Urban Dance Squad

Urban Dance Squad was an important Dutch band. With a crossover-mix of rock, hiphop, rap and reggae they became a source of inspiration for popular American crossover bands like Rage Against the Machine. Their style is similar to artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone, who had their breakthrough as well in the late 1980s.

UDS is founded December 1986 in Utrecht, NL. The original band members are: Rudeboy Remmington (real name: Patrick Tilon) on lead vocals, Tres Manos (real name: René van Barneveld) on guitar, Sil (real name: Silvano Matadin) on bass, Magic Stick (real name: Michel Schoots) on drums and DJ DNA (real name: Arjen de Vreede) on decks.

The band made name with their energetic live performance; they got an Edison award for their 1989 debut album, which sold over 250,000 copies. UDS nearly entered the American Billboard Top-20 with Deeper Shade Of Soul. They played New York's New Music Seminar twice and toured America with Living Colour. Because of disputes between the band and their American record label, their second album "Life 'n perspectives of a genuine crossover" (1991) never became a suchlike commercial success.

In 1993 DJ DNA quit the band. With the new line-up, the band released a third album "Persona Non Grata", more relying on heavy, 'standard' rock songs like the energetic hit single Demagogue. The Planet Ultra album (1996) was the first one receiving a less positive reviews. In 1997, DJ DNA returned to the band. UDS released what some consider their best album, "Artantica" in 1999, but split shortly afterwards.

In the summer of 2006, UDS reunited, without DJ DNA, for a few shows to support their first compilation album, "The Singles Collection". Their first performance was on August 4th in Petrol in Antwerp, Belgium. Later that month, they performed on the summer festivals Lowlands and Pukkelpop. The reunion, however, was a one off. UDS does not intend to return to the studio.

Official UDS website: www.uds.nl