AQUIL (EMCEE) - JUSTIN BOYD (DRUMS) - CHARLIE COFFEEN (KEYS) - PRASHANT VALLURY (BASS) - S. SQUAIR BLAQ (EMCEE)

BIO

AO (ANIMATE OBJECTS) HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF HIP-HOP’S SONIC EVOLUTION. WHETHER PUSHING THE ENVELOPE OF LIVE INSTRUMENTATION OR RE-IMAGINING THE IDENTITY OF SAMPLING, THE BAND CONTINUES TO RE-DEFINE & RE-DIRECT THE ODYSSEY OF CHICAGO'S MODERN MUSIC CULTURE.

WHETHER IT’S THEIR NEW ALL SYNTH ORCHESTRA OR BACK TO BASICS ORGANIC CHICAGO SOUL, AO WEAVES AN ECLECTIC WEB OF SOUND GUARANTEED TO TRAP THE LISTENER. LEAVING NO GENRE UNTOUCHED, THEY CHALLENGE CRITICS AND FANS ALIKE TO RE-ENVISION A TIME WHEN MUSIC WAS FUN, PARTIES WHERE HYPE, AND PEOPLE WHERE FREE.

LIKE MANY OF THE ACTS THEY'VE SHARED A BILL WITH – SUCH AS LAURYN HILL, MOS DEF, THE WAILERS, DILATED PEOPLES – AO HAS MANAGED TO RIDE THE CURRENT NEW WAVE WHILE STAYING TRUE AND CLASSIC. HAVING PERFORMED AROUND THE GLOBE FROM CENTRAL AMERICA, EUROPE, AND ACROSS THESE UNITED STATES, THE BAND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO RE-TRACING THEIR STEPS ON THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED.

AFTER BEING FEATURED ON MTV AND IN BILLBOARD MAGAZINE, SOUL TRAIN, THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE & SUN-TIMES, THE GROUP CONTINUES TO RE-WRITE THE NARRATIVE OF INDEPENDENT MUSIC. WHILE WORKING ON THEIR UPCOMING ALBUM THEY ARE SURE TO RE-VAMP, RE-GENERATE, AND RE-PRODUCE THAT GOOD FEELING THAT MUSIC USED TO GIVE US. BUT NEVER, EVER BE DUPLICATED.

PRESS

"…A LIVE BAND WHOSE MUSIC OOZES AN ALMOST PHILADELPHIA SOUL SOUND WITH LAYERED GROOVES PUNCTUATED BY RHYMED LYRICS ABOUT A WORLD WHERE HOPE EXISTS ALONGSIDE DARKNESS, AND WOMEN ARE SEEN AS COMPLETE HUMAN BEINGS.”
DAVID JAKUBIAK - CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"ANIMATE OBJECTS ARE PUSHING A NEW VERSION… A NEW GENERATION OF HIP-HOP. YOU CAN CALL IT SMARTER, YOU CAN CALL IT AMAZING, YOU CAN CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT… BUT BOY, DOES IT EVER PULL FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES AND GENRES."
RICHIE FRIEMAN - PENSEYEVIEW

"TO CALL AO’S TUNES SMOOTH, NEGLECTS THE FACT THAT ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A ENERGY THAT COMES THROUGH WHICH PROVIDES EXTREME AUTHENTICITY. SO WHEN AO DECLARES “WE DO THIS FOR THE LOVE,” PEOPLE WON’T JUST HEAR THEM, THEY WILL BELIEVE THEM."
POTHOLES IN MY BLOG

"ANIMATE OBJECTS, A CREW THAT SETS OUT TO CALL ATTENTION TO QUESTIONING ACCEPTED SOCIAL NORMS OF WORK (MUSIC), LOVE AND LIFE."
SHOTGUN REVIEWS

DOWNLOAD THE EPK (ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT)