The Herd

The Herd figured prominently among the Australian underground hip-hop acts that surfaced in 2001 and secured nationwide radio rotation together with mainstream crossover traction. Through pointed political commentary in their songs and by cultivating a roster of strong artists on their own imprint, the group cemented both its standing and the genre’s credibility far beyond any fleeting novelty appeal. The founding roster featured three distinctively monikered MCs—Urthboy, Ozi Batla, and Berzerkatron—plus a live band of Unkle Ho on beats, Sulo on beats and guitar, Traksewt on piano, accordion, clarinet, and beats, Toe Fu on guitar, and Rok Poshtya on bass. The members had launched Elefant Traks to produce an original mixtape as a going-away gift for a friend, yet the label quickly became an outlet for material that other independents declined to issue. They first convened to demonstrate Traksewt’s DASE software, which enabled musicians separated by vast distances to perform together in real time over the Internet. Performing as Dase Team 5000, they exhibited the program at the Australian Computer Music Conference in 2000. After working individually, the DASE sessions revealed their ability to function as a unified ensemble, so a planned compilation of solo material evolved into a cohesive album. The name The Herd—previously attached to Traksewt and Unkle Ho’s contribution to the Freaky Loops 2 compilation—was adopted for both the collective and its debut record. Released in 2001, The Herd was tracked during weekend and holiday getaways from Sydney at a lakeside house on the Central Coast. Its opening single, “Scallops,” a plainspoken tribute to the pleasures of fish and chips, unexpectedly connected with national youth broadcaster JJJ. That breakthrough proved a mixed blessing, locking the group into the narrow image of novelty party rappers. They followed with the 2003 album An Elefant Never Forgets, issued shortly before Australian troops were sent to Iraq. The record’s unexpectedly political tone matched the national mood, especially after heated debate over the government’s handling of events such as the Tampa Affair, addressed in the track “77%.” Songs like “Burn Down the Parliament” drew controversy and discussion in newspapers and on radio, boosting the band’s profile. The Herd’s fusion of uplifting grooves and political outrage made them one of the most prominent voices in Australian hip-hop at the time. Their third album, The Sun Never Sets, appeared in 2005. Cut in a Sydney studio, it included guest vocals from British MC Braintax and Australian singer Jane Tyrrell, who subsequently toured with the group. A cover of folk-rock band Redgum’s Vietnam War protest song “I Was Only 19” was added to the album’s re-release and also featured on Trampled: The Elefant Traks Remix Album after gaining surprising radio play. Berzerkatron exited in 2006 to relocate to Canberra, at which point Jane Tyrrell joined as a full-time member. The Herd returned in June 2008 with Summerland.