Tourettes
As his adopted name would suggest, hip hop bursts from Tourettes like a nervous tick in a rush of raw and honest music. A man of many talents, he is also a poet and writer.
Also known as Dominic Hoey, Tourettes' new album, 'Who Said You Can't Dance to Misery', has just been released. The album documents the four years since his previous EP in which he's gigged, been tattooed, had three relationships, one nervous breakdown, and toured overseas.
Tourettes was always drawn to hip hop, but was unable to find an outlet for his music other than impromptu performances in friends' bedrooms.
He was drawn to the link between hip hop and poetry, but says he also regarded his poetic output as a bedroom pastime. "I could never imagine that I would be performing [my poetry] to people, let alone that people would want to come and hear it."
Walking home one night along Auckland's K' Rd, he stumbled upon an open mic poetry reading at Dead Poets café. "I thought maybe I'll just go read a poem. I read it and everyone was really into it."
When Witness, the punk band he'd been playing in fell apart, he decided it was time to pursue hip hop and poetry. By this stage there were a number of venues holding open mic nights and "… it seemed like maybe there was an avenue to form and make hip hop".
The lyrics and songs were written fairly quickly and shortly after Tourettes and his demos made their way to Australia. "I had in my mind that I'd do the proper versions over there, but it didn't really work out."
Back in NZ he ditched the demos and re-recorded the album's 14 tracks. With musical contributions from Anna Coddington, Lubin Rains, Jay Roacher and Legal Money Mike, the album was mixed by Karl Steven of Supergroove fame and produced by Scratch 22.
"It got to the point where I couldn't even imagine it getting finished. Now the radios are actually playing the songs and it's going to be out," he says.
Tourettes lists Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and the beat poets amongst his lyrical influences. When it comes to music he says he is most inspired by "… people doing hip hop on their own terms". He maintains a high level of honesty in his music to the point where he says it can become uncomfortable rapping about deeply personal issues. "I just rap how I talk."
That seems to be working with initial feedback to the album positive. Tourettes is hoping for further tours here and overseas, and is working on a book project with the artist Trust Me who created the album's cover art.
www.myspace.com/tourettesone
Also known as Dominic Hoey, Tourettes' new album, 'Who Said You Can't Dance to Misery', has just been released. The album documents the four years since his previous EP in which he's gigged, been tattooed, had three relationships, one nervous breakdown, and toured overseas.
Tourettes was always drawn to hip hop, but was unable to find an outlet for his music other than impromptu performances in friends' bedrooms.
He was drawn to the link between hip hop and poetry, but says he also regarded his poetic output as a bedroom pastime. "I could never imagine that I would be performing [my poetry] to people, let alone that people would want to come and hear it."
Walking home one night along Auckland's K' Rd, he stumbled upon an open mic poetry reading at Dead Poets café. "I thought maybe I'll just go read a poem. I read it and everyone was really into it."
When Witness, the punk band he'd been playing in fell apart, he decided it was time to pursue hip hop and poetry. By this stage there were a number of venues holding open mic nights and "… it seemed like maybe there was an avenue to form and make hip hop".
The lyrics and songs were written fairly quickly and shortly after Tourettes and his demos made their way to Australia. "I had in my mind that I'd do the proper versions over there, but it didn't really work out."
Back in NZ he ditched the demos and re-recorded the album's 14 tracks. With musical contributions from Anna Coddington, Lubin Rains, Jay Roacher and Legal Money Mike, the album was mixed by Karl Steven of Supergroove fame and produced by Scratch 22.
"It got to the point where I couldn't even imagine it getting finished. Now the radios are actually playing the songs and it's going to be out," he says.
Tourettes lists Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and the beat poets amongst his lyrical influences. When it comes to music he says he is most inspired by "… people doing hip hop on their own terms". He maintains a high level of honesty in his music to the point where he says it can become uncomfortable rapping about deeply personal issues. "I just rap how I talk."
That seems to be working with initial feedback to the album positive. Tourettes is hoping for further tours here and overseas, and is working on a book project with the artist Trust Me who created the album's cover art.
www.myspace.com/tourettesone