''Stacked Up'' is the debut album by UK
rap-rock
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, res ...
group
Senser
Senser are a politically charged UK rap rock band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s. The initial line-up comprised Nick Michaelson (guitar), Heitham Al-Sayed (vocals), Kerstin Haigh (vocals), ...
. It was released in the UK on 2 May 1994 and entered the national charts at No.4.
It features an eclectic, incendiary cross over of
hip hop, rock and
psychedelia
Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic dr ...
.
Background
Senser
Senser are a politically charged UK rap rock band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s. The initial line-up comprised Nick Michaelson (guitar), Heitham Al-Sayed (vocals), Kerstin Haigh (vocals), ...
was formed in the late eighties, originally with Kerstin Haigh on lead vocals and, from 1991,
Heitham Al-Sayed
Senser are a politically charged UK rap rock band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s. The initial line-up comprised Nick Michaelson (guitar), Heitham Al-Sayed (vocals), Kerstin Haigh (vocals), ...
as the drummer. Al-Sayed moved onto vocal duties when the band covered
Public Enemy's "She Watch Channel Zero?!", from that groups influential ''
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
''It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'' is the second studio album by American Hip hop music, hip hop group Public Enemy, released on June 28, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was recorded from 1987 to 1988 in session ...
'' album.
The band's first two singles, "The Key", released in September 1993, and "Switch", released in March 1994, made the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
Top 50, and garnered rave reviews from both
dance and
indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
*Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies
*Indie game, any game (board ...
reviewers.
[
The political background in Britain, and the impending passing of the ]Criminal Justice Act
Criminal Justice Act (with its many variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Malaysia, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom relating to the criminal law (including both substantive and procedural aspects of that ...
into statute paved the way for a series of politically influenced artists such as The Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement active during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms who were committed to popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law and religious tolerance. The hallmark of Leveller thought was its popul ...
, The Prodigy, Dreadzone
Dreadzone are a British electronic music group. They have released eight studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations.
Career
Dreadzone were formed in London, England in 1993 when ex-Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg Roberts teamed up ...
, and Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorp ...
, and Senser
Senser are a politically charged UK rap rock band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s. The initial line-up comprised Nick Michaelson (guitar), Heitham Al-Sayed (vocals), Kerstin Haigh (vocals), ...
fit into that group with a blend of aggressive hip-hop, thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
and psychedelic ambience.
Buoyed by the success of their singles and live performances, Senser released ''Stacked Up'' on 2 May 1994.
Track listing
All songs written by Senser
Senser are a politically charged UK rap rock band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s. The initial line-up comprised Nick Michaelson (guitar), Heitham Al-Sayed (vocals), Kerstin Haigh (vocals), ...
unless otherwise indicated
# "States of Mind" – 5:10
# "The Key" – 5:22
# "Switch" – 4:33
# "Age of Panic" – 4:08
# "What's Going On" – 5:07
# "One Touch One Bounce" – 3:24
# "Stubborn" – 5:46
# "Door Game" – 6:39
# "Peanut Head" – 5:40
# "Peace" (Senser, Tim Morton) – 5:50
# "Eject" – 5:19
# "No Comply" – 2:37
# "Worth" – 3:04
Personnel
*Alan 'Haggis/Hagos' Haggarty — programming, production, mixing
*Heitham Al-Sayed
Senser are a politically charged UK rap rock band, originally formed in South West London from a group of friends in the late 1980s. The initial line-up comprised Nick Michaelson (guitar), Heitham Al-Sayed (vocals), Kerstin Haigh (vocals), ...
— vocals
* Kerstin Haigh — vocals
* Nick Michaelson — guitar
* James Barrett — bass
* John Morgan — Drums
* Andy "Awe" Clinton — DJ
Singles
Chart performance
''Stacked Up'' was released in the UK on 2 May 1994. In its first week it entered the UK Album Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
at number 4. It gradually dropped down the charts and was last seen at number 64 on 7 September, a total of five weeks altogether.[
''Stacked Up'' achieved sales in excess of 400,000 copies.
]
References
{{Authority control
1994 debut albums
Senser albums