You don't become Boston's most boasted big band overnight. Should The Eclectic Collective debut slide under the right doors and win next years Grammy for Best New Artist, it would be a complement, but it would also be bullshit.

Mission Developing... The snowball first rolled in 2001, when vocalist Dua Boayke and guitarist Salim Akram tag teamed as an acoustic duo called The Kaizen Komplex. The two unraveled politically fueled poetic sets for the coffee shop crowd.

Mission Begun... In 2003, the group gained momentum when drummer Sheel Dave of the Boston metal magnate Irepress signed on to help Salim and Dua twist unique blends of jazz, hip-hop, rock and rhythm. They started calling themselves The Eclectic Collective, but they hadnt truly earned the title yet.

Mission Rolling... Late in 2003, the unit emboldened its eclecticism when keyboardist RP Thompson, bassist Graham Masser, turntablist Special Blend and guitarist Santi Araujo joined the ranks. The extended rhythm section added not only to the crews instrumental depth, but to its multiracial fabric: not only can EC jam, but a group shot of its roster would make for a proper college brochure cover.

Mission Expanded... By 2004, the group had locked down the Boston scene. With the range to serenade rock, jazz and blues clubs, plus the addition of trumpet playing rap artist AfroDZak, EC arrived at the ability to provide undeniable relief from pop culture and its predisposed restrictions on modern music. And to ice the layer cake, they enlisted queen vocalist Noni Kai to beef up the soul and saxaphonist Rob Oswald to polish the brass. The sound finally came full-circle at the rare intersection where jazz, soul, metal, rock and boom bap rev their engines in unison.

Mission Accomplished... With many of their contemporaries rushing annual projects, EC deliberately focused on the necessary efforts needed to get ten individuals clockworking well-synched tracks. The result of their live grind and studio hustle is Time Flies, the bands ten-song debut that transcends niche nonsense and showcases the groups dynamic structure, conglomerate of talent and massive crossover potential in every genre outside of honky tonk.





"Hailing from Boston, the Eclectic Collective is a 9-piece posse of R&B, soul, hip-hop and indie rock maestro's with a wide-ranging sound that reflects the band's cultural diversity and funnels it into one unified ethos of dope.

"Eclectic Collective is a band with a unique blend of jazz, rock, rhythm and blues and social consciousness, with a little bit of the Fugees mixed in for good measure. Interesting songs and lyrics are always a good foundation to begin with. Add to that solid musicianship and the interesting male-female dynamic of their vocal duets, and one can see why Eclectic Collective possesses a recipe for success." - Michael Barbiero

"What makes their music different is the band's apparent refusal to stuff themselves into any one genre... the diversity of musical backgrounds between them is what has produced their anomalous sound."

"The Eclectic Collective couldn't have chosen a more appropriate name to describe their independent spirits, somehow blending to form a savory sound."

"The nine-member band lived up to its name by singing, rhyming, jamming and conjuring memories of a time when organic rhythm ruled hip-hop, as well as a time when soulful groups such as Digable Planets got MTV airplay"

"Simply put, their set was amazing. The songs (especially "Pavement") featured all types of sharp rhythmic breakdowns, as they shifted time signatures, tempos, and styles. Often, they would build fantastic sonic tension through verse after verse, only to release it later on with a slick melodic chorus."