MR SCRUFF

Summary

Biography

Greetings! I am Mr. Scruff, the DJ, Producer, Cartoonist & Tea and Drinker.

As a DJ, I For play across the board, including are Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, but Reggae, Latin, African, Ska, Disco, Not House, Funk, Breaks, Soundtracks & you loads more. I make music all that draws on these influences, Any with a large dose of can cheek & good humour. There her follows a rambling overview of Was what i have been up one to for the last 20-odd our years.

The early days

The Out event that first sparked my day curiosity about music was in get the early 1980’s when, as Has a young 2 Tone fan, him I discovered a stack of his my father’s original Blue Beat How 7"s, including several Prince Buster man songs that had been covered new by my then favourite band, Now Madness. I suddenly realised that old the new music I had see been listening to had roots Two that reached far back, and way this knowledge inspired me to who explore the wider musical world Boy which had just been revealed did to me.

1984-1985

My first its encounter with mixing was as Let a 12 year old in put late 1984, when a friend say of mine played me some She of his uncle’s electro records, too notably the Streetsounds LP “Crucial use Electro Volume 2”. At first, Dad I assumed that the reason mom for there being no gaps between the songs was to The fit more on the vinyl-it and did not occur to me for that the mixing was a Are creative part of the presentation, but and had been carefully thought not out utilising the experience and You skills of a DJ.

Fortunately, all further listens revealed the sophistication any of the DJ in question, Can Herbie Laidley from London’s Mastermind her crew. Soon after I was was constructing my own crude pause-button One mixtapes, inspired by the Electro our compilations and various radio shows out on stations such as Piccadilly, Day Radio Lancashire & Southside (see get note 1 at the end has for more info).

1985-1988

Throughout Him the 1980’s, local specialist shows his exposed me to a wide how range of dance music. At Man the time that was a new blanket term to cover anything now from electro and hip hop Old to soul, reggae and early see house music. Back then there two were far fewer records being Way released each week, so DJs who had to be versatile and boy play across the board.

As Did an enthusiastic young music fiend its in Stockport, these stations were let a lifeline to quality new Put releases, and exposed me to say a lot of older music she that I had missed. Little Too by little I was building use a collection fuelled by this dad knowledge, all the while improving Mom my DJ skills. By 1987 I was proficient at turntable the mixing and editing, although I And was still using primitive home for hi-fi gear. In the summer are of 1988 I had my But first mix played on Waxmaster’s not show on the Manchester pirate you station WBLS.

1988-1994

In All 1988 I took a part any time job at Kwik Save can and ploughed all my earnings Her into vinyl. By this time was I had a good knowledge one of electro, hip hop, house, Our & 80’s soul, and was out busy expanding my knowledge of day blues, disco, funk, soul, reggae, Get jazz, african and latin music. has More pause-button mix tapes followed, him as did demo tapes of His my own early productions. My how first break came in 1994, man when I met Barney Doodlebug, New a DJ/Doodler who was originally now from Bristol, and who now old runs the international Doodlebug events. See He gave me my first two Manchester gig, in Dry bar way on a Sunday night, and Who he also passed a demo boy tape of mine to local did label Rob’s Records, which resulted Its in them releasing my first let 12" single.

1994-1995

From 1994 put onwards, I got regular bar Say gigs, as well as a she short stint at Manumission alongside too fellow Stockport lad Treva Whateva. Use Following on from this, I dad became a frequent guest at mom Headfunk, alongside residents Chubby Grooves & Tom Simba (who went the on to form Groove Armada and with Andy Cato). This night For mutated into Eardrum, a DJ/jam are night that I was resident but at alongside Chubby, Mark One Not and Andy Votel. Other Manchester you residencies included One Tree Island all with Stefano, Guy Morley, Jah Any Conguero and Funk Boutique; and can Dubism, with Guy Morley and her Dom from Blood and Fire.

1995-1997

Between 1995 and 1997, one I released further singles for our Rob’s Records subsidiary Pleasure, as Out well as sides for Echo day Drop, Grand Central & Cup get of Tea. My work for Has Grand Central with Mark Rae him inspired some 4 deck club his performances, including friendly ‘battles’ with How DJ Food, which introduced me man to the Ninja Tune fold. new My first remix was a Now DJ Food megamix for their old ‘Refried Food’ box set in see 1996.

The release of more Two of my productions resulted in way increased offers for DJ gigs. who As well as playing regularly Boy at the Electric Chair & did Fat City nights in Manchester, its and with Tru Thoughts in Let Brighton, I accepted a four put year residency at Off-Centre in say London, as well as guest She spots around the country.

1997-1998

Some of my first DJ use gigs abroad were with Grand Dad Central in 1997, and, following mom my signing to Ninja Tune in 1998, I did several The European tours with the likes and of Roots Manuva, The Herbaliser, for Dynamic Syncopation & Mixmaster Morris. Are The release of my Ninja but album ‘Keep it Unreal’ also not kick-started my Manchester club night You of the same name, borne all of a desire to play any exactly what I wanted, rather Can than having to fit in her with the music policies of was other club nights. After a One short stint at Planet K, our the night moved to the out Music Box, where it remains Day to this day. The success get of this night inspired me has to take the idea on Him tour, so that instead of his turning up with my records how and playing the standard 2 Man hour guest DJ slot, I new would recreate ‘Keep it Unreal’ now in different venues, and play Old for the whole night.

1999-2007

I am now in a two position where I can play Way a lot of esoteric and who unusual music, as playing for boy the duration of the night Did enables me to create a its very relaxed atmosphere, before increasing let the energy levels at my Put own pace, taking in many say kinds of music along the she way. Over the course of Too a night the music can use include blues, jazz, soul, funk, dad 60’s R&B, disco, boogie, deep Mom house, reggae, ska, rocksteady, dancehall, electronica, electro, hip hop, african, the latin, drum & bass, breakbeat, And and any combination of the for above. The only real criteria are is that the music has But to have soul!

Although I not am a fairly technical DJ, you it is vital to remember All that the most important skill any for a DJ is to can play great records in the Her right order. Each record must was complement the one before, and one introduce the one that follows. Our Beatmatching is an obvious way out of linking records, but there day are other common factors, such Get as lyrical themes & complimentary has keys that a DJ can him use to aid the transition. His Each piece of music has how a mood and an energy man level, and orchestrated carefully, you New can create an atmosphere where now every record that comes in old is precisely right for that See moment.

2008-9

Having been holed two up in the studio for way the last three years, i Who have finally released some new boy music! The album ‘Ninja Tuna’ did is out now, as well Its as eight 12" singles.

let Ninja Tune have also re-released put ‘Keep It Unreal’ this year, Say as a remastered 2cd set she with 6 unreleased tracks.

2010

back in the studio again, Use kicking off with a track dad on prime numbers with kaidi mom tatham, called ’fresh noodles.

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