Amsterdam based label Unexpected Records was established by producer Perquisite in 2001 to release unexpected music in the broadest sense of the word, with the main focus on NuJazz and Hip Hop. After two jazzed out instrumental Hip Hop EP’s on which Perquisite collaborated with saxophoneplayer Benjamin Herman (2001) and clarinetist David Kweksliber (2002), 2003 was kicked off by an EP by Amsterdam Hip Hop collective North West Metropolis (Perquisite, Pete Philly, Omar Rey a.o.), soon followed by a 12†of Dutch hiphopgroup The Proov. After this, Perquisite hooked up with MC Pete Philly and in January 2004 their Mindstate EP was released. A year later this was followed up by the Mindstate album which dropped in Japan in collaboration with P-Vine Records and all over Europe in collaboration with Epitaph.
Mindstate caused quite a stir in the international musicscene with Talib Kweli proclaiming Pete & Perq to be ‘lightyears ahead of the game‘ and UK’s Notion magazine calling Mindstate ‘as much 21st century soul as hip hop genius’. Pete & Perq started touring all over the world with their live formation: they opened up for Kanye West and James Brown (R.I.P.), played at all the major festivals, like Sonar (ES), North Sea Jazz (NL), Lowlands (NL) and Splash (DE) and at clubs like Paradiso (NL), Le Bataclan (Paris, FR) and The Viperroom (LA, US). In May 2006 Mindstate also dropped in the States, Canada & Australia.
In September 2007 their second album, Mystery Repeats, was released in The Netherlands through Unexpected Records / ANTI Records. A Belgium release followed on January 21st 2008, the European release on February 18th and the Japanese release on March 5th 2008. The album entered first position in the Dutch album charts in the week of its release and first single 'Time Flies' received a lot of radio- and airplay. The album received a lot of critical acclaim and major Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad wrote down that 'Mystery Repeats sometimes almost explodes because of it’s creative energy'.
Pete & Perq started the Mystery Repeats tour in a sold out Melkweg with their new and improved live formation and started to play shows all over Europe. In march of 2008 they toured around Japan and in the summer of 2008 they played at well known festivals across Europe including Sziget (HU), Nuke (AT), Exit (SR), Lowlands (NL), North Sea Jazz (NL), Gurten (CH) and Summerjam (DE). When they got back in Amsterdam they received the prestigious 'Amsterdam Award of Art', the most important art award of the city, presented by the Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen. At this time their third single 'Mystery Repeats' entered the Dutch Top 40 and became their most successful single up to this date. Pete Philly & Perquisite concluded the Dutch part of the Mystery Repeats tour in a sold out Paradiso, Amsterdam, only to continue touring abroad. Shows in the Caribbean, the USA and South Africa followed, where they played for the second time on the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
Besides exclusively releasing the music of Pete Philly & Perquisite, Unexpected still keeps it’s ear to the streets; In May 2004 a 6-track EP by Hardjazz-formation Monsieur Dubois was released and in February 2006 the debut EP of Dutch NuJazz/Hiphop-producer Arts the Beatdoctor saw the light, which was followed by his debut album Transitions in July 2007. Perquisite's first full length studio album is in the works right now and will probaly be released in the beginning of 2010.
