So, have you heard of this guy...?
Interview with

words: Pete Isaac 2007

In 1995 when Jelly Jazz was a mere 2 year old, I picked up a copy of Mr Scruff's debut 12" 'Chicken In a Box' on Pleasure Records. It was the hottest 12" of the moment and regularly caused mayhem on the dancefloor. It was a unique sound, fusing African flute riffs, REALLY heavy drums and