Aside from 23-year-old socio-political MC Remi Kolawole, the act also includes Sensible J (Dustin Smith) and Dutch (Daniel Siwes). Remi and Sensible picked up their award at a ceremony in Sydney at Paddington Town Hall attended by 200 invite-only guests.
Remi said, “It’s absolutely crazy. We put everything we could into this album and to get this kind of recognition is amazing. I mean, we made this album in Sensible J’s spare bedroom so to be nominated at this level is pretty mind-blowing.
“We really just want to say a massive thanks to anyone who has listened to it closely and supported us so far.” He later added he was pleased that the win would put a focus on the local hip hop
Raw X Infinity is the AMP’s first hip hop win in its ten year existence. The record was chosen from a list of 65 Australian albums (300 albums were entered in total) by a music industry judging panel headed by Dave Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus. Not bad for an album where the first track was recorded on a smartphone due to lack of finances. It was released through their own House of Beige label.
It is the latest triumph for Remi as the act makes its American debut this month at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas.
Raw X Infinity also took Best Independent Release at the recent Rolling Stone Australia awards and also won the Carlton Dry AIR $50,000 global music grant.
The 2015 AMP’s short list had a number of Melbourne releases. They included #1 Dads’ About Face, C.W. Stoneking’s Gon’ Boogaloo, Chet Faker’s Built On Glass, Laura Jean’s Laura Jean, The Peep Tempel’s Tales and Total Control’s Typical System.
Others on the list were Brisbane pop experimentalists Blank Realm and Sydney’s Caitlin Park.
Remi joins a list of past AMP winners of Big Scary (2013), Hermitude (2012), The Jezabels (2011), Cloud Control (2010), Lisa Mitchell (2009), Eddy Current Suppression Ring (2008), The Mess Hall (2007), Augie March (2006), and The Drones (2005).
