Who are ONE STYLE MDV? - AMF 68

No lazy assumptions are to be made when describing the music of MDV. The qualities gracing this conscious London based reggae band has granted them the favour of always having kept their art relevant to modern times whilst still preserving an original sound. MDV’s musical expression is a promise of love and light to those demanding refreshing change and for those who miss that feel-good rush when faced with the fortunate onslaught of good, real reggae music.

MDV’s unique music is tight and powerful with the riding rootsy backdrops that support unusual and interesting arrangements, often coupled with a profoundly emotive lyrical bias. Their strengths also lie in creating beautiful, almost mystical atmospheric tunes, some very dark and provocative, others more upbeat yet equally contemplative. The feeling tones captured by the music can take you places whereby, one moment you can feel as if you are travelling through some Saharan desert storm – next, you’re in a smoky urban underground club, pulsing next to the speaker with the vibration of the dub bass line beating in place of your heart.

With universal human experience as a core thread running throughout their music- from moving songs about everyday life and honest messages of love, to the urgency of change in relation to the times we live in, MDV have never compromised on their natural musical flair being uppermost in importance to their style of delivering good tunes. It is uncommon these days to be able to claim an original identity but after hearing MDV one might probably agree that it’s a right if earned by anyone, is earned by this band.

AMF 68

MDV Reggae music for the 21st century, with a London sound.

One Style – one LOVE, one style of music - reggae

M.D.V. Many Different Variations - To emphasise and demonstrate the different styles of reggae and beyond within the bands repertoire.

“MDV have long established themselves as a dynamic force

on the live music scene. Their uncompromisingly simple

line-up of bass, guitar and drums, never fails to surprise

audiences due to the overall soundscape they create and

the many different variations within the music”.

History

Formally know as ONE STYLE MDV, MDV are a reggae band that have been together for over 20 years friends and through several transformations. They made their name on the live circuit in the 80’s and 90’s with fresh sounds and concepts within the world of reggae. Beginning their journey within the local community scene in the London boroughs of Hackney and Islington, the band soon started to build up a regular underground following and a reputation for their professionalism and reliability. One Style’s gigs ranged from charities / community events, the pub circuit and clubs. As the bands sound improved through maturity, they were soon in further demand from larger events across London with organisations such as the Notting Hill Carnival, Anti Racism festivals, Anti Apartheid etc and had massive critical success on the alternative circuit around greater London.

MDV have always maintained their aim to play live music which is what they have enjoyed the most. Their unconventional simple line up of bass, guitar and drum has surprised audiences due to their overall sound, the dynamics they create and the movement within their music which has always set them apart from the rest. They have always been described as ‘Tight’ which is their trademark.

The bands objective has always been to ensure that their lyrics had meaning which are uplifting or encourages the listener to think about themselves and the world we live in to compliment the music. This added strength to the music is what has connected them to diverse communities and audiences they represent. Incorporated with their individual personal influences that range from classic reggae, roots and culture, soul, blues, jazz, ska, rock, Hip Hop etc, its difficult to pigeon hole the band or put them in a single category although they have been compared to Steel Pulse, Sly and Robbie, The Wailers, Burning Spear and even The Police.

Artists

One Style MDV have been blessed by being in a position to share the stage with a number of artists and gained respect from their contemparies for what they had to offer the world of reggae. They’ve played with the legend Burning Spear as well as Gregory Isaacs, Aswad, Maxi Priest, Misty in Roots, Winston Reedy and The Mad Professor. Of course being on the alternative scene, the band has shared the stage with bands from the world of rock such as the Asian Dub Foundation, Super Furry Animals, The LA’s, Yr Anhrefn, The Blaggers, The Levellers and Back To The Planet.

An important influence for the band was when they played with Joe Strummer of The Clash extensively during a 24 date tour of Great Britain where they built up a lasting friendship and mutual admiration. Joe Strummer requested One Style MDV to be his support band again the following year as he believed in the bands message and energy.

The natural progression has been for One Style MDV to travel and again they’ve been blessed by being able to express themselves to lovers of reggae in Spain, Belgium, France, Germany and Ireland. The band played to great success at every venue and the most rewarding aspect was the response from people after the shows to sit down and ‘reason’ due to the overall vibes created on the night. This has also been another solid trademark of the band who recognise that communication is the key.

New Direction – Sweet Reggae Music

M.D.V. in its new format will inevitably continue to produce reggae that will stretch the perception of those who presume ‘they know’. The band has always used its own original material and have only scratched the surface in terms of what they can offer. Their ‘live’ sets are what has established them as a force to be reckoned with as audiences benefit from hearing a different rendition of their material. The recording format is simply another place to experiment and the future is bright.

Always making new friends and connections, MDV’s commitment and dedication has inspired younger artists and musicians to maintain their dreams and take the industry more seriously. MDV have been working in collaboration with a number of local artists and it was for this reason why it felt more appropriate for the name to change as the vibes and numbers grew stronger although the core of the band remains the same. The example would be with Korus who are a three piece vocal group from Hackney who write their own songs but have combined forces with MDV to execute a modern soulful reggae sound on ‘Keep It Real’.

Roots Allsorts is an experimental Dub album of sounds and vibes that reflect our urban experience. MDV will return in the near future with a full length album of new songs and arrangements that will again push the boundaries of Reggae.

More music on our website www.mdv.org.uk

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Music directors and DJs interested in requesting MDV music for airplay should email; info@mdv.org.uk Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.