Le Damn Dog "Watch Out" directed by Jonathan Bensimhon

Press Release :
LET LE DAMN DOG OUT!

Le Damn Dog is a hellhound of a new project from top Parisian DJ-producer Erik Rug and DJ-MC Dynamax from the South Bronx. The surprise element is the musical tree on which the pair have chosen to cock their leg: a slavering mix of, hip hop and rock 'n' roll delivered with pure punk attitude.

The pair have been working together in various projects for over ten years, initially throwing together their respective groundings in house music and hiphop but, after discovering a mutual love for great rock music and punk's energy, finally solidifying a venture destined to raise a few roofs this year.

Erik Rug was born in Eastern France and started DJing at the age of 15, moving to Paris in 1981 and spinning in a punk club situated under the world famous Olympia theatre. In 1989 he began DJing at Paris' Locomotive club, starting a parallel recording career from the early 90s under names including Daphreephunkateerz, Low Tone Priority and Waxgroove [also the name of a successful club he was running]. He has also released records as Dirty Jesus for Manchester's Paper label.

Dynamax grew up in New York's South Bronx, inspired at an early age by the hiphop revolution which started there, particularly the legendary Afrika Bambaataa. He ended up joining Bambaataa's Zulu Nation, becoming the movement's European ambassador after relocating to France while hooking up with premiere French hiphop producer Dee Nasty in 1993. Dynamax has also toured Africa teaching hiphop culture to school-kids.

Erik first encountered Dynamax while DJing in New York: the rapper joined him in the DJ booth and started rhyming. When Dynamax came to Paris the pair started working together, releasing singles including 2002's deep house beauty Universal People and 2006's old school celebration Tribute To My People. They also started the Rex club, which became renowned as the best techno night in Paris. While they continued with their own projects [Dynamax releasing last year's Equilibrium album], the idea for the new project started taking shape when Erik picked up a guitar for the first time: a new kind of rock band which they called Le Damn Dog.

Songs like Watch Out and Freak Of Nature bang together Erik's Stooges-style raw power guitar barrages with Dynamax's new-found 'The Black John Wayne' persona, howling or panting to ram home the hard-hitting lyrics. The remarkable street-scene of Wrong Again even recalls Nightclubbing-era Iggy partying with the Cramps, although Rollin' and Stop recall the hard-hitting late 80s New York hiphop style. Rules And Laws is sheer punk in message, early P-Funk when they pushed out the space-boat musically. The music heightens its point through deft use of space and pressure cooker dynamics [like the unsettling Love Is Poison where Suicide enter the equation], the duo's anger heightened by a self-imposed regime of sleeping on the floor and starving themselves. The hardship paid off as this seductively startling bunch of songs work their gutter magic, the electronic dance music awareness and love of outfits like Can and the Clash having a subliminal effect.

Another revolution in 2009: the year of the canine. Bow-wow-wow-yippee-yo-yippee-yay!
Kris Needs January 2009



Feedback :
"Thinking outside the box. This is fabulous! I love your doggystyle." - Dave Haslam (writer/DJ XFM radio, Manchester)

"Here boys! Good to see the Dog's on the loose here. A bit of snow won't stop you cocking a leg against the music business and letting the public lap up some of the best sounds I've heard for ages! Bow-wow-wow-yippee-yo-yippe-yay!!!" - Kris Needs (writer/journalist - Mojo, Record Collector, Traxmarx, Clash, DMC, DUpdate)

"Incredible new rock project from mega talented duo Erik rug & Dynamax!! Wonder WTF they gonna imagine next year..." - Paris DJs

"GREAT LYRICS...GREAT MUSIC...GREAT CONCEPT...LE DAMN DOG IS THE TRUTH & THE FUTURE..." - Donald D (ex Rhyme Syndicate - B-Boys)

"Oh Yeah, the rock joints is hot as hell, Le Damm Dog like Black John Wayne and Rick Rugged, Woof Woof!!!!!" - Tha Godfather Of Ghetto (Chicago House music legend)

"Damn ! that shit is slammin, yo, keep up the good grooves comin brothers, just push it to the max, stripp it to the bone!" - Monte Cristo (The Do management)

"I like this... it's fresh!" - Dj Cosmo (Bitches Brew/Loft NYC)

"I always love what you do and this no exception... Sounds great!" - Rob Mello (DJ/producer)

"Great songs, very refreshing production, I will support this!" - Jean-Pierre Sablier (Virgin Radio)