Pataphysics
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Pataphysics

Sunbury, Victoria, Australia | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE

Sunbury, Victoria, Australia | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2014
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"Pataphysics gives Footscray's laneway festival some soul"

FOOTSCRAY band Pataphysics is ready to rock the St Jerome's Laneway Festival.

The countdown is on until the Footscray Community Arts Centre is once again full to the brim with great local music on February 3.

Pataphysics was added to the line up after a win at The Very West competition and will take up an artist residence mentorship at the centre.

Singer and trumpet player Pat Marks said their music was a mixture of hip-hop, reggae, soul and jazz.

"The music is soulful guerilla hip-hop and we improvise a lot," he said.

"We talk about political issues that aren't being addressed and Australian history and our content gets us a lot of attention."

Marks said the three-member band had built a reputation for energetic live shows. "No one has seen a live show like ours involving hip-hop with an electronic element," he said.

The festival features 29 bands at the 45 Moreland St from 11am-10pm.
- Herald Sun


"PATAPHYSICS ANNOUNCED AS WINNER OF THE VERY WEST"

Finalists were named, the showcase has been and gone and we have been left with one band standing... Pataphysics will be the next musical instalment to hit the St. Jeromes Laneway Festival stages in 2013!

Footscray Community Arts Centre teamed up with St Jeromes Laneway Festival to offer the next big thing out of Melbourne’s West a once in a blue moon opportunity: A highly sought after position on the Laneway 2013 line-up in Melbourne and an artist in residence mentorship from Footscray Community Arts Centre!

Pataphysics is an Australian music rarity. Based in Melbourne, the band is a mash up of powerful political flows, trumpet, MPC, live improvised beats, dope basslines, guitar and freestyles.

Lead by the intriguing songwriter, vocalist and trumpet player Pat Marks, who composes hypnotic tracks that weave between the political anthems of hip hop, the feel good vibes of reggae and the smooth tones of soul and jazz, Pataphysics brings an ever changing feel to each song. Proficient on trumpet, bass, keys, MPC, guitar, drums, turntable, percussion, tabla, dolke, panpipes, melodica, spoons, freestyle and beatboxing, he is a revolutionary poet & subversive theorist, with insightful rhymes, in both the English and Sri Lankan language. - St Jeromes


"Pataphysics Album Review"

A man of many talents, Melbourne-based producer/MC/horn player/songwriter Pataphysics (real name Pat Marks) is certainly a guy who's in high demand. Over the last few years he's contributed to Speech DeBelle's Mercury Prize-winning album and produced for the likes of Roots Manuva, 360 and Pez, a busy schedule that explains why it's taken him so long to release this debut solo album, Subversive. As you'd expect given Marks' brass-playing background, there's a noticeably jazzy, laidback feel to the backings behind the 13 tracks here, with the more soulful vibes welded to a classic old school boom-bap beat aesthetic.

Throughout, Marks focuses his lyrical aim on subjects ranging from Australia's anti-terrorist laws (on the ragga-funk infused Explicit Treason, which calls to mind shades of The Herbaliser at points) through to the loss of independence experienced by Indigenous communities under the Northern Territory Intervention on Direct Action, which shifts from a synth-heavy hip hop crawl into fluid p-funk bass grooves over its running length. Elsewhere,Over offers up a slide down into deep, double-bass driven Ninja Tune-esque blunted grooves, complete with Vida Sunshyne draping her playful soul chanteuse backing vocals over Marks' relaxed fluid rhymes, before Jungle sees Dead Prez's Stic Man providing an appropriately gritty verbal foil amidst a sinister, moody backdrop of Middle Eastern instrumentation and snapping MPC kicks. A strong, conscious debut that's been worth the wait.

CHRIS DOWNTON - BMA Magazine


"Guerilla's In The Midst"

It’s not every day that your city’s largest cocktail lounge gets slammed by a trumpet-playing, multilingual, hip hop and poetry freestyling ‘guerilla MC’. Never one to pass up a novel opportunity, I caught up with PATAPHYSICS’ main man Pat Marks, who’s touring his Melbourne-based band’s latest album, Subversive.

Recently touted as an MTV Top Ten Breakout Band and having worked alongside internationally renowned artists such as Lotek, I was somewhat surprised to find myself chatting to Pat like a mate from uni; a reflection, I soon realised, of the deeply engrained philanthropic and compassionate spirit which underlies Pat’s musical and lyrical ethos. “The music I write is about the things which I have an interest in and feel strongly about: politics and society, both international and domestic. It’s my opinions about them, which I consider to be important. They’re always developing; I mean, I don’t know everything, I’m just like everyone else who’s always learning, watching the news and trying to decipher it.”

Pat’s interest in civil affairs was sparked at an early age by the music produced by his favourite bands, some of whose influences are resonant in his gutsy lyrics and soulful bass lines. “Public Enemy were massive influences on me in my younger years, I was like, ‘Yeh, I won’t believe the hype!’ They were one of the ones who influenced me really early in that way. Also, Bob Marley – artists like that really inspired me and made me think about the world differently. Public Enemy rapping about America and Rage [Against The Machine] rapping about their world in Mexico made me really interested in those issues, but also really spawned an interest in what was happening over here. Some bands can just light that fire in you and wake you up.”

Pat’s socio-political stance is not limited to its expression within the music industry. Alongside producing, composing and mixing, Pat is the Music & Arts coordinator of RISE (Refugees, Survivors, and Ex-Detainees), where he runs music, beat-making, poetry, and recording workshops for young refugee artists and runs the music and hip hop programs for juvenile justice detainees in Melbourne. My admiration was clearly audible when I questioned him about this, but he merely chuckled, “Yeh, it’s kind of intense at times. I really think it’s good though. It’s a hard one sometimes, I gotta say, but I also teach at a community high school one day a week and that’s more intense because that’s before they’ve gone to juvy…” Remaining steadfast in his humility, he added, “I really enjoy working with them though ‘cos it’s a good opportunity to work on my drumming or power chords again. Hip hop is the one that got me, but for others there it’s other genres – death metal, punk or whatever. Music is just as powerful whether it’s hip hop or rock. It has that same effect depending on the person. It becomes your life… everything in that genre is your life.”

Pataphysics will headline the monthly Big Bang Saturday at Digress Cocktail Lounge on Saturday July 28. A poetry slam hosted by local rapper BRB will kick off the night at 7.30pm, with DJ Old School Al supporting. $15 door.
- BMA Magazine


""Listen" by Pataphysics feat.Project Nrt"

Dylan's a big fan of this track by Pataphysics which takes a stance on putting a halt to sexual violence against women. Pataphysics (who is like the local version of Wise Intelligent from Poor Righteous Teachers) and the lads proceed to lay down a wake-up call to men across the world, over some soulful horns and a beat on recline. Kiwi Project Nrt ties it together nicley on the hook and Pat Marks even hits us with some classic Tupac too.

It is officially endorsed by the Royal Women's Hospital and all the money sold from it will go to CASA House. Check it out and support a good cause. - Nova FM


"Brother Pataphysics"

Pat Marks a.k.a Pataphysics is a Melbourne-based rap musician with a busy schedule and a political opinion. He has been on the circuit since 2000 and has made quite a few moves. Pataphysics is set to release an album next year but for now hear him rap back to our questions.

Pat Marks a.k.a Pataphysics is a Melbourne-based rap musician with a busy schedule and a political opinion. He has been on the circuit since 2000 and has made quite a few moves. Pataphysics is set to release an album next year but for now hear him rap back to our questions.

When did you start gigging in Melbourne? How did the Tuesday nights go at the Evelyn in September?
Started playing around Melbourne in high school, but really started gigging seriously in 2000 with my own crews. The Evelyn was great. It started off as two shows but ended up as a two-and-half month residency. They want us to do another month in summer as well. I had some really great and memorable shows, with a host of guests coming along to jam. Was great fun.

Tell us a bit more about the music scene in Melbourne. Are you getting the needed exposure in this city?
Melbourne has one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world. There are so many acts around; it’s a great place to be. As of late I have been getting more shows and exposure in the press and radio, but I guess more would be better.

How about your love for jazz? When did you start playing the Trumpet?
Started playing Trumpet in high school when I was about 14, it was between that and bass. Soon, as I began learning trumpet, I was introduced to jazz, as the greatest trumpet players in history were jazz musicians. Then my love and interest spread to all areas of jazz and improvisation.

You often mix politics with your music. What's the scope of reaching out to an audience in Australia through your lyrics?
Well, often I tend to get a lot of feedback about my music, from a wide range of people. I get young people to retirees coming up after different shows askin’ to buy CDs which is really quite nice. Been played all around the country on a number of stations so I guess I’m starting to have an effect.

From an artiste's point of view, what's your take on categorising music. How does a musician choose a path? In your case, why and how did you get close to rapping?
Yeah there can often be a blurry line between music and styles. But usually an artist takes up a style that suits him or her. For many artists, they don't try to play a style or genre; they just create sound, which often will be categorised depending on the different compositonal devices used. Hip Hop is like Jazz or Folk or Rock music of my generation. So MCeeing or rapping is one of the most current art forms and vehicle of expressions we have. It’s evolving and breathing as we speak. I fell in love with Hip Hop and MCeeing in Primary school. Public Enemy and NWA made me wanna rap.

Your influences and inspirations?
So many including musical and non-musical. Sonically, Jimi Hendrix, Public Enemy, Marley, Miles Davis, Ravi Shankar, the list of musicians is endless. Influenced by books, film, the media, government, history etc. Also gain inspiration from dreams, personal experiences, the greater world around me and just every day life.

Do you go back to Sri Lanka? How do you try and hook up with the youth there? Has the war there got any bearing on your personality?
I went back to Sri Lanka a few years ago. It was amazing. The youth I was hanging out there was mainly family. I had a lot of family to catch up with. Next time I will plan some shows. Been reading a lot about the war and trying to gain a greater understanding from both angles. The more I look, the more it seems that on both sides soldiers on the ground are dying and paying a great cost while the leaders are living a great life of power and profiting, amassing a great amount of wealth. It does bear on my personality it frustrates me that it won't stop.

Why do you think there's a gap between new immigrants and the second generation?
I think there are a number of reasons and sometimes it’s a cultural one. The second generation has assimilated quite well, fully adopting western ideals and ways. This adoption of ideals can also be seen in their home lands. One example is many people no longer look after their parents. Also at times the gap may be because of a lack of understanding and simple fear of the 'other'. I have definitely got some South Asian crew at shows and they have really enjoyed my tracks and my non-English rhymes. My site gets a lot of hits as well. Get a lot of love from refugee crew but have not yet been able to connect on a major scale.

What do you think of the "Sorry" gesture from Rudd administration. In your opinion, What more can the government do for lasting understanding between the black and the white of Australia?
I think saying sorry was certainly a step in the right direction and a very good beginning. However, it is just a beginning. I think the national intervention of sending the military in and controlling people’s money and restricting what they are allowed to buy is a step back. In some communities this may well work but the issues addressing dysfunctional indigenous communities will require more support on the ground level. The government could have taken on some of the recommendations that were given in their report but they chose to use none. Also a new inquiry has been said to not be reflective of community opinion, so there definitely seems to be a gap between communities and government.

Is an album coming out soon?
Just finishing recording my debut record The Ology Unknown at the moment, these things can take some time, but its set for release next year on the 9-9-09.

You can listen to Pat marks on http://www.myspace.com/brotherpataphysics - Indus Age


"Lotek, Pataphysics, Hieronymous IX, Brujo, De Cruze @ Transit Bar"

Next on the switchboard was Melbourne MC Pataphysics a self-described Australian-Sri Lankan who is a Tamil and Singhalese speaking trumpet player, sonic landscaper and rhythmic sound shaper. This is the best way to describe his music, his performance style and himself. Furthermore he is not shy to delve into every component included in politics whether it is local or international and also touches on indigenous resistance, eastern philosophy, existence and spirituality. - Faster Louder


"Top Ten Breakout Bands of 2010 from Australia"

Pataphysics is a Sri Lankan-Australian musician who has branded his style of conscious rhymes over slow grooves and jazzy riffs with the name “Guerilla Hip Hop.” The production invokes the memory of a sound the Roots abandoned when they went big time, Pataphysics making the jazz reference authentic with his own trumpeting over the hooks and dispersed throughout the tracks. - MTV Desi


"BANDS WE LIKE: AUSTRALIA’S GUERILLA MC/HORN PLAYER PATAPHYSICS"

We don’t often hear sounds coming from Desis in Australia, but one artist who recently caught our ear is turning out to be an intensely fascinating character.
Pataphysics is a Sri Lankan-Australian musician who has branded his style of conscious rhymes over slow grooves and jazzy riffs with the name “Guerilla Hip Hop.” The production invokes the memory of a sound the Roots abandoned when they went big time, Pataphysics making the jazz reference authentic with his own trumpeting over the hooks and dispersed throughout the tracks.
Opposite the relaxed pace and the breathe-easy bass lines, Pataphysics’ lyrics carry an informed political edge. In his songs, the dreadlocked MC calls out Captain Cook, lays out a guerilla fight plan, and samples the voices of racist Australians urging so called “outsiders” to get out of the country. All the inflammatory content is delivered with Pataphysics calm flow, sometimes quick, sometimes slow, and always with metaphorical wit. One of our favorite things about him: he doesn’t hide his Australian accent one bit.
His collaborations are evidence that Pataphysics has hardly been confined to an Australian audience. This year’s The Ology Unknown features collaborations with such underground hip hop heavyweights as Rob Swift from the X-Ecutioners and the aptly political stic.man, one half of the revolutionary-minded Dead Prez. He’s also written music for Ninja Tune’s rapid-fire female MC Speech DeBelle.
Pataphysics has two shows scheduled for early December; one in Australia and one in Sri Lanka. We’d say catch the one nearest to you, but you should probably catch both. - MTV


"SRI LANKAN-AUSTRALIAN MC PATAPHYSICS RELEASES A TRACK FROM HIS FORTHCOMING ALBUM"

Sri Lankan-Australian rapper Pataphysics has been quiet for a little bit, and he’s finally letting out some of the noise he’s been storing up. His debut album SUBVERSIVE: TheOlogy Unknown is due out this summer, but right now we get just a little taste of Pat’s rhythmic knowledge, and he’s brought a friend. The track is appropriately titled “Rhythms,” featuring a guest appearance from Rashaan Ahmad, frontman for Oakland’s Crown City Rockers.
In true conscious hip hop style, the two MCs take turns channeling cosmic knowledge, before reaching the realization in the hook that in the end “it’s all about your rhythm.” The track is proof that they know it. Beat-wise, it’s the same jazzy stuff we’ve come to expect from Pataphysics, and he breaks out his trumpet as well, adding some live flavor.
Stay tuned here for more on SUBVERSIVE: TheOlogy Unknown. In the meantime, bump this track loudly. - MTV


Discography

2013 - IED (EP)

2012- Subversive (Album)

2011 - Rhythms (single) - Nationwide Airplay, Triple J, Playlisted FBI

2010 - Xpatriots (EP) - Nation WIde Play

2009 - Over (Single) -Featured on Rage(abc), Nation wide Airplay, Triple J and othe Community staions

2009 - Cloaked Guerilla (Single) - Made no.1 on Triple J Unearthed, Nationwide Airplay

2007 - The Christmas Album MK.III - Made no.2 on Triple J Unearthed, Nationwide Airplay, Song of the Week FBi,

Photos

Bio

Wielding everything from a trumpet to an MPC, Pataphysics' soulful guerilla hip-hop is something very different on the Australian music scene.

Having built a strong underground following by selling out shows with unpredictable and energetic live performances, Pataphysics has developed a dark, hypnotic sound - an original blend of hip hop, jazz, and bass music which incorporates improvisation, live MPC jams, trumpet, wailing guitars, powerful political flows, and freestyles that can make you feel like you are at something between a Public Enemy concert and Frank Zappa show.

Listed in MTVs Top Ten Breakout Bands of Australia, Pataphysics is a fresh new sound in Australia.  A Mercury prize winning producer for his work with Speech Debelle(Ninja Tune). His debut album Subversive, featuring the likes of Stic-Man of Dead Prez and Rob Swift (X-Ecutioners), it was named among the top 15 releases of 2012 by The Australian Music Prize (AMP), with singles on the record reaching No.1 on the Triple J Unearthed charts consecutive weeks.

Pataphysics is definitely one to catch.  He has recently released an EP featuring his live band the IED at a sold out launch in Melbourne - the record has received airplay around the country.  Pataphysics continues pushing and developing his sound, carving out a unique place for himself in Australian music.

Touring Highlights include

-Wide Open Space Festival 2012
-Rainbow Serpent Festival 2012
-RISE Festival 2011
-Folk Rhythms and Life Festival 2010
-National tour supporting Olmecha Supreme (NZ)
-Opening night of Sydney Festival 2010
-Opening night of Adelaide Fringe Festival (20,000 people)
-Falls Festival NYE 2008
-Back to back winner of The Uber Lingua Intercontinental Multilingual MC

Production/Composition
Always in demand for his signature Trumpet/Flugel style, Pat Marks AKA Pataphysics is a highly accomplished writer, composer and producer. A Mercury prize winning Song Writer (Speech Debelle/Ninja Tune 2009), Pat has produced many artists including: Speech Debelle, 360 and Pez, Fear of a Brown Planet and Lotek.

Pat has written and produced for local and international labels including Ninja Tune, 299 (Russia) and Soulmate. His trumpet stylings have featured on recordings alongside Rob Swift (X-ecutioners), S1 (Strange fruit project), Braille, Ohmega Watts, Othello, Rosie Burgess, Skryptcha (Obese), and Ishu (Foreign Dub).

Pat Marks is the Music & Arts coordinator of R.I.S.E (Refugees, Survivors, and Ex-Detainees), running ongoing music, beat making, and poetry workshops, as well as providing recording & production for young refugee artists at his studio, The City of the 9 Gates. His specialist music, poetry and hip hop teaching experience has taken him all over Australia, and he is currently running the music and hip hop programs for juvenile justice detainees in Melbourne, teaching music in community high schools, and is the music and poetry/rap teacher at Footscray Arts Centres Hip Hop Academy.

www.pataphysics.com

All press enquiry's: info@pataphysics.com