Urban Dance Squad formed in 1986 in
Amsterdam. They've been described as
rap/metal most frequently, but their songs touch on a veritable plethora of styles:
ska,
folk,
rock,
rap .... I tend to consider them great musicians, and good songwriters, as well as sometimes credited pioneers of
trip-hop. For me, they take everything I like about the
Beastie Boys and
Rage Against the Machine, and strip away everything that sends me running from these two groups.
Their first two albums had the following core line-up:
drums: Magic Stick
guitar: Tres Manos
vocals/raps: Rudeboy
bass/upright bass: Silly Sil
turntables: DJ DNA
After their second album, DJ DNA either left, or was kicked out. Also after their second album, I stopped paying attention.
Their albums to date:
- Mental Floss for the Globe (1990)
- Life in Perspectives of a Genuine Crossover (1991)
- Persona Non Grata (1994)
- Beograd Live (1996)
- Planet Ultra (1999)
- Artanica (2000)
A while ago, some year around 1998, their first couple of albums were re-released. You can easily tell the re-issues from the original releases, as they come with a second, live CD from the same era as the album. In addition to the other CD (at least in the case of Mental Floss for the Globe), the songs are slightly out of order, and at least one song, Deeper Shade of Soul, was digitally sped up.