Low Pressure Records Collective Parties Like It's 1996

BY Thomas QuinlanPublished Jan 1, 2006

"I can't wait to see my boys together again," says an excited Tachichi, "a collective of boozin' bastards getting busy on the road." And that's what will be happening across Canada as the east coast and west coast segments of Low Pressure Records reunite for a 16-date tour in August. "This is a long time coming and we're gonna hit the peoples with a show that they don't forget," brags Kunga 219, head honcho for his own Goodnight Musics with his partner in the Goods, Gordski. Along on the tour with Halifax residents Tachichi and Kunga are current Van City residents Moves and Cee!!!!!!, and special guest DJ Neoteric. The Nine-Six Reunion Tour, according to Moves, is "just saying that we're all getting together to bring the hype show like we all used to back in the 9-6."

Nineteen ninety-six was not only a time for hype Halifax shows — before everyone ended up on different coasts — but it was also the year Moves dropped his first Low Pressure release, an independent hip-hop mix tape. At the time known mostly for his work as part of hick-hop trio Hip Club Groove, Moves has since released some of this nation's most underrated hip-hop classics on his Low Pressure label, including Governor Bolts's A Crooked Mile and Tachichi's Truth of the Trade. "Low Pressure is basically a way for me to let my crazy anger out in a semi-positive way," admits Moves. "Making hip-hop has been my life since I could actually think for myself and always will be."

While the current roster at Low Pressure is Moves, Tachichi, Cee!!!!!!, Contrabanned and graphic designer Rhek, others like Moka Only, Birdapres, Ink Operated, and Josh Martinez have all passed through. There's no denying that Low Pressure Records has been home to a lot of talented hip-hop artists, but it's also a beacon for some of Canada's proudest alcoholics. In fact, Tachichi & Moves titled their most recent collaborative effort Booze Brothers, which also contains the third instalment in the "Booze Hounds" series, and Moves and Cee!!!!!! have claimed the name Drunken Arseholes. Fair to say that Low Pressure is receptive to the motto coined by Kunga and Bolts: "I can MC better than you drink, and drink better than you MC."

Booze always seems to be central to performing and recording with the Low Pressure artists. "Our shows are absolutely amazing," Tachichi says. "It's like a house party on stage for shit's sake, and we stays on point!" A zen-like urge to party brought together The Nine-Six Reunion Tour. "We knew who we needed in one van to have a successful stage show and a fucking bomb ass party," Tachichi adds. Thus, the stage was set for the core of Low Pressure Records, close friend DJ Neoteric and Kunga 219, "the drunken buddhist" according to Moves, to bring their party across Canada. "Before Goodnight Musics and Low Pressure there was just us," says Kunga of his inclusion on the tour, "and at the end of the night there's just us." Which is lucky, since this particular line-up allows for a lot of different variations. Of course there will be solo sets from Kunga 219, Cee!!!!!! and Tachichi, but there will also be the rare chance to see Cousins of Def (the trio of Moves, Cee!!!!!! and Tachichi) and Roosevelt Tharpa (Tachichi and Kunga).

"The show is non-stop '96 banging from top to bottom," Kunga reiterates, listing off slightly sarcastically what makes this show worthy of anyone's attention: "The variety show, the carnival, the human circus, the mouldy pigeon dance, Rosey Tharps punching speakers, high wire walking, life-threatening contortions and of course, the booze-ahol drinky."

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