Download

ESG are without a doubt one of the most unsung bands we’ve covered on this podcast. You may never have heard of them, but you have definitely heard them. Particularly if you like hip hop, dance or house music.

There’s an absolute ton of literature devoted to sampling in music, including the ethics of it and the affect it has had on many artists. We won’t go into that here, but suffice to say some of the most well known beats in hip hop coming from this band’s first EP and their first album Come Away with ESG.

Dave brings this to the table with the full weight of that in mind, leaving both Chris and Mark shocked at the sheer influence this album has had on people even though the band are little known. Not only did they have a massive impact on sample culture, but their sound inspired any number of post-punk and indie bands, including everything from Gang of Four to LCD Soundsystem and beyond.

This band of four black women from the South Bronx originally began as a group that simply wanted to turn the vibe you get from a James Brown bass and drum breakdown into full songs. They largely achieve this, weaving spares funk in alongside snippets of Motown and of course post punk.

On this episode we go deep on the band’s back catalogue and discuss the importance of this album, their career afterwards and exactly where they’re at today.

You decide: Come Away with ESG by ESG – is it truly unsung?