Crop Circle

MUSICALLY DIVERSE…A LABEL OFTEN USED TO DESCRIBE A BAND BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SLOW SONG. ATLANTA’S OWN, CROP CIRCLE HITS YOU SQUARE BETWEEN THE EYES WITH A HEALTHY DOSE OF DIVERSITY, AND THAT’S NO LABEL. ON THE CROP CIRCLE THRILL RIDE, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE GENUINE SAMPLES OF ROCK N ROLL, HIP HOP, FUNK, ALTERNATIVE, AND SOUL - BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE, YOU MAY NOT EVEN NOTICE THAT THEY WERE A DIFFERENT GENRE. THEY FLAUNT THE INTENSITY OF RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, BALLS OF PUBLIC ENEMY, THE POWER OF AUDIOSLAVE, THE RAW SEXUALITY OF PRINCE, AND THE STREET EDGE OF T.I. EQUALLY AS DIVERSE, THE BAND MEMBERS THEMSELVES ALL COME FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND MUSICAL BACKGROUNDS. YET, THEY ALL BRING A PARTICULAR “ELEMENT” TO THE SHAPING OF THE SOUND.



GUITARIST ZACH NELSON, “THE FIRE“, ADDS A BURNING SURGE OF POWER AND PASSION TO THE SONIC EXPLOSION. HE HAS BEEN PLAYING SINCE THE AGE OF 12. AS A GEORGIA NATIVE, HE LEARNED TO PLAY GUITAR FROM HIS FATHER. ZACH QUICKLY SURPASSED THE MUSICAL ABILITES OF HIS TEACHER, AND TOOK TO THE FRETBOARD LIKE A FISH TO WATER. SOON HE PICKED UP ON GUNS N ROSES AND AC/DC AND LEARNED EVERY SOLO AND SONG HE COULD. PUSHING MARSHALL’S TO THE LIMIT, ZACH’S SIGNITURE TONE, SENSE OF RHYTHM, AND WAILING SOLOS HAVE CATAPULTED HIM AS ONE OF ATLANTA’S PREMIER GUITAR PLAYERS. CAPPED WITH HIGH-OCTANE STAGE PRESENCE AND THE EVER SO POPULAR LOSS OF THE SHIRT ROUTINE, ZACH IS SURE TO BREAK THROUGH ANY PERCEPTION OF WHAT MANY SAY A GUITARIST IS CAPABLE OF.



CROP CIRCLE VOCALIST SOUL AKOBEN, “THE WIND”, IS THE VOICE AND DRIVING PROPULSION OF THE BAND. HE HAS BEEN AN ARTIST SINCE THE AGE OF 2. ALWAYS THE ELECTRIFYING PERFORMER, SOUL HEADLINED TALENT SHOWCASES IN SCHOOLS, FAIRS, CHURCHES, ETC. AROUND HIS HOME STATE OF KENTUCKY. AS A TEEN, HE BECAME MORE FOCUSED ON THE ART FORM OF RAPPING. DIGGING IN THE DEEP CRATES OF HIS FATHER, SOUL WOULD OFTEN RHYME OVER VINTAGE SOUL, R & B, AND EVEN ROCK RECORDS TO HONE HIS SKILLS AS AN EMCEE. AS A WILD CARD, THE YOUNG VOCALIST CAN EASILY SWITCH TO ALL OUT ROCK STAR WITH RANGE FROM A VULNERABLE WHISPER, TO A COMMANDING HOWL, TO A SOULFUL FALSETTO. HIS UNIQUELY INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO SONGWRITING CHARGES A MELODIC SPARK COUPLED WITH AN HONEST AND MEANINGFUL EDGE THAT ALL CAN RELATE TO. COMPLETE WITH AMAZING MIC STAND AND MICROPHONE TRICKS THAT COULD RIVAL ANY CIRCUS ACT, SOUL AKOBEN WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT IN ENTERTAINING THE TOUGHEST OF CROWDS.



BASSIST WILLIAM BARRETT, “THE WATER”, GIVES CROP CIRCLE’S SOUND A REFRESHING, STEADY FLOW OF SMOOTHNESS. WILLIAM IS A SELF-TAUGHT BASSIST THAT HAILS FROM NEW JERSEY. HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY BOOTSY COLLINS, FLEA, AND JACO PASTORIUS, WILLIAM ADDS SOUL, DEPTH, AND FUNK TO THE MUSICAL MIXTURE. HIS COOL DEMEANER ADDS BALANCE TO THE FLAMBOYANCY OF ZACH NELSON AND SOUL AKOBEN AT LIVE PERFORMANCES. THIS ALLOWS AUDIENCES TO ACTUALLY GROOVE WITH THE INTENSITY OF THE MUSIC.



CROP CIRCLE DRUMMER SMOKTAGOUS77, “THE EARTH” IS THE PULSING HEARTBEAT AND FOUNDATION OF THE CROP CIRCLE SOUND. HAILING FROM DETROIT, SMOK WAS ANNOINTED EARLY IN LIFE TO BE A DRUMMER. AS AN INFANT, SMOK WOULD SIT ON HIS GRANDMOTHER’S LAP AND PLAY ALONG TO THE GOSPEL CHOIR AT HIS CHILDHOOD CHURCH. HIS EARLY EXPERIENCE PLAYING IN THE CHURCH GAVE HIM A FIRM HOLD ON TIMING, PRECISION, AND THE ABILITY TO PROVOKE EMOTION THROUGH PRECUSSION. AS YEARS PAST, HE BECAME VERY INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE PLAYING FOR MOST OF DETROIT’S PREMIER GOSPEL PERFORMERS, STAGEPLAYS, AND MOTOWN LEGENDS. A SHORT LIST OF HIS RESUME INCLUDES THE TEMPTATIONS, WANDA NERO BUTLER, THE FLOATERS, AND MAURETTA BROWN-CLARK TO NAME AN ELITE FEW. SMOK’S UNORTHODOX DRUMMING STYLE AND IMPECCABLE RHYTHMIC APPROACH HAS EARNED HIM ENDORSEMENT CONTRACTS WITH ABBOTT DRUM WORKS, SILVERFOX DRUMSTICKS, TURK MASTERS CYMBALS, LUEN DRUMHEADS, AND AXIS PERCUSSION. LENDING CHOPS TO CROP CIRCLE, SMOKTAGOUS77’S MUSICAL PROWRESS HAS LAID A FOUNDATION FOR THE BAND TO BUILD A SOLID STRUCTURE OF SONGWRITING AND PERFORMANCE THAT WILL NOT EASILY BE CRACKED.



IT IS BELIEVED TO BE DIVINE CHANCE THAT THESE FOUR CAME TOGETHER IN 2008 TO FORM THE MUSICAL POWERHOUSE WHICH IS NOW KNOWN AS CROP CIRCLE. THE NAME CROP CIRCLE STEMS FROM THE ALIEN CROP CIRCLES FOUND MYSTERIOUSLY IN FARMS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THEIR MUSIC IS OUT OF THIS WORLD, AND THEY PLAN TO LEAVE THEIR MARK ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND THE WORLD AT LARGE. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE FORTHCOMING OF CROP CIRCLE!!!