Young Croatian cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, known as 2CELLOS, achieved sensational success by taking the cello to a new level and breaking the boundaries between different genres of music. Their unique cello version of Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal' took the world by storm. Within only a week, this YouTube video became a huge viral sensation leading to a record deal with Sony Masterworks and an invitation to join Elton John on his worldwide tour. 

Since then, the duo has appeared on major TV shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (multiple times), Lopez Tonight, TV Total with Stefan Raab and many others. 2CELLOS recently performed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and are releasing their second album IN2ITION in January 2013. The album was produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Deep Purple) and features an eclectic group of vocal and instrumental guests including Elton John, Steve Vai, Lang Lang, Naya Rivera and Zucherro. 

Some of the biggest and most influential names in modern literature, art, music and performance share their stories, thoughts and ideas.

Listen to the people shaping arts and culture today in podcasts which reflect our richly diverse events, exhibitions and festivals programme from the Southbank Centre and Hayward Gallery.

Firstly, If you want/need a custom-made riddim or require some drums/guitar/keys/organ played for a track then feel free to send me a request detailing what you want via my inbox on Soundcloud, or send me an email to country.hifi@yahoo.co.uk and we can discuss it further.

Secondly, and most importantly, welcome to the Country Hi-fi sound with music to please a myriad of tastes. On an island on the very edge of Europe, Northern Ireland, an ocean away from the birthplace of reggae and not necessarily the first port of call when looking for good reggae music made inna roots and culture style. However, by making quality music inspired by a love of the music from Jamaica and the ethos behind it's creation, Country Hi-fi is doing it's best to put Northern Ireland firmly on the reggae map.

The name 'Country Hi-fi' is related to the country upbringing of founding member 'Pugs' while also being a tribute to the late great King Tubby and his pioneering sound which echoes far and wide. The Country Hi-fi sound was brought to life in a project called 'Small Town Roots' (available on iTunes) which involved two friends: hip-hop producer/DJ/MC DAZ (www.soundcloud.com/dazmusic) and Pugs (reggae fan and self-taught musician) practically living in a studio for a week with each side bringing their own ingredients to the mix. The result was a series of songs inspired by the roots reggae traditions while telling stories through the songs, which relate to various events in Pugs' life growing up in a small country town.

The Country Hi-fi sound is dedicated to making music with the original enthusiasm and willingness to experiment as our pioneering brothers and sisters in Jamaica so although you can expect to hear lots of one-drop reggae, ska, rocksteady, lovers rock etc. don't be surprised to hear some digital dancehall, house, hip-hop, or even some UK hip-hop/grime style beats, and various remixes, mash ups, and versions: feel free to download and share any tracks you like and spread the word. 

With Pugs working as a one-man-band, engineer, producer, and occasional songwriter, he has managed to work on projects with artists from all over the globe and is always open and happy to collaborate with other artists on whatever the project may be, so don't be afraid to use the drop box, respond to requests on tracks, or send a message about any enquiries you may have.

Pugs also presents a weekly reggae show on Skank FM (an online radio station in Belfast, Northern Ireland, www.skankfm.com) from 6-8pm (GMT) bringing the best in caribbean vibes with tracks from way back in the day to the hottest tracks in the Jamaican chart and everything else in between from hip-hop, DnB, soul, grime, and reggae from  all around the world. Get on board and tune in for an education in reggae music and all it has to offer.

Thank you for stopping by the Country Hi-fi profile and hopefully you enjoyed exploring all the tracks on offer and found something you liked enough to download (which means you wanted to hear it again which is cool). Comments are always gratefully received, and all those people who have got on board so far they are always appreciated and their support is crucial for the Country Hi-fi sound to gather momentum. Any newcomers are equally welcome and big up yourself for getting on board and helping the Country Hi-fi sound to spread the message of One Love and Unity which is increasingly important in this modern world.

Finally, I would like to give thanks and much respect to the people I have been fortunate enough to work with (Naptali, Tijani Concious, Madi Simmons, Junior Pinchers, delaypilot, Wadadli, fireface horns). Perhaps most notably, I have also received some crucial advice from a bredren who is known as Jamyork. He has been most forthcoming with his words of wisdom and I have had relatively few experiences in my short foray into the music scene with somebody being so willing to share their experiences and knowledge to such a degree: his advice and tips have really helped me progress my sound, so I am eternally grateful for his help; I hope I am able to do the same should anyone seek some guidance/advice from me!

Works on this profile registered with the UK Copyright Service, Copyright © 2012 Country Hi-fi.

Jah bless, One Love & Unity, Rastafari

Anthony Joseph Lanman is an active and passionate musician that divides his time between composing, performing, teaching and advocacy for new classical music.

As a composer, Anthony creates music that reaches general audiences as well as new music connoisseurs. Embracing influences that range from progressive rock and metal, to medieval and renaissance music, to jazz, to new classical, Anthony strives to create a sound that is his own. He has written for ensembles and soloists around the world.

Recent commissions include – E.G.S./A.J.L. for guitarist Matthew Cochran, Hear Us! for children’s choir and string ensemble commissioned by Otter Creek Middle School, Automaton – a concerto for 8-string electric guitar and percussion for Clocks In Motion, The Rag and Bone Shop – a song cycle for baritone and piano trio for Brian Lewis and David Small commissioned by the University of Texas Butler School of Music, Rush – a quartet commissioned by the Music Teacher’s National Association and the Indiana Music Teacher’s Association, Hommages for Piano, Book 2, for Holly Roadfeldt, and Damselfly – a duo for 8-string electric guitar and percussion for Kyle Lutes.

Anthony’s performing career began in high school while singing and playing electric guitar with his touring progressive band Canvas. His principle instrument changed to classical guitar during his undergraduate years at University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Adam Holzman. Through his graduate study at Indiana University he added renaissance lute and theorbo to his instrumental arsenal, studying with Nigel North. He has performed with the University of Texas New Music Ensemble, the University of Texas Early Music Ensemble, the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, the Indiana State University Wind Ensemble, and Clocks in Motion. He has also performed many concerts of solo and chamber music.

Anthony’s advocacy is life-long. In the nineties, he hosted a contemporary classical music radio show on KVRX in Austin, Texas. In the 21st century, he promoted fellow Indiana University composers through a web presence on Mp3.com (now defunct); created Guitar Heroes, a weekly presentation series in Second Life; and produced more than 100 episodes of his ongoing music-centric podcasts All the Cool Parts and the 1,000 Recordings Podcast. He has appeared as a guest on Soundnotion, Composer Quest, Classical Guitar Insider, Goes 2 Eleven, and The Portfolio Composer.  His new podcast 1 Track focuses on the music of the contemporary classical world.  In addition, he has exposed thousands of new listeners to contemporary classical composers by sharing this music to his more than 400,000 followers on Soundcloud.

Anthony has held several positions at multiple universities and colleges, as well as K-12 public schools. In 2016, he held an adjunct position at Butler University in addition to teaching choir and music at West Vigo Middle School. He holds a BM in composition from the University of Texas, and an MM and DM in composition from Indiana University.

Anthony currently resides in Bloomington, IN with his wife Jenna and their cats Silas and Bod.

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