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| Sunday, 5 June 2005 |
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Magazine |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Outcrop :
Doing it Differently by Rikaza Hassan Outcrop comprises Eshan Hettiarachchi (20)
on lead vocals, Kaushalye Senaratne (21) on guitar
If you expected gleaming thick guard dog chains hanging down from their necks to their waists, shiny rings with gaudy stones on their fingers, either six pack abs or pot bellies, then you're up for sure disappointment. Nope not even a plaster is to be seen on their fingers. These guys love hip-hop music. They listen to the genre, they play the genre. They even make music of the genre but do it in their very own kind of way. They don't care for cultivating the street cred of the more dangerous streets of America, they don't do the slang or the swear terms either. What they are, are a bunch of hip-hop musicians who like to make their music with a little more local flavour, keeping in touch with their roots.
Their last concert was at Otters Club in April and the tickets were totally sold out. "We couldn't believe it when the audience actually started singing the words to our songs. We had no idea that they knew our music that well," says Eshan. They've even had a couple of their singles in the Sun FM Top 40 Countdown, a fact that goes to show their immense popularity with local audiences, something that they are no doubt quite proud of. Apart from releasing their singles to radio stations, have they thought of compiling an EP or an album? "We're already working on our album, we've finished a few tracks and there's still more work left to do. We're planning to release it as soon as all of us have finished our exams and will be free to really get down to some hard work," says Kaushalye." How about practise sessions? "We don't have a strict practise regimen as such. We practise right before a concert or when we're gonna record a single or something. Then we bring Kaushalye's parents' house down coz our studio isn't soundproofed," puts in Danu. All of them are thankful to their parents. "We're grateful that they'd trust us to go out there and let us do our thing and specially Kaushalye's dad for chipping in sometimes when we needed stuff," puts in Eshan. "Not to mention for putting up with the racket we make at their place in the studio," chips in Nadisha. And how does it feel being the only girl and the oldest of the five? "Well it's alright. There are times when they do some defending and then also there are times that they bug me a lot. I've been hanging with them for so long that I've learnt to check out the chicks as well." So how did Outcrop happen? "Me, Hani and Aeshan were in school together and we sort of formed this group, but everyone used to hate it when we sang. Once we participated in this school show, it was something we'd always wanted to be in and after the performance the principal ordered that from the next year there were to be auditions before they let anyone come up and perform," says Kaushalye. "We'd known Nadisha for a long time but then we only hooked up with her as a band late last year after Yes Fm Superstar. We met Danujan this year when we were looking for someone to produce our album and he joined us as well." In essence what Outcrop is, is a local hip-hop band going against the grain to add a touch of Sri Lankan to produce great sounds that will make you stop lazing off on the sofa and get you shaking some serious butt as you dance to the rhythm. |
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and mixing, Danujan
Vinoharan (20) on guitar and vocals, Hani Mohamed (18), the main rapper
and last but not least, Nadisha Wickramathilaka (22) also on vocals. 
"We don't do the 'whatz up y'll'or the 'biatch' or anything like that.
Even when we perform we always talk to the audience and make them a part
of the performance. It is amazing for us and amazing for the audience as
well. I think it's why we have had a great response each time we
performed," says Nadisha. 
