Good Buddha

five piece funk inspired hip-hop band from Sydney, A multicultural conglomerate, together since 1996, Al Young (MC, guitar), Andy Lane (MC, bass guitar) and Matt Johnston (drums) are the backbone of the band, with Adam Cox (keys) and Chris Gadsby (samples) joining the crew in 2002. 2001 debut album, ‘Skillathon.’ – appearing at such festivals as ‘Splendour In The Grass,’ the ‘Woodford Folk Festival,’ ‘Glenworth Valley,’ ‘Newtown Festival’ and the ‘Brisbane Valley Fiesta’, along with supporting such acts as the Resin Dogs, Grandmaster Flash and The Pharcyde. From their humble beginnings busting live funk at local house parties in the Inner-West part of Sydney, to the infectious, soul-infused, funk-laden, party hip-hop the band have become synonymous with – the boys from Good Buddha have had the crowds bouncing since 1998. A divergent musical background, coupled with a love of psychedelic rock courtesy of Hendrix and Zeppelin were huge influencing factors, but growing up throughout the golden era of Hip Hop was always going to be a commonality amongst the band. With A Tribe Called Quest regularly pumping through their collective stereos, the decision was made to embrace their hip-hop roots and famed producer Sandro was brought in, bringing with him an intimate knowledge of scratching, sampling and hip-hop production. In 2001 music lovers got their first taste of Good Buddha’s superb album crafting skills, when the band issued the independently released ‘Skillathon’ (distributed through MGM). The first single ‘Ultrasound’ gained heavy rotation on Triple J and was featured in the Heath Ledger film Candy. With the album receiving critical acclaim and regular airplay, a slew of East Coast tours ensued, most notably supporting future close collaborators the Resin Dogs. Having parted ways with Sandro and Peter Brennan, Alex, Andy and Matt continued to write and record, and in 2004 released their second full length album ‘Futurhistrix’. The first single to be dropped off the album ‘Naturalogical’ was met with widespread radio play and was also featured in Tracks Magazine’s surfing DVD Bastard Child. Riding on the back of two triumphant albums Good Buddha embarked on a national tour, headlining with fellow New South Welshmen The Herd. The tour was a massive success and garnered the band a fan base the length and breadth of the country. Over the years, Good Buddha have earned their stripes on the Australian festival circuit, having played Big Day Out, Good Vibrations, Splendor in the Grass, Woodford Folk Festival and the Apollo Bay Music Festival. This popularity have been cemented by supporting some of the biggest names in international hip-hop, having hit the stage with such legends as Public Enemy, Ugly Duckling, People Under the Stairs, Lyrics Born and Pharcyde. Much of 2007 was spent in the studio creating their last release ‘Hit the Sky Running’. The final album captured a decade of experience and encapsulated a sound that is part big band, a whole lot of rhythm and plenty of funk. With Ozi Batla (The Herd) and SistaNative jumping on board for collaborations and the first single ‘Movin On’ getting smashed on radio, Good Buddha felt it was the right time to ‘Move On’, calling it a day in 2009 after a final Australian tour.