Biography

The rock band with the play-on-words name Bass Is Base laid down roots in Toronto, Canada, in 1993. The threesome consists of bass guitarist and singer Chin Injeti, keyboardist Ivana Santilli, and percussionist and rapper Roger Mooking, better known by fans as the Mystic. The group made a name for itself landing gigs as the opening act for popular artists like Barenaked Ladies, Crash Test Dummies, TLC, and Cypress Hill. After a few singles, a couple of hits, and two albums, Bass Is Base seemed to fade from interest. In 1994, working under the band's own label, Soul Shack, Bass Is Base released both its debut album, First Impressions for the Bottom Jiggles, and its first single, "Funkmobile." The independent single reached out from nowhere to grab new fans for the group and land some high praise from a number of critics. The album did even better, earning Bass Is Base a highly regarded Juno Award for Best R&B and Soul Recording. After the award, the band signed with A&M Records and went to work on a sophomore album, Memories of the Soulshack Survivors, released in 1995. Some of the urban-style tracks from the album include "Diamond Dreams," "Gloating," "Westside Funk," "My Roots," and "Why." A year later, that second consequential offering gave the band its first Top 20 hit, "I Cry." ~ Charlotte Dillon