J.U.S. Music: Muneshine, Dminor, M-Phazes, Illmind, Raks One (Emilio Rojas) & Presto are.....

My 1st contact with any form of Wax Reform was through Akrobatiks album "Balance" when Remind My Soul stood out like a sore thumb (I actually recognised the sample because I'd been samplin my mums Wilson Pickett records at the time) If I'm to be 100% honest I hadn't a clue about WR back then & its only late last year I'd any contact with their work & naturally I was engrossed. The choice & manipulation of the samples, the Groove of their warming bass really is there not only to be enjoyed but to be appreciated in terms of Production.

With the rhymin talents of Muneshine & Raks One / Emilio Rojas, the flawless & relentless talents of M-Phazes you shouldn't be guilty of expecting to much in believing the next coupla’ years in could & should be very, very positive. Add the rhymin, singin & production Skills of Dminor to the blend & you've a complete package........Then there’s Illmind a Producer who appears to have thoroughly blossomed in recent years, with his ability & huge reputation the Wax Reformation Team have the fundamentals needed to cleanse a stagnant industry of its impurities (optimism is a great thing).

Presto (The member I know nothin about) is one of the biggest DJ's out in Holland at the moment & with Nicolay & Von Pea as his compatriots I look forward to grabbin some of his work.

From the Wax Reform MySpace......

"An unlikely collection of some of the finest producers/emcees, you've never heard of or at least you don’t think you have. From the people who brought you Dead Prez, Common & Last Poet's "Panthers", Akrobatik's "Remind My Soul", MF Grimm's "Together", Louis Logic's "Gentleman & A Scholar", as well as the "Opportunity Knocks", "A Vision And A Plan", and "For Good" albums, Wax Reform is a name to be reckoned with.

A collective of independent producers/emcees that span the globe, Wax Reforms two founding members hail from sunny, Los Angeles, California (Dminor) and the, often snow covered, plains of Saskatchewan, Canada (Muneshine). But it doesn’t stop there. With members in New York (Emilio "Raks One" Rojas) and New Jersey (ILLmind), Wax Reform takes its roster around the globe to Australia (M-Phazes) and the Netherlands (Presto) to round out the crew.

Conceived in 2002, it wasn’t until 2003 that Wax Reform would begin to take shape. All of its members had made significant contributions to the world of hip-hop, but had yet to move as a unit with one common goal, to produce quality music without compromise. And so Wax Reform was born.

Since then, Wax Reform has been involved with projects both domestic and foreign, with ILLmind providing production for G-Unit and Muneshine's collaborative efforts with Pete Rock and DJ Spinna, as well as The Phocus(Muneshine & Raks One) album, "A Vision And A Plan", released in Japan on Handcuts Records.

With an arsenal of infectious grooves and thought provoking lyrics, it is only a matter of time before Wax Reform changes the face of music, by doing what they do best."

Making good music, without compromise.

M U N E H S I N E

Canadian EmCee / Producer with 2 solid LP's to his CV: "Opportunity Knocks" released back in 2005 houses appearances from Raks One (aka Emilio Rojas) who partners him in the duo Phocus; a subsidiary of Wax Reform. The production on his debut LP is predominantly from his the rest of His Crew, namely D-Minor, Illmind & M-Phazes.

A guest feature is from production legend Pete Rock bringin his classic heavy soul driven sound.

2007 has overseen the release "A walk in the Park" an instrumental LP. Muneshines production is soulful & the title "A Walk in the Park" fits the bill perfectly. Phocus & WR partner Raks One features on the only vocal track the album has.

(Read Lightheaded Post for more info)

Muneshine's Homepage

D - M I N O R

Don't know much about this guy biographically, The MySpace houses a picture of the late Great James Yancey (Dilla), so I assume it safe to state (like allot of Producers) he's been a huge influence on Dminor.

Dminor, whose musical influences range from such contemporary artists such as Marvin Gaye and Miles Davis, has been cultivating his love for music from an early age. Starting at age 7, Dminor has recorded with many well known artists, including Al Arrau, Harry Belafonte, "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast" composer Alan Menken, and more recently, The Beastie Boys.

