Watch the “Circling the Drain” video here!
Lower Life Forms - “Circling the Drain” OFFICIAL VIDEO
Now Streaming…
As two thirds of the hip hop production squad, Team Demo, DJ Dialtone and Mister Wise have an impressive discography behind records for hip hop luminaries such as 50 Cent and Sean Price, but their music career began in the early 1990s in Burke, Virginia as a duo known as the Lower Life Forms.
While still in high school, the Life Forms were spotted by Ahmed and Otis (dancers for the legendary group, 3rd Bass,) who signed them to a management deal. After prospects with two major labels dissolved, Wise founded Depth Charge Recordings, a label and recording studio operation centered around his extended family of artists, producers and djs, known collectively as Team Demolition. In 1997, the Lower Life Forms completed their debut album, “The Whole Universe is Ours,” and released their first 12 inch single, “Open Invitation," but the full album was never commercially released. Wise and Dialtone would spend the next 25 years amassing scores of artistic, production, and technical credits under the Team Demolition and Team Demo monikers before re-emerging as the Lower Life Forms in late 2021 with the remastered pressing of “The Whole Universe is Ours” album on Belgian label, Back 2 Da Source Records.
After the release of Team Demo’s “It’s a Demo,” album in late 2023, Wise and Dialtone began exploring the idea of creating another Lower Life Forms album. The duo embarked on a project that begins set in the early 90s and with each subsequent track, progresses towards present day. Special attention was made to adhering to the duo’s original jazz fusion inspired sound. The completed result, “A Journey Through the Anthropocene,” will be released in Spring of 2025.
NOW STREAMING FROM THE LOWER LIFE FORMS AND TEAM DEMO
Lower Life Forms
”Circling the Drain” Single
Available March 7, 2025
Lower Life Forms
”A Journey Through the Anthropocene”
Coming Spring 2025
Team Demo
”It’s a Demo”
Released December 2023
Team Demolition
”The Essential Team Demo”
Released April 2023
Team Demolition
”Demolition Circle- The Orange Tape”
Released March 1995
Remastered September 2022
Lower Life Forms
”The Whole Universe is Ours”
Vinyl/ CD/ Digital Remaster
Released November 2021
Mister Wise
”The Man of Orange” Single
Released January 2017
Mister Wise
”If They Don’t Hear Us Now” EP
Released November 2016
Mister Wise
”The Way of the Doh Doh” EP
Released September 2013
Zechariah Wise
”The Mister Wise Album”
Released February 2010
Team Demolition
”Yo! TD Raps”
Released October 2004
Team Demolition
”The Yo! TD Raps Mixtape”
Released September 2004
Zechariah Wise
”The Veteran Advantage”
Released October 2003
Team Demolition
”Demolition Derby- The Wreckoning”
Released January 2001
Lower Life Forms
”The Whole Universe is Ours”
Unreleased August 1997
FOR RARE 12 INCH VINYL, COMPACT DISCS AND OTHER MERCH, VISIT THE DEPTH CHARGE STUDIOS BANDCAMP STORE
A BREAKDOWN OF THE HISTORY…
Lower Life Forms
Zechariah Wise (aka Mister Wise) and DJ Dialtone formed the duo in the Summer of 1992 in Burke, Virginia following the breakup of their first crew known as “Point Blank.” After stints with multiple managers and labels, Wise founded Depth Charge Recordings - an independent production company, recording studio and label operation. The company’s first 12 inch vinyl release was the Lower Life Forms “Open Invitation” single in 1997.
Team demolition
The “Demolition Circle” was formed as a crew of hip hop artists, producers and DJs from Northern Virginia. Founded by the Lower Life Forms in 1992, the crew was modeled after collectives such as the Juice Crew and Native Tongues. In 1998, the crew re-branded as “Team Demolition” and collaborated on the 12 inch single, “Dirty Gusto.” The underground success of the single prompted the crew to re-structure as a group - releasing two additional 12 inch singles in 1999 and 2000 and their debut album, “Demolition Derby - The Wreckoning,” in January 2001. Following the release of their sophomore album, “Yo! TD Raps,” the crew turned their attention to production and artist development and re-branded as Team Demo.
DEpth Charge studios
Depth Charge Recordings was founded by Zechariah Wise in 1996 as a recording studio facility and independent label centered around the projects of Team Demolition. The recording studios became the home base for numerous DMV based urban music artists with Wise accumulating scores of credits as recording, mixing and mastering engineer. As a label, the company released projects by Lower Life Forms, Optical the Visionary, Team Demolition, Trickstar, Defined Print, Illa Ghee, Kurious and others. The company continues to operate as Depth Charge Studios and is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
Team demo music
In 2005, Team Demolition began their rebrand as Team Demo - a hip hop production company centered around the musical efforts of founding members DJ Dialtone, J. Cosell and Mister Wise. In 2007, they distributed a promotional CD entitled “This is How It Should Be Done” featuring tracks from various artists over the crew’s signature production, including “Hold Up,” by Obie Trice. The compilation also included several unofficial remixes of Shady Records/ G-Unit tracks with the assistance and blessing of Shady Records A & R, Riggs Morales. In 2009, Team Demo scored their first gold certification for their production of “Crime Wave,” by 50 Cent. In 2023, Team Demo released a compilation album entitled, “It’s a Demo,” on Everyhood/ Fat Beats Records. The album features a variety of hip hop artists paired with Team Demo’s production.