Mr. Scruff Interview…
Following questions posed by Funkdub regulars, Woj set about hassling Mr. Scruff about pies, tea, oh and music….
What do you think the first record he bought was, something cool ?
Q: Are you planning a new album to follow up Trouser Jazz, and if so any clues as the musical direction you’ll be taking? Any singles or remixes forthcoming?
A: Recently I have been concentrating on the ‘Mrscruff’ reissue, and next up is Keep it Solid Steel part 2. I have lots of ideas for the next album, but I have no idea what it will sound like! That way it keeps me interested…I am sure there will be a lot of influences in there though..
Q: What was the first record you bought, do you still own it, and would you still play it?
A: ‘Green Door’ by Shakin’ Stevens. No & No!
Q: What were your musical influences when you were growing up? Was there a particular track or artist that changed your perception of music?
A: I was a big fan of Madness & Two Tone music, so when I heard some of the original Prince Buster songs that Madness had covered (eg: Madness & One Step Beyond) it made me realise that new music had a direct link to the past, and that greatly increased my musical curiosity.
Q: What has been your favourite live musical experience (either that you have watched or have been involved with)?
A: I would say that Terry Callier, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Amp Fiddler & Antibalas have been the best live performances I have seen.
Q: Can you play a musical instrument?
Not really. I get by in a kind of one-finger typing way if you see what I mean.
Q: If you really could have one super power, what would it be and why?
A: The power to lift loads of record boxes with one toe.
Q: I believe you do your own artwork. Where do you get your ideas from and how do you decide what to use?
A: The style is very established, as I have been doing the same cartoons for about 20 years now..I get ideas from any random nonsense that pops into my head!
Q: Rumour has it that a couple of years ago you could be heard to include ‘Don’t Stop Moving’ by S-Club 7 in your set. Is this true? If so, do you play any pop songs into your current set?
A: I would rather eat a cardboard box than play S Club 7! I do remember a gig in Brighton a while ago, where the bar staff put on S Club 7 about 1 minute after I finished djing, so people may have thought I played it….I hope not! I occasionally play a Madness tune..I suppose that is pop music of a sort..
Q: Who would you most like to remix your work or have they done so already?
A: Hmmm…not sure really. Some of my favourite mixes have been done by relatively unknown people, who did the mixes ‘on-spec’. I’ll have to get back to you on that one!
Q: What is your favourite remix that you have produced yourself?
A: I would say John Arnold ‘Inside” on Ubiquity
Q: What is your opinion on dj-ing with CDs versus dj-ing with vinyl?
A: Both have their advantages. I prefer vinyl but will happily play Cds. I burn quite a lot of my vinyl onto cd so I can loop sections while I am djing.
Q: What is your opinion on downloading as a way of accessing music? In particular how does free/illegal downloading impact upon an artist such as yourself?
A: Downloading has almost replaced radio as the method by which people hear music, not least because the vast majority of radio stations cater for a pre-school audience. If there were no free downloads, people would not take chances with music they had not heard before. There will always be people who will be happy with copied music, but many true music enthusiasts like to buy the real thing, even if they have previously downloaded it to hear what it is like…
Q: Do you think that the music press fully represents the underground dance music scene at the moment?
A: the term ‘music press’ is very vague..I would say that what I would call ‘proper’ magazines, such as Waxpoetics, RE:UP, N. Soul, Manifesto & Keep On do a very good job of covering new music, and, very importantly, provide articles on influential figures & music from the past, without whom we would not have any dance music as we know it. Most ‘tabloid’ style music magazines may have the occasional good article, but are on the whole no better than ‘Hello‘ magazine. You must also remember that the word ‘underground’ generally means it is below the radar anyway…
Q: Do you have any top tips on up and coming artists/DJs we should keep an eye out for?
A: There is a very talented chap from Manchester called Jamie Finlay, who has been astounding me with the quality of his demos. Also keep an eye out for new RSL material, Broke ‘n’ English & the long awaited debut Lp from Stockport’s Treva Whateva. DJ wise, Manchesters Eyes Down crew always do the business. Check www.eyesdown.net.
Q: Finally, please could you list your favourite of the following:
Song:
Pharaoh Sanders ‘You’ve Got To Have Freedom’ (Theresa)
Album:
Sam Dees ‘The Show Must Go On’ (Atlantic)
Film:
‘Space is the Place’ (Sun Ra)
Book:
‘Scruff’ by Gerald Rose
Website:
www.djscruff.com (a mobile dj from essex)
Simian:
Madagascan Fairy Monkey
Tea:
Any decent brew will do!
Pie:
The ones made by ‘pie’ ( www.piedirect.co.uk ). You may have seen their pie van at festivals. No one can touch them when it comes to pastry!
“Mrs Cruff” (Mr Scruff 1) is re-released on Ninja this month…
check it out here…
You can visit Mr Scruff online at:
http://www.mrscruff.com/