"Hermitude"
"Hermitude"
The two multi-instrumentalists Luke Dubber (aka Luke Dubs) and Angus Stuart (aka Elgusto) have been in bands together since 1994, at the ages of 16 and 11 respectively. Their first proper band was called Funk Injections, following the rule that funk bands require the word "funk" appear somewhere in their name, and included Stuart's sister, Aja Stuart, on bass. When a group of local rappers, including Tim Levinson (aka Urthboy) from the Herd, were impressed by Funk Injections' abilities, the two groups briefly incorporated in 1998, performing for a while under the name Explanetary.Explanetary consisted of Levinson on vocals, Stuart on keyboards, Dubber on drums, Realistix on vocals (and sometimes production), No Mumbles (aka Nug) on vocals, Aja Stuart (Stuart's sister) on bass and DJ ALF on cuts. Explanetary only released one EP, In On the Deal, in July, 2001 following which the members went their separate ways. After Stuart returned from a trip to the U.S. in 2000 with a set of turntables, the two tried jamming together with Dubs playing keyboard, sans vocals. The combination worked so well that they realized they didn't need anything else and Hermitude was formed.
Signing with the Elefant Traks label founded by the Herd, Hermitude released the vinyl-only Imaginary Friends EP in 2002. The collection of esoteric instrumental soundscapes, with two vocal cuts provided by Urthboy and Ozi Batla, sold out and has never been transferred to CD, making it a collector's item. A year later their first album, Alleys to Valleys, was released. The name referred to their moving between Sydney and a recording studio called Sound Heaven in the Blue Mountains, owned by Stuart's father, John Stuart, which allowed them to literally be hermits half the time. The other half of their time they spent coming down from the mountains to try out their new material in the clubs of the city.
The popularity of Hermitude's debut allowed them to earn support billing with touring international acts such as, Dizzee Rascal, RJD2, and DJ Krush, and then record Tales of the Drift in 2005. A more percussive, Cuban sound was created, inspired by Stuart's time spent there in his youth. In 2006 Hermitude embarked overseas to pursue the real world, landing gigs in Europe, Asia and the USA. They were invited to perform in Malaysia, Norway and Spain as well as at DJ Kentaro’s Japanese album launch, and were booked for Aceyalone and Abstract Rude’s West Coast USA tour. Whilst on this world tour, Dubber and Stuart wrote the tunes that would make up their 2007 Rare Sightings EP release. Released in November 2007, initially sold at venues on their return tour of Australia, this is their fourth release on Elefant Traks. Hermitude then joined Urthboy and The Tongue on a national tour throughout Australia. Copies of the CD sold out during the tour and had to go back to press before copies could be released in stores.
Apart from Hermitude, Stuart has spent the last couple of years playing and touring with Paul Mac as percussionist and DJ, whilst Dubber has lent his keyboard skills to many local Sydney outfits including Gauche, The Tango Saloon and The Bird.