User:Olly Wood MC

‘’’Olly Wood’’" is an electronic music artist, who is part of a duo, Hollaphonic based in Dubai, UAE, comprising Olly Wood and greg stainer. They are officially the first-ever dance music duo to be signed to a major record label (EMI) in the Middle East As of March 2013 the group has released one single “I Dont Want It To End” ft Shaduno, which has charted on Virgin Radio Dubai hit 10 at 10 & iTunes at number 1.

Biography
Ollywood officially began his music career back in 90’s England during the early days of UK Garage. However, there is a roof space full of old vinyl, cassette tapes and music memorabilia that would confirm he’d been rocking out since birth. the formative years included him under an alias that still makes him blush: MC Akapella.. hosting events alongside the notorious Southampton Garage nights: Scene. Alongside his outfit at the time The Madhatters, he worked tirelessly to perform across the country.

an opportunity came up to work for global giant EMI Records, and a move to London was soon on the cards. after 2 years of digging in the crates, working alongside Stateside Records, Blue Note Records, Parlophone and Chrysalis Records amongst others... Olly had formed a musical brain which drove him to experiment with styles, whilst his underground start still ran through his veins...This culminated in the release of Street Grooves through EMI Catalogue in 1998; A self-indulgent compilation that showcased his passion for the roots of music, drawing in inspiration from George Clinton, David McCallum and Guru, to name but a few

This passion had the fuse lit in 1999 when Olly transcended into the realms of Drum and Bass, further supported by a move to the DnB capital, Bristol. Olly began to quickly hone his personal skills on the club circuit, and began appearing across the UK under a variety of personas performing as both a freestyle MC, and DJing his own brand of funk, breaks and hip hop within a variety of UK and London clubs. It was this inspiration, that encouraged Olly to follow the MC path with more focus, in 2006 a move to the UAE heralded the more international rise of MC Ollywood. Since this time, he has firmly situated himself as a resident of the famous GlobalFunk DnB nights, as well as the local choice for prolific live artists such as The Dub Pistols. He performed as warm up act for Busta Rhymes, Ne-Yo, Omarion and a wealth of global acts, and backstage discussions inspired him to step up the game and pursue his musical dreams...

From 2011 - 2013 his game has grown, and Olly has been seen opening for deadMau5 at the close of Creamfields, and taking the 2012 NYE celebrations for over 26,000 party people way into the early hours after a huge Coldplay performance in Abu Dhabi. Olly's boisterous personality has led to his talents on the mic being used for more sedate purposes.. Hosting the 6th annual ChillOut festival in Dubai alongside De La soul, DJ Artwork, Moodymann, Tony allen and the BlackSeries, Shaair and Func and many more, he has become a personality and not just a voice. adidas Originals and Societe Perrier are amongst the brands that have noticed, sponsored and are supporting him on this rise.. and now with his own online youth broadcast show: Infusion TV alongside the creators of Infusion Magazine

Then came the creation of Hollaphonic, Hollaphonic can be described as nothing other than a glorious meeting of musical minds, drawing influence from a vast array of genres. The duo was formed in 2012 when Dubai-based heavyweights Greg Stainer and Olly Wood joined forces, which was a first for the regional music scene. Hollaphonic's lyrical styles, their unabashed love for bass-lines and a penchant for the trefoil makes them 100% original. Their 1st single “I Don’t Want It To End” was released in Feb 2013 was ‘A’ listed on many national Radio stations and went straight to No.1 on iTunes

In recognition for their work the duo have been sponsored by global brands including Adidas Originals, Beats Electronics &HTC

Both Olly Wood and Greg Stainer have an extensive history of their own. Greg's achievements to date include two Gold Disc’s, a discography of over fifty productions and remixes on record labels such as Hed Kandi, CR2, Stealth, Loudbit, Seamless, Pacha Recordings and Universal as well as a full length solo Album "6mil 2headphones". Support for Greg’s productions and remixes come from some of the most influential names in the business including Roger Sanchez, Groove Armada, Dubfire, Mark Knight, Alex Gaudino, Sister Bliss, Axwell, TocaDisco and Erick Morillo.

Olly on the flipside has honed his skills as an MC over the years supporting artists such as Coldplay, Ne-Yo, Busta Rhymes and Deadmau5, alongside a much heralded guest appearance with UK dance music heroes The Dub Pistols last year at Bestival, one of the UK’s premier outdoor festivals. . Olly was also recently nominated by Gulf Business as one of “The top 30 under 30 businessmen in the Middle East” for his involvement in some of the largest events in the region’s entertainment industry.

The much anticipated arrival on the scene of this epic partnership is set to cause ripples in every direction with it’s unique combination of Greg’s classic house sound matched with a darker bass aesthetic and vocals from Olly will prove irresistible to the masses, and equally as fresh to the music connoisseur.

Hollaphonic became the first ever middle eastern act to be featured, and their video shown, on MTV Dance

Discography

 * Singles


 * "I Dont Want It To End'’ featuring Shaduno (2013)

Awards

 * Ahlan! HOT 100 'Trendsetter’ 2013


 * “The top 30 under 30 businessmen in the Middle East”