Writing, arranging & producing for himself means Dminor has crafted a unique sound unlike those flooding the airwaves right now.

With engaging lyrics and sentiment not found in popular music, Dminor hopes to broaden the ear of his listeners with timeless music to be enjoyed for years to come.

His latest gem features production from M-Phazes & is called “Supreme Goodie”

Dminor's MySpace - Dminor's Homepage/ - Supreme Goodie - Dmnior's LP Site

E M I L I O R O J A S ( R A K S O N E )

A natural born spitter of Venezuelan heritage & hailin from New Jersey. A real tight lyricist with what I believe to be 2 LP's under his belt "For Good" from 2005 & this year has seen "A Breath of Fresh Air" released. Naturally both albums feature production from the rest of the production team, especially the latest release in which all (aside from the mysterious Presto) appear. A lyricist of ear catchin talent....& ear catchers are rare as I'm sure your aware. Many can rap but very few can rhyme, & with Raks one in this coalition I'm picturing big things for the future.

"For Good" a solid Debut and a nice build before the excellent "A Breath of fresh air" of which a more formal approach was taken as he records under his birth name Emilio Rojas. The album is deep in production & very deep in vocal content; Everyday Life issues & personal issues are laid out on this more than solid release.

The other big spitter in the crew is Muneshine, His partner formin the duo Phocus, a project released via the Jazzy Japan "A Vision & a Plan" released back in '04, features production naturally from Muneshine, but Illmind & the multi-talented Dminor.

Emilio Rojas' MySpace

I L L M I N D

Production started at a young age & with the aid of the internet ears started opening & noses started sniffing in the direction of Illmind. His 1st single (The instrumental is included in the package) was/is a deep track called "Remind My Soul" featured on Akrobatiks 2004 release "Balance". Posting His work online caught the ears of the folks over at Soulspazm Records, who at the time started a live producer showcase called Beatsociety (Hail Hezekiah for this genius idea). Iillmind within time performed at a Beatsociety showcase in Philly, alongside Kanye West, 88-keys, Dj Jay-ski, and Fury. This showcase turned the keys to many doors for Illmind, & as time progressed eventually showcases all over the U.S. followed. Inculdin appearances alongside Just Blaze & 9th Wonder.

This year saw production with the respective artists; 50 Cent, G-Unit, 2pac, Diamond D, Ghostface Killa, Pharoah Monche, Phife Dawg, Little Brother, Apl De Ap (Black Eyed Peas), and a huge array of other artists.

With such a Huge Body of work & a blossoming reputation its no wonder Illmind appears on almost every LP I've purchased recently. A prominent figure rhymin on his tracks is the hugely underrated Supastition who seems to create a winning tonic every time he hooks up with Illmind (& M-Phazes), fast-n-furious rhymes over some seriously artful tracks is a formula that can only leave you questioning why an album hasn't been made with the 2 of them (Well maybe the whole of Wax Reform).

Hip-Hops new generation is currently cradling some of the best beatmakers on the planet within Wax Reform.......Ears up people!

ILLminds MySpace - ILLminds Homepage

M - P H A Z E S

M-Phazes is the perfect example of a diamond in the rough. Born and raised in the Gold Coast of Australia and relatively isolated from Hip-Hop culture, M-Phazes has carved a place for himself among Australia's Hip-Hop elite and is undeniably responsible for putting Gold Coast Hip-Hop on the map.

His style is best described as a combination of Neo-Soul & Boom Bap with a modern twist. Drawing inspiration from the obvious; Dilla, Primo & Kanye, M-Phazes has forged an original sound that is uniquely his own. Like the producers mentioned & others that haven't (Pete Rock, Large Pro & as much as I hate to mention but adds to the point Swizz 'Fuckin' Beats) As soon as the beat drops, you know exactly whose on production.

With 9 years of production work under his belt and over 50 releases all over the world, M-Phazes has moved from way down under (apologies couldn't resist) to a more than recognisable producer. Landing his first serious release on Supastition's "Chain Letters" years ago and most recently remixing the entire Bliss N Eso "Day of the Dog" album, M-Phazes seems unstoppable. His discography reads like a who's who of underground Hip-Hop.