Bringing That Beat Forward
by ICX
Public Enemy is undeniably one of the most important music groups of all time. Besides being perhaps the most innovative act at the origin of rap/hip-hop, they crossed every musical, racial and political boundary to bring their message of awareness to the world. Public Enemy stepped to a new level by adding a live band to drive the onslaught, but it was no easy task. With a catalog of anthems comprised of impeccably placed grooves, samples and beats, it took someone with a producer's ears and a musician's prowess to not only preserve the groove, but to bring the music across with the power and conviction to drive a legendary act. Brian Hardgroove was up for the challenge, and as bass player and bandleader, he has kicked Public Enemy into high gear.
Growing up in Hollis, N.Y., Brian's first musical passion was the drums. His interest in the bass came about through his brother, who was listening to bands like Brass Construction. The neighborhood was brimming with musical influences. "There used to be workshops right around the block where guys like Marcus Miller and Lenny White would come in," he says. The true moment of enlightenment was seeing Earth, Wind and Fire at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. "Nobody put on a show like that," he says. "You had Kiss at that time, but the music was on a completely different level. At that point I said, ‘I have to do this!'"
Brian also spent time developing his production and recording skills. He was the recommended replacement for the bass player in a group called Kelvynator. Guitarist Kelvyn Bell was working at Manhattan Center Studios. Brian quickly became an asset in the studio, where he worked on numerous film and television soundtracks, including Interview With A Vampire and the HBO series Subway Stories. He played, wrote, recorded or produced with the likes of David Byrne, Slash, Marc Anthony, Supertramp and Aerosmith, and developed a relationship with producer Eddie Kramer. "We were in the studio when Eddie had gotten his first copy of a book that he co-wrote on Jimi Hendrix. He signed it, gave it to me and said, ‘Jimi would've wanted you to have this.' I will never forget that!"
Brian got a call from an artist named Kyle Jason, who was backed by Chuck D. After an album and tour with Kyle, Brian became bassist and bandleader for Public Enemy's offshoot project, Confrontation Camp, featuring Chuck D, Kyle Jason and Professor Griff with a backing group called the Chain Gang. He also composed music to back Chuck D's Terrordome commentaries on the Public Enemy website. This spawned Fine Arts Militia, a project Brian leads that has been the house band for the ESPY Awards since 2003.
After the first Fine Arts Militia album, Chuck D asked Brian to lead a Public Enemy live band. Three weeks before the tour, Brian assembled the band and was faced with the challenge of recreating the Public Enemy tunes with live instruments. "Because most of the classic PE songs are samples, the pieces aren't necessarily in tune with each other, but they sound great," he says. "If you change even the placement of a drum hit, the song loses something."
As an accomplished and well-respected musician, producer and team player, Brian cites as his greatest assets, "I am able to work with people who can do things better that I can. I can also listen and communicate clearly with individuals on all levels." Advice to live by!
In addition to a new Fine Arts Militia album that will feature Bootsy Collins, Brian and producer/turntablist DJ Johnny Juice are producing a project called the Banned, which is the Public Enemy live band consisting of Brian, Mike Faulkner, Khari Wynn and DJ Lord with DJ Johnny Juice. The Banned will have the opening slot on the Public Enemy tour.
