Marxman

Marxman was a four-piece hip-hop group formed in London in 1989. Together with groups like Massive Attack and Portishead, Marxman helped craft the "Bristol sound," a studied blend of hip-hop, Northern soul, and electronic music that formed the basis for what would become the trip-hop subgenre. The group's uncompromising political beliefs, augmented by their diverse racial makeup, were the source of much controversy during their brief reign in the British singles charts, leading their debut single, "Sad Affair," to be blacklisted from BBC radio for expressing what was perceived to be tacit support for the Irish Republican Army. Though their beliefs were more a product of their militant socialist ideals than conventional flag-waving patriotism, Marxman was one of the first hip-hop groups to incorporate traditional Irish folk in their music, counting Davy Spillane and Sinéad O'Connor among the musicians to contribute live performances to their debut record, 33 Revolutions per Minute. Marxman's history began in Dublin, Ireland, with MC Hollis Byrne and electronic musician Oisín Lunny. The pair had met through their fathers, singer Michael Byrne and Donal Lunny, who had performed together in the '70s with Irish rock pioneers the Emmet Spiceland. Lunny was the founder of the Mood Club, one of Dublin's most popular weekly club nights during the late '80s, and Byrne was one of the earliest progenitors of graffiti art in Dublin. Meeting up in London in 1989, Lunny became the third member of a group fronted by Byrne, now performing under the name MC Hollis, and talented Bristol rapper MC Phrase (aka Stephen Brown). Lunny took a background role as programmer and instrumentalist, while mixer and scratcher DJ Kay One completed the lineup shortly afterward. Marxman's debut single,...