GREEN TEA
Green Tea’s eclectic musical influences along with his broad appreciation for world cultures fuel his eccentric sound. Growing up in the 80’s led Green Tea to embrace the synthesized-infused rock of the new wave scene. It wasn’t until much later when he discovered the likes of punk, hip-hop, jazz, soul and electronica through college and underground radio. In the early 90’s his curiosity in becoming a DJ was piqued by two very vivid moments – the first was hearing a mix by DJ Dan; and the second was watching DJ Qbert manipulate records on a local TV show as if they were musical instruments.
Green Tea’s musical career began with a stint as a bay area mobile DJ. However, it did not take long before he had endeared himself to local crowds at house parties and events in which he was applauded for his musical selections. His prowess as a skilled DJ landed him various gigs and even took him all the way to Japan to accompany Kero One on his first official Japan Tour. Additionally, in the late 90’s, Green Tea formed the group ‘Soul in the Hole.’ The Bay Area group, consisting of several close friends with shared music ideals. Together, Soul in the Hole has collaborated and thrown events with artists such as A-Trak, Cut Chemist, Dwele, and Kenny Dope of Masters at Work.
It was during his quest for fresh, new music when Green Tea decided to begin producing musical compositions of his own. The ability to harness his significant experience as a DJ has been an essential tool in his approach to the music making process. Green Tea’s goal is to create tasteful, artistic compositions through sound that can appeal to anybody and everybody.
In Spring 2006, Green Tea released his first 12” under Plug Label entitled “Plug and Fresco Presents – Future Paradise.” The release was charted by Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova, and the Compost Radio Show. It also garnered critical acclaim by DJ’s and independent radio stations across the globe. In 2007, Green Tea followed up with a second release and won over the hearts of DJs and casual listeners once again with a track entitled “Cruise Control” which appeared on “Kero One Presents: Plug Label.”
In 2009 Green Tea released his full-length, debut album entitled “Places and Spaces” – an exploration of 80’s boogie influenced hip-hop, electro, disco classics and guest appearances by Kero One. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/01HXn44pMOt0CPjoECu4a4?si=4PE_Kzt5SjWy6K4wKqszqQ