The Martin Avenue Project
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The Martin Avenue Project

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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"The Martin Avenue Project is Hitting Worldwide!"

"Throw Gorillaz, A Tribe Called Quest and a bit of the Chemical Brotheres in a blender with cream and whiskey. This cocktail comes out smooth and strong in the form of The Martin Avenue Project. Paris producer Dr. Do and San Francisco Bay Area lyricist ETN (aka Katmandope) combine their talents to craft intelligent, booming hip-hop with an edge and a message. ETN's lyrics are informed by a multi-ethnic background (a Nigerian mother and Danish/American father), and growing up in the global melting pot of California. His voice carries authority, without trying to be a thug cliche, as he imparts his life experiences and lessons learned. Dr. Do doesn't let the beat drop for a second, matching ETN's intensity and mood at every step.

The Martin Avenue Project is named after ETN's idyllic suburban childhood street, which has become another millionaire's row in the tech boom, pricing out those who grew up there, representing not only the effects of globalism and class conflicts on the current generation, but also a universal nostalgic longing for home and a desire to collect together people with common creative interests.

The Martin Avenue Project have been toiling in their Paris studio since 2004 and are now set to explode onto the music scene worldwide! Collaborators on the debut album include French singer Marie Martin (FirstStep, Urban Party), San Francisco's Patrick Leonard (The Filth), JF from the French group Legalizik (100% Metisse), and Ramon Silva from Brooklyn (Get 'Em Up)."



Ernest C. Smitten
Electronic Sonic Press - Electronic Sonic Press


Discography

This is our first release.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

The Martin Avenue Project

The story starts in the heart of the Silicon Valley which is found in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Now home to billion dollar companies such as Yahoo, Google, and Apple Computers, it is also the home to lyricist ETN of The Martin Avenue Project (M.A.P.). Starting by listening to his mother's albums on their old seventies style consul (you know the ones that doubled as a piece of furniture), he quickly developed an ear influenced by artists like Headhunters, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Cliff, Weather Report, George Benson, Chuck Mangione and the Car Wash Soundtrack. But one artist that was the most listened to was Fela Kuti. It's only natural, considering that his mother came to California from her native Nigeria in the 1960's. He showed early interest in music and started studying the cello at the age of nine but "one day I was carrying my cello onto the bus in a soft case and it snapped at the neck. So I switched to the drums." After flirting with taking an athletic route with his life and becoming a pro ball player, he was the frontman of Clubber Lang, an energy laced, 8 piece, funk band that shared the stage with artists such as Fishbone, Skankin Pickle, and Shovelhead. He parted with the group to get his degree at San Francisco State University and knew that it was time to make a move. He recalls, "I knew that there was so much out there in the rest of the world. I wanted to see it all." He headed out to Paris less than a week after his graduation.
Dr.Do (Dominique LePine) was born in the coastal area of Normandy, France. He inherited his father's passion for music and at the age of 14 started going to work on the Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer. He went to university in Paris where he achieved his degree in music literature. It was at this time that Do started to construct his first recording studio. He was equipped with a four track, a whopping 1MB Atari 1040, and the energy and excitement of a 19 year old. Shortly after, he linked up with friend Jeff and the two of them created the group known today as Legalizik. Jeff is the frontman of the group and Do produces and arranges. In 2001 they put out an album "Legalizik" on Next Music and have just finished their second album titled "Les Jardins d'Occident" which features ETN on the title track.
It was in 2003 that ETN and Dr. Do met on a rooftop on the outer fringes of Paris. The two quickly hit the studio and came up with the track which they decided to call "First Step". They invited french singer Marie Martin to sing the hook and knew they were on to something. They kept on the grind to create an album that efficiently combines the blend of the two life journeys that each one of them had been on. They agreed right away that they would avoid the thug cliche that dominates certain genres and they would try to include a positive message. They set out to encourage people to think differently and offer a more positive outlet to the kids.
What you get is an album that flashes everything from hip hop, rock, ska, dub, reggae, flamenco, and many types of electronic music. the M.A.P. have been compared to groups such as the Black Eyed Peas, Massive Attack, The Roots, Too Short, Zack de la Rocha, Serge Francis, Linkin Park, Blackalicious, Fort Minor, and the Gorrilaz. Artists such as San Francisco's Patrick Leonard (The Filth), France's Martin (First Step, Urban Party) Jeff (100% Metisse), and Brooklyn's Ramon Silva (Get Em Up) each contributed their unique vocals while the drums of Junior Panama (Urban Party) and the driving guitar of Eric Dame make for a enriching union of cultures and styles.