Bliss N Eso's tale goes to show that creating your own path can lead to a destination never reachable by following directions. And what an incredible journey it has been.
In the early '90s Jonathan Notley moved from the US to Sydney, Australia and met Max Mackinnon at High School. The Two became friends through their mutual passion for hip-hop music and together over the next few years began to cultivate the craft of rhyming. Later, after a few early recordings on old boom boxes, Mackinnon moved schools and met Tarik Ejjamai who at the time was an aspiring hip-hop DJ.
The three teamed up in a climate when Australian music was dominated by rock and pop, and local hip-hop was virtually non existent; it was here that Bliss n Eso were born.
Ten years later Bliss (Notley), Eso (Mackinnon) and DJ Izm (Ejjamai) are now a force to be reckoned within Australian music.
Identifying over their passion for self expression through beats and rhymes, Bliss n Eso burst onto the Australian music scene in 2000, releasing their debut 5 track EP, aptly titled The Arrival.
From an early stage in their career, Bliss n Eso primarily built their fan base from their compelling and energetic live performances. An exhilarating blend of fluid rhymes and banging beats teamed with beat boxing, impromptu freestyling and seamless turntablism make their live shows a brand in their own right, and has seen the group hailed as one of the best live acts in the country.
Word of the three man crew’s tight shows spread quickly and before long they had gained top supporting slots alongside artists including Cypress Hill, Xzibit, Naughty by Nature, Jurassic 5, The Roots, Black Eyed Peas and DJ Shadow to name but a few.
After four years of touring with consistently powerful performances, Bliss n Eso settled down in 2004 to record their first full length album Flowers In The Pavement, released through Obese Records.
A virtual brainstorm on record, the emerging artists compiled track after track of wild expression through vibrant lyrics and production. The debut album met an overwhelming response from audiences and critics Australia wide.
The hit track off the album, This is For You, received airplay on Triple J and became the second track in Australian hip-hop history to be added to commercial radio network Nova FM. The stand out songs Pigs In The Porn Trough and This is For You also brought Bliss n Eso an award for “Hip-Hop Artist of the Year” at the National Music Oz Awards in both 2003 and 2004 respectively. They also received a nomination in 2004 for the major award of “Artists of the Year”.
After months of intensive touring to support the album, Bliss n Eso returned to the studio in 2005 to record their follow up sophomore album Day of the Dog.
The album demonstrated the broad capabilities of the trio through fourteen tight tracks of creative sampling, innovative production and catchy choruses, all of which sewn together with Bliss n Eso's fresh flow and clever lyricism. The album featured an array of local and international hip-hop producers including works from Suffa (Hilltop Hoods), Motley (UK) and veteran beat maker Weapon X.
The first single off the album was the party anthem Up Jumped The Boogie, which immediately received high rotation on Triple J and also crossed over to commercial networks such as Nova and Fox FM. Its infectious rhythm and playful lyrics proved popular with both fans and radio stations while the introspective side of the artists was revealed on songs like Then Till Now and That Feeling, which touched on cultural and racial divisions. Through these tracks, Bliss n Eso were introduced to a whole new audience and officially graduated from a popular underground group to a massive name in Australian music.
Above all, Day of the Dog displayed a more focused and refined approach then the groups previously recorded work, once again raising the bar for the crew and affirming their increasingly evident passion and determination.
Day of the Dog debuted at number 43 on the ARIA charts making it the first Australian hip-hop release to debut in the top 50. It also earned Bliss n Eso an ARIA nomination for Best Urban Release in 2006 with sales exceeding all expectations for a local hip-hop release. The overwhelming support and demand from the public led to the band collaborating with Gold Coast super-producer M-Phazes.
In late 2006, BNE released Day of the Dog: Phazed Out, which was a special edition version of the album, containing 3 extra songs and a bonus disc of the entire album remixed by M-Phazes. This release saw the group receive another ARIA nomination for Best Urban Release in 2007. The limited edition version was sold out in under 6 weeks.
The subsequent 18 months of touring generated a huge buzz, taking Bliss n Eso to new heights playing at anything from a 40,000 strong crowd at the St Kilda Festival in Melbourne, to a rainforest gig in a water tank in Cairns. The only way was up. Literally.
The trio found themselves trekking to regional locations where even rock bands wouldn’t attempt to play. Their continuous efforts to take their live shows to as many communities as possible led to the band performing over 100 shows in 2006, setting a record for Australian hip-hop.
In 2007 Bliss n Eso travelled to North America, playing sold out shows in the North-West of the US and Canada including a stand out performance at the Whistler 2007 Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival. Whilst in Oregon the trio collaborated with Portland locals “The Sand People” which is a collective of local MCs. A four day session kick-started the beginning to Bliss n Eso’s highly anticipated third studio Album Flying Colours with two songs featuring Debaser (Ethic and Sapient) and Illmaculate (World Freestyle and Scribble Jam Champion).
Upon their return, the boys embarked on the unforgettable Make Poverty History Zero Seven road trip tour, sharing the bill with Aussie icons including Dallas Crane, John Butler Trio, Missy Higgins and many more.
To top off an already huge year for Bliss n Eso, the group made a massive move and collaborated on a new track with a 21 piece South African gospel choir, the ‘Connections Zulu Choir’ while they were on a three week whirlwind tour of Australia. It was here that the song Bullet and a Target was recorded at Jimmy Barnes’ home studio in Sydney.
Following up on their collaboration with the choir, Bliss n Eso embarked on an epic journey in June 2007 with MTV and the Oaktree Foundation to some of the poorest regions in South Africa to complete the track and shoot the video clip for ‘Bullet and a Target’. Bliss n Eso also shot a documentary with Evermore produced by MTV, aimed at creating awareness about the challenges faced by developing communities in Africa. The emotional film clip and 30 minute documentary aired exclusively on MTV and received overwhelming attention from the media and the public with Bliss n Eso donating all the profits from the single back into the communities they worked with in South Africa. The crew was was nominated for the “Good Karma Award” for these efforts at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.
In 2008 Bliss n Eso delivered Flying Colours, featuring the stand out singles Bullet and a Target, Woodstock 2008, The Sea Is Rising and Eye of the Storm. Recorded at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne, the new album demonstrates Bliss n Eso’s artistic growth and evolving maturity both through lyrics and production in what is ultimately their best and most dynamic work to date.
With the album debuting in the top 10 of the Australian charts (another milestone for Australian hip-hop), Bliss n Eso solidified their position as one of the country's most popular acts from any genre. The album became the highest selling local hip-hop album of the year and with their third nomination in as many years, Bliss N Eso took out the ARIA Award for 2008's Best Urban Release. The official album tour sold out every one of its 24 legs including an unforgettable homecoming show at Sydney's Enmore Theatre in front of 2,500 lucky ticket holders. After ten phenomenal years, these three troublemakers from Sydney's suburbs are officially in uncharted territory - which is exactly where they like to be.
Source: www.blissneso.com
Pic: Lucas Dawson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images