Top Dj Responds To The Call Of The Ospreys

As the Ospreys prepare for Saturday's crunch Heineken Cup match against Leicester Tigers at the Liberty Stadium, a match that has been billed the biggest in the region's history, bosses have revealed their secret weapon that they hope will give them edge at the weekend and he's from Leicester.

Award winning DJ and music producer Andy Hunter, who has worked on top Hollywood films such as The Matrix Reloaded and The Italian Job, has teamed up with the region to create 'Call of the Ospreys', a new match day anthem that will receive its first airing ahead of the big kick-off on Saturday, when the Ospreys will be bidding to secure their place in the Quarter Finals in front of an expected 20,000 crowd.

The Ospreys have turned to Hunter, born in Leicester but living in Mumbles for the last 10 years, to add his musical golden touch to the match day experience at the Liberty Stadium, commissioning him late last year to create an uplifting and inspirational piece of music that would help to generate a more intense and enjoyable atmosphere for supporters and players alike.

Hunter himself has teamed up with Swansea Male Choir for the track, to create an intriguing mix of traditional Welsh choral singing with a repetitive tribal chant, set to a modern dance beat that is sure to get them rocking in the Liberty Stadium aisles.

With the Ospreys players this week calling on the crowd to act as the 16^th man during Saturday's match, urging supporters to raise the roof and create a similar atmosphere to that witnessed in Perpignan last weekend, it would seem that the track is being unveiled at the perfect time. CALL OF THE OSPREYS

Andy Hunter commented:

'I was approached by the Ospreys and given the brief of creating a track that would help inspire the Ospreys players and supporters by lifting them during the build-up to kick-off and throughout the match. I spent some time getting to know the team and the fans, tasting the match day experience for myself, getting to know a bit about the culture, and then tried to encapsulate it into just three minutes. I think there's something in there to please everyone, with the help of Swansea Male Choir there's a taste of what is traditionally associated with Welsh rugby, but the dance track brings it right up to date.

'When I researched sports crowds and the best atmospheres, there was a common link, and that was, that it seemed almost tribal. The aim was to replicate that, to produce something that was simple yet catchy that hopefully will be picked up by the fans and adopted as their anthem. I think I've managed to capture the essence of what match day at the Liberty Stadium is about, and I'd like to think that the track has crossover appeal and will soon be playing in bars and clubs across the region as the Call of the Ospreys grows louder and louder.

'I think it's quite ironic that having been born in Leicester, I've been working with the Ospreys to create a track that is being launched on a day when the two teams play each other in such a massive game, and that my work will be used to hopefully inspire the Ospreys to beat my hometown. I've worked on Hollywood movies, computer games and released several albums, but this was a fresh challenge for me.'

Ospreys Managing Director Roger Blyth added:

'I was approached by the Ospreys and given the brief of creating a track that would help inspire the Ospreys players and supporters by lifting them during the build-up to kick-off and throughout the match. I spent some time getting to know the team and the fans, tasting the match day experience for myself, getting to know a bit about the culture, and then tried to encapsulate it into just three minutes. I think there's something in there to please everyone, with the help of Swansea Male Choir there's a taste of what is traditionally associated with Welsh rugby, but the dance track brings it right up to date.

'When I researched sports crowds and the best atmospheres, there was a common link, and that was, that it seemed almost tribal. The aim was to replicate that, to produce something that was simple yet catchy that hopefully will be picked up by the fans and adopted as their anthem. I think I've managed to capture the essence of what match day at the Liberty Stadium is about, and I'd like to think that the track has crossover appeal and will soon be playing in bars and clubs across the region as the Call of the Ospreys grows louder and louder.

'I think it's quite ironic that having been born in Leicester, I've been working with the Ospreys to create a track that is being launched on a day when the two teams play each other in such a massive game, and that my work will be used to hopefully inspire the Ospreys to beat my hometown. I've worked on Hollywood movies, computer games and released several albums, but this was a fresh challenge for me.'

Ospreys Managing Director Roger Blyth added:

'We are always looking at ways to enhance the match day experience, and having enjoyed some tremendous atmospheres on our travels this season, most notably at Perpignan last weekend and up at Leicester in October, we felt that it would be a great idea if we had a track that we could call our own.

'On the field, we have always believed in recruiting the best available talent, and that is what we have done in the case of bringing Andy Hunter on board. As an award winning DJ of international repute, it is something of a coup to have him composing Call of the Ospreys, and having heard the final version of the track, I think he has done a great job. I have no doubt that our fans will love it and it won't be long before they'll be joining in with it as to welcome the team out onto the pitch.'

Having initially worked in the music scene as a sound engineer with bands such as Suede and the Wonder Stuff in the early nineties, Andy moved into the dance scene as a founder member of drum and bass outfit Trip, releasing an album in 1999. He has since released three solo albums, and has toured with some of the biggest names in dance music and has performed across Europe, Japan and the United States. His work has also been used in Hollywood movies such as The Matrix Reloaded and the Italian Job, US TV series Alias and for best selling computer games including Need For Speed Underground, Burnout Revenge and Enter the Matrix.

Ospreys star Filo Tiatia, was part of a working group of players that consulted with Andy Hunter during production of the track, and having given the thumbs up to the final version, he says he can't wait to hear it pumping out of the stadium tannoy system on Saturday:

'Quite a few of us in the squad take our music pretty seriously so we were keen to work with Andy while he was putting the track together. We're all looking forward to hearing it as it is intended for the first time on Saturday, helping to build up the atmosphere ahead of the game as the team takes to the field. I'm sure it's going to be a massive hit with our fans, the thought of 20,000 supporters joining in with it is a fantastic one. Having that extra crowd support makes all the difference and that combined with Andy's track will hopefully prove to be the spark for a night to remember for the Ospreys, on and off the field.'