„Alright, Berlin city, I own the key to you / I know what it means to you / A conceited bastard like me / Who supports your vanity.“ That’s the way one of the most exciting new band projects from the heart of Berlin steps onto the scene. Throwing in a sound clash with elements from hiphop and electro, this comes quite as a confident statement for a band who is just about to put the finishing touch on their first album.

But dataMC are hungry. dataMC are rough and real. dataMC work hard and keep the dancefloor busy. dataMC are the new sound of Berlin and spread the right words. dataMC are data music with one of the best MCs around who spits his rhymes in English.

dataMC are Ono (former rapper of legendary hiphop crew Walkin’ Large), Walera Goodman (also producer of The Tape, hot newcomer at Kitty-Yo’s sublabel Kyo) and San Gabriel (DJ and liveDEMO organizer).

The differences couldn’t have more explicit: Ono, born in South Africa, the man with hiphop pounding in his veins and Walera, born in Kazakhstan, the man for twisted experimental club sounds... When San Gabriel introduced them during a liveDEMO event at Café Moskau, something clicked between the two - and they both profit from their mutual exchange and mysteriously deep understanding of music. San Gabriel, originally the manager of this unlikely co-op, later joins them as indispensable part of the band.

The sound of dataMC is more than just hiphop meets elektro. It’s a rough and wild sound clash also drawing from funk, rock, metal and punk, with some references to UK Sound grime. But the sound of the band is deeply rooted in Berlin’s nightlife and radiates a distinctive Berlin feel. The most engaging sound of today is crossover. Everything goes as long as it is exciting and sizzles under the booties: deep and freaky bass lines, distorted metallic sounds, twisted and filtered funk rhythms plus guitars which Walera plays and records with a dirty edge. No samples except for the track „Handsome“ which toys with an old AC/DC song. On top raps Ono with precise tongue artistry, cutting rhymes and masterly flow. Listen carefully: The rough sounds finds ist counterpart in the band’s challenging lyrics.

With their dirtiness, dataMC succeed in winning over hiphop heads as well as the in-crowd of Berlin-Mitte clubs. Few voices from the underground may nag about some of the harmonic patterns, but the main thing is that dataMC know how to party. Walera explains: „We are definitely raw and dirty. Still our music is no end in itself but created for the people out there.“ And you are constantly bound to be caught by surprise. When in the chorus of „Life is...“ Ono sings „I’m walking down the Ku’damm and the feelin’ is fly“ his lips part into a wide grin and the world is given a new nerdy hookline.

From the beginning dataMC put much emphasize on their live act – and, as a band without finished album and recording contract, they have been amazingly successful. As support act of The Roots, Dizzee Rascal, Talib Kweli, Lyrics Born, Spank Rock, Roots Manuva, K-OS and Dälek they toured several German cities and performed live on stage with UK top act TY. On stage, Ono as front man is the lady killer who communicates with the crowd while band DJ San Gabriel is in charge of all sample arrangements. The elaborate sound design by trained sound engineer Walera adds maximum power to their show.

„dataMC / We came to win / dataMC / Let us begin. / dataMC!!!“

You better get ready for this!