Daniel Hendle Rankine (born 24 May 1983), known professionally as Trials, is an Ngarrindjeri rapper, songwriter, and record producer hailing from Adelaide, South Australia. In 2020, he signed to Island Records Australia and Universal Music Australia to release his debut solo album.[1]

Trials
Krawli Hendle Rankine
Birth nameDaniel Hendle Rankine
Also known asTrigger, The Dan, T
Born (1983-05-24) 24 May 1983 (age 41)
Adelaide
OriginRaukkan, South Australia
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2000-present
LabelsUniversal Records | Island Records
Member ofA.B. ORIGINAL
Formerly ofThe Funkoars
Websiteproducedbytrials.com.au
Trials producing in studio
Trials working on an SSL console at Wundenberg Studios in Adelaide, South Australia

Trials is a Ngarrindjeri man.[2] His Ancestors are from Raukkan, an Aboriginal community at the end of the Murray River near Adelaide.[3]

He has won four ARIA Awards and has been accredited with two double-platinum albums and ten gold albums for his work as a rapper, composer, song writer and producer.[4]

Trials' work includes collaborations, co-writes and production of tracks with a range of artists and genres including Drapht, Gurrumul, Archie Roach, Hilltop Hoods, Pete Murray, Seth Sentry, Illy, DZ Deathrays, Paul Kelly, Thelma Plum, Mo'Ju and Dune Rats.[5]

Early life

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Trials was born to a Welsh mother and Ngarrindjeri father.[3]

His parents split up when he was three years old, and he moved to the south of Wales with his mother.[3] He experienced racism being a Black child in a white classroom.[6]

He returned to Australia when he was 12.[7]

In the late 1990s, at the age of 16, Trials was involved in a car accident along with his brothers near their home in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. Trials went through the windscreen of the car and broke his arms. The driver of the other car was speeding and at fault, and gave Trials $5,000. Trials used the money to buy Technics 1200s turntables, a computer and a microphone, which started him on his musical career path.[8]

Music

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Trials began his musical career at 16 with Adam Baker (Sesta) and Matt Honson (Hons) collectively known as Funkoars.[9] While the group remain friends, they no longer perform or produce music since 2014 making their catalog unavailable shortly before hand for personal reasons.

A short time after during the recording of the "Golden Era Mixtape" (a label the pair were signed to individually at the time) Trials began working on demos with his long time associate Briggs that would eventually become the foundations of A.B. Original.[10]

He released his first solo song 'I'm a f**king wreck' in 2020.[2] The song's lyrics are self-deprecating confessional thoughts.[4] The track is a collaboration with US rapper, Daniyel.[11] Daniyel and Trials first worked together collaborating on Daniyel's debut album.[12]

He has produced and composed music for film and TV including programs Cleverman, Looky Looky – Here Comes Cooky, Cargo (Netflix), and The Warriors.[5]

His music has also appeared in advertisements for the MMA, NBL and NBA, as well as fighting and surfing documentaries.[7]

Funkoars

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In 1999, MC and producer Trials formed Adelaide hip-hop group, Funkoars, with MCs Adam Baker and Matthew Honson, and former member DJ Daniel Yates (a.k.a. Reflux).[13]

They released their debut album Who's Your Step Daddy in 2003.[14]

A.B. Original

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In the early 2000s, Trials met rapper Briggs at a Funkoars gig at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne.[15] Soon Briggs moved into Trials house and they went on to form acclaimed hip-hop group A.B. Original.[16]

A.B Original received an APRA Award in 2018 for Songwriter Of The Year.[1]

Discography

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List of albums, with selected details
Title Details
Mr Trials: For The Ladies[17]

Albums

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List of albums, with selected details
Title Details
Cargo (Original soundtrack)
  • Released: November 2018
  • Format: Digital
  • Label: Causeway, Universal Music Australia

See also

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Awards and nominations

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APRA Music Awards

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The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2018 Adam Briggs / Daniel Rankine Songwriter of the Year Won [18]
2019 "Blaccout" (Adam Briggs / Daniel Rankine) Song of the Year Shortlisted [19]

ARIA Music Awards

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The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2019 Cargo Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album Nominated [20]

References

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  1. ^ a b Reid, Poppy (21 July 2020). "Trials signs to Island Records Aus, announces new music". The Music Network. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b Davies, Hayden. "Aus hip-hop pioneer trials steps out with his debut solo single, i'm a fkn wreck". PILERATS. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Talk, Shorthand-Real. "Trials". Shorthand. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b Streader, Kate (16 October 2020). "Trials makes his solo debut with new single, 'i'm a fucking wreck'". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b Gallagher, Alex (21 July 2020). "Trials working on debut EP after signing to Island Records". NME. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  6. ^ DJ Sanchez, Sam (28 June 2016). "Indigenous Australian MC/Producer Trials Is Breaking Barriers Down Under - The Source". Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b Ward, Mat (30 June 2015). "Funkoars super-producer Trials instils Black pride | Green Left". www.greenleft.org.au. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  8. ^ Condon, Dan (5 July 2022). "The story of Trials". Double J. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  9. ^ Kingsmill, Kate (29 March 2012), "Funkoars won't pull punches", Sydney Morning Herald
  10. ^ Crawford, Anwen (July 2016), "Smart black man with a plan", The Monthly
  11. ^ Fuamoli, Sose (16 October 2020). "First Spin: trials teams up with U.S. rapper Daniyel to launch solo project". triple j. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  12. ^ Jenke, Tyler (15 October 2020). "Song You Need to Know: trials, 'i'm a fucking wreck'". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  13. ^ Moskovitch, Greg (4 March 2014). "Funkoars: "There's A Little More Method To The Madness This Time"". Music Feeds. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  14. ^ Burazin, Kayla (1 April 2015). "The Funkoars return in fine form on Below Average". Happy Mag. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  15. ^ Byron, Tim (24 November 2016). "A.B. Original: 'We wrote the hardest shit we could write, and it's being supported'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  16. ^ Patel, Sachin (8 December 2016). "A.B. Original Take the Power Back". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Mr. Trials - For The Ladies". Discogs. |
  18. ^ "Songwriter of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  19. ^ "APRA Reveals 2019 Song of the Year Shortlist". Music Feeds. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  20. ^ ARIA Award previous winners. "History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 16 July 2022.