorded with assistance from one of John Butler’s “JB Seed” grants. This record follows up on their self-titled EP released in 2005.

"One of the best live acts in the country"
- Rolling Stone

"Some of the best Aussie hip-hop floating around at the moment, made all the better through its Latin American heritage"
- Time Off Magazine