APO Remix Vol.2

Following the footsteps of hip-hop artists DJ Al Goodie, D Burn, Jess Matthews and Alphrisk of Dawn Raid Entertainment, two more prominent urban musicians step up to the plate for the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s cross-genre outreach programme, APO Remix Vol.2.

Young Sid, the lead rapper from chart-topping rap group Smashproof, and award-winning international turntablist DJCXL, join the classically-trained musicians from the APO, the region’s only professional orchestra, as they take workshops for aspiring young musicians in South Auckland.

The five day workshop, which begins on Monday 28 September, sees underprivileged youths interacting with leading musicians as they learn about instruments and record, compose, and mix the sounds of the concert hall to their own hip-hop tracks in the studio. The new tracks will then debut at a free community concert at 4:00pm on Friday 2 October at the Otara Music and Arts Centre.

South Auckland hip-hop artist and producer Anonymouz aka Matthew Faiumu Salapu and the APO Education Manager Lee Martelli, view the collaborations as a positive dialogue between tradition and contemporary music.

“The first time we did this, the results were fantastic,” says Anonymouz. “It’s great when you have the likes of Young Sid and DJCXL involved, because of who they are they can share so much,  and not just musically. Most importantly, we’re giving a positive message to these kids who need that kind of influence in their lives.”

Smashproof broke records when their single “Brother” clocked the longest consecutive #1 run in the NZ singles Chart, leading to a nomination for Single of the Year in the 2009 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.

Whereas turntable maestro DJCXL made waves in the international scene when he won the top prize in the DMC Technics International DJ competition in 2003, and has since provided support for top acts including Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, RZA, and Busta Rhymes among others.