“With great power, comes great responsibility. My favourite words to live by.”
Hash Bas ey started out jamming in grunge/hip-hop fusion bands as a kid in North London the early 90s, entering any battle of the bands nights that were about. Too young to be in the venues; his parents used to take all the gear for the band to get Hash in. This is where he 1st cut his chops on both guitar and bass. Around the same time, he worked his way up his music teachers Samba Band until he was one of the section leaders. The band toured the UK doing gigs and workshops. They played venues such as The Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Royal Albert Hall, as well as being followed by the BBC for a documentary series. Here he was schooled in various Brazilian and ethnic instruments, drum patterns, and culture.
Following this, EMI showed interest in picking up his band when he was just 16 years old. Much to his dismay, the band couldn’t work together within a year of this and EMI were gone. He then travelled around North America for a while, scoping Ragga and Techno/Electro clubs, as well as live venues. This (alongside DJ Shadows Endtroducing,) inspired him to learn the craft of production, and mixing electronics with live instruments in performance. He then studied Popular Music at Westminster-Kingsway, where he took a keen interest of the history and workings of instruments, and learning/honing his production skills. Here he also gained the skills of playing/performing drums and piano/key boards. Fresh out of school, he landed gigging jobs for pop artists such as Louise Redknapp.
Not content with the instability, and lack of music in the pop world, he worked on creating his own scene. Working with his scene of musicians, he started organising and participating in club nights with live band/MC jam sessions in central London . During this time, he began living with (BANANA KLAN cohort,) Oliver Knight and they began a long running production partnership where they worked with various live bands. This was centred in the heart of Camden , and they played/mingled with the likes of Skinnyman (Mud Family,) Amy Winehouse, Jehst, and Razorlight just as the UK scene started to truly take off.
More than a jobbing Guitarist he also owns and runs Merchandising company: http://urbanspecies.co.uk Re-connecting with his family, they built a brand focussed on young talent, graffiti art, graphic design, dance, music, and pop culture. Holding licenses for brands such as Marvel Entertainment, DC Comics, (Warner bros,) and Transformers, they partnered with famed DJ Label/Brand DMC International. Together they created Technics vs Marvel clothing. Aside from launching clothing lines which include Technics vs Transformers, and Technics vs Star Wars, they are working on art lines with the likes of graffiti artists/crews Inkie, Panic, (ATG), and the IFC Collective. They are also distributed by, and partnered with brands such as EMI and Joystick Junkies.
He has been rolling with the BANANA GANG for 2 years, but is a long serving Roots Manuva die-hard from way before, describing Roots Manuva as a key influence to his tutor while studying. An all round music and comic book nut, Hash Cakes as we like to call him can often be seen at Dub College playing crazy Guitar on the Banana Klan Sound System. A master improviser and presently putting together the DUB COLLEGE band who will become the resident house band at this years DUB COLLEGE EVENTS.
He is also on call for ROOTS MANUVA live gigs and studio sessions as he is a multi instrumentalist vibes man.
Simply put Hash is BANANA KLAN BACK BONE.