The ProForms

Got a dope new video and song for you from the group The Proforms – “Get Ready,” off their debut album Atavism, brought to you by the Red August video crew (Twitter: @whoisredaugust). The group features two of Indianapolis’ most dynamic emcees, A.C.E. O.N.E. (of s.a.i.n.t. RECON, The Breakdown Kings, Justice League) and Skittz (of Mudkids, The Breakdown Kings), backed by one of the city’s best producers, Joe Harvey (Twilight Sentinels), with up-and-coming turntablist DJ Spoolz (Scoot Dubbs, The Dirty Thirty) rounding out the crew. Not only are these guys’ legends in the Indy Hip Hop scene, they are also part of the hip hop power house crew Cut Camp (www.cutcamp.com). This unique crew brings some of the dopest beats and rhythms you can find while keeping true to their raw boom bap style. With their debut album Atavism, The Proforms have been making some influential progress in the Midwest. The Proforms are putting Indianapolis, IN on the map as the next up-and-coming city for hip hop. Proforms beat maker and emcee Joe Harvey grew up on the classic hip-hop sound of producers like Pete Rock and DJ Premier. But it’s more than that; Atavism is a finely crafted piece of hip hop. The Proforms are about saving the world one dope hip-hop song at a time. It’s all preservation and perpetuation. This shit won’t stop. - Indiana Grind

A collaboration of the premier emcees, producers, and turntabilists that Indianapolis has to offer, The Proforms are something of a local hip-hop super group. With a raw boom bap style, and the ever-present influences of producers like Pete Rock and DJ Premier, The Proforms are slowly but surely putting Indy on the map as the next up-and-coming city for hip hop. With their debut album Atavism, The Proforms have begun generating a serious ground buzz across the Midwest, and are proving one track at a time that you can find some serious talent between the coasts. - Epitonic

Atavism, the debut LP from The Proforms, sounds like a classic even on the first spin. That's due in no small part to the group's predilection for the vintage sounds of early '90s "golden era" hip-hop. Proforms beat maker and emcee Joe Harvey grew up on the classic hip-hop sound of producers like Pete Rock and DJ Premier.

But it's more than that; Atavism is a finely crafted piece of hip-hop.

"I don't believe in making disposable music. We put in a lot of time, energy, and sweat into making this music," said Harvey.

The Proforms are an Indianapolis hip-hop supergroup. Anyone who has paid only the slightest attention to the local music scene over the last few years probably already knows who these guys are. The individual histories of each member constitute a large chunk of Indiana hip-hop history.

The group features two of Indy's most dynamic emcees, Ace One (of s.a.i.n.t. RECON, The Breakdown Kings, Justice League) and Skittz (of Mudkids, Breakdown Kings) backed by one of the city's best producers, Joe Harvey (Twilight Sentinels) with up-and-coming turntablist DJ Spoolz (Scoot Dubbs, WhoisLouis) rounding out the crew.

The group was born from mutual friendships.

"We would all be chilling together for hours and hours," said Ace.

According to Joe Harvey, that's an important element in the group's dynamic.

"There has to be camaraderie; we have to be friends. It's been the same in all my projects; we were friends first and then we decided to make music together," Harvey said, adding, "My main goal with music is to have fun. That's why I've always worked with friends. When it's not fun, I won't do it anymore."

That sense of camaraderie and friendship comes through strongly on Atavism. Despite being the group's debut recording together, The Proforms sound like a seasoned veteran unit, trading rhymes and verses with ease.

A mutual respect for one another as artists pulled the group together, in addition to their shared friendship. In particular, a respect for Harvey's skills as a beat maker was unanimously cited by the group's members.

"I'm a true fan of Joe Harvey as a producer," Ace said. "Joe Harvey is a super producer. You know it's a Joe Harvey beat when you hear it, just like you know it's a Dr. Dre beat. The dude is bad, period," he said.

"If you see the name Joe Harvey on a production, you know there is gonna be some ill drums attached," said Skittz, adding, "Musically, it's the difference between someone who gets on a computer and throws something together on Fruity Loops and somebody that really hones their craft."

"His beats embody that raw, boom bap style, which is the core sound of hip-hop," says Spoolz.

But the Proforms are not a one man show. Harvey points to Ace One's "aggressive energy" and Skittz's "laid-back, but stern and occasionally abstract" rhyme styles as a key component of the group's appeal.

Although Harvey created the beats for all but one of the album's tracks, he insists Atavism is a group effort.

"I did all the beats, but the album was produced by The Proforms," he said, continuing, "We discussed everything together. From the order of the tracks, to the order of the rhymes on the songs."

But it is Harvey's old school beats that provide the group with its defining characteristic sound. Don't call The Proforms revivalists, though. They view their preference for vintage hip-hop sounds as a genre choice, not a throwback to the '90s.

"It's just a genre, it's a musical choice," said Ace. "Some people choose to do swag rap; we do boom bap hip-hop."

DJ Spoolz declared that the boom bap style "should never go away," and added that he's "happy to be part of a group that keeps the sound going."

To get an outside perspective on the Proforms, I contacted local hip-hop connoisseur Nick Saligoe, better known as DJ Metrognome. Saligoe is best known for his Tuesday night residency at Coaches, Indy's longest running hip-hop night. Nick's impeccable musical taste, expert mixing skills and devotion to the preservation of hip-hop have earned him a place as one of the city's foremost experts on the subject.

"I really dig Atavism. I think it showcases some of the best elements that Indianapolis hip-hop has to offer." Saligoe told me. "Joe Harvey is a phenomenal producer," he continued, citing Harvey's use of hard drums and soulful, funky samples.

"Any fan that grew up with hip-hop in the '90s and early 2000s should appreciate [Atavism]. I think it's a really strong record and deserves recognition as one of Indy's best releases from 2011," said Saligoe.

Despite specializing in a style that is commercially out of favor, The Proforms have set big goals for themselves.

"We want to expand outside Indiana, outside the Midwest and outside the country," Skittz said. Ace One admits he would like to see the band tour Europe.

"I don't dream that big. But Ace helps with that. He says 'I wanna go to Europe with this project,' and that's not crazy. It's a reasonable goal," said Harvey.

But, ultimately, Harvey takes a more restrained view.

"I don't have delusions of grandeur. I don't think I'm gonna be a millionaire off this, or a pop star. I had that attitude when I was in my twenties. It's an art, and you have to do it for the sake of the art," said Harvey.

Regardless of the album's commercial fate, the group plans to stick together and continue recording. In the words of Ace One, "The Proforms are about saving the world one dope hip-hop song at a time. It's all preservation and perpetuation. This shit won't stop." - Nuvo magazine

The Proforms
Get Ready
DongThongBo Music
3.5 stars

MC and producer Joe Harvey was the chief architect behind the now defunct Indy hip-hop group Twilight Sentinels. Harvey is back with a new project, The Proforms, and he's joined by a couple of Indy's most charismatic MCs, Ace One and Skittz, and backed by DJ Spoolz on turntable duties. The excellent "Get Ready" is The Proforms' first release, a digital-only single previewing their debut LP, Atavism.

The Twilight Sentinels never attempted to reinvent the wheels of steel. Instead, they were content exploring the jazzy, sample-based sound of early 90's hip-hop pioneered by groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. Proforms continues in that tradition, with both "Get Ready" and "Hold On" sounding indistinguishable from Harvey's vintage Sentinels productions.

The Proforms' MCs are not new to the industry; these guys have been floating around the Indy hip-hop scene for a few years. "Get Ready" acknowledges that while confronting detractors who suggest they should hang up their hip-hop aspirations.

The Proforms "Get Ready"

"Some say I'm just a dreamer and I need to let it go, but I say hold on to precious things in life that you love," Harvey quips, while Ace One declares that hip-hop is "still the occupation we're chasing/never gave in/come hell or high water/we'll make it/get ready." Ace is a veteran of several Indy hip-hop groups, but he's never sounded better or more confident than he does here with Proforms.

The B-Side finds Harvey working a dubbed-out reggae sample to great effect, while the trio trades verses optimistically urging listeners to "Hold On."
- Nuvo Magazine

Booth readers, are you prepared to listen to some quality music? If not, then Get Ready, because The Proforms are here to introduce themselves with a certifiably fresh new record. The current single off the Indianapolis crew’s forthcoming album, this determination-drenched joint finds Richard Cook serving up a head-noddable sampled groove (complete with cuts by crew member DJ Spoolz) as rappers Joe Harvey, Skittz and A.C.E.O.N.E. rock the mic. Digging it? Plenty more awaits on the group’s Atavism LP, scheduled for release October 25. - DJBooth.net

GET READY!!! The lead single and 1st track off of The Proform's debut LP "Atavism" is nothing but a wake up call for cats to prep for the group's classic blend of beats & rhymes. The group consisting of Joe Harvey, Ace One, Skittz & DJ Spoolz have all established themselves within the Naptown scene in separate or prior projects, but have joined together to not form a "super group" but as a NEW group. With their varying backgrounds and sounds in other projects, each member brings a different vibe and element to the project that adds to the overall flavor instead of fighting against itself.

The production is headed up by Joe Harvey and when comparing it to prior efforts like "Twilight Sentinels," he's grown as a producer/beatmaker with a more polished/developed sound. Although his prior work has proven to be a quite impressive resume, this project is some of his best work yet. Schooled in the art of "golden age" hip hop, Joe Harvey is able to keep the production classic AND relevant without it sounding too dated.

On the mic, Harvey also puts in his two pennies, but Ace-One and Skittz round out the group's emcees killin' every track they rip. Although I've seen Ace and Skittz murder guest spots on tracks and live sets, the three emcees focus on building their brethren than outshining one another. Each member of the group is a key element in their sound and their is no question that they all are well rounded and schooled emcees.

Sonically "Atavism" is a cohesive and classic blend of soul, reggae and jazz to create an end to end tape burner of dope boom bap. The Ace-One solo "Mind Over Matter" is reminiscent of Da Youngstas' "Mad Props" and not only highlights the powerhouse that Ace is, but has the potential to go the distance as a solid 12" or single track.

Another one of the stand out cuts on the LP is actually an interlude/dedication to DJ Mpozi, "Suite for Mpozi." The interlude does more in what it doesn't say than what could be done if Joe Harvey, Skittz or Ace dropped a verse to it. Although I moved to Naptown a year to the day he passed, it was obvious HOW much he meant to the scene. And despite never meeting or knowing him, Skittz and Joe Harvey pieced together a dedication that damn near brought me to tears as the vocal sample says, "I'd bring you back if I knew how."

Atavism is an example of well rounded emcees, production and DJ skills coming together to make a solid LP instead of the sloppy unfocused albums that have flooded the market the last few years. The Proforms have put together a debut that has added to Naptown's steady list of dope releases and can easily be included in 2011's top ten lists. (period)

Don't sleep.
- Basementaddicts.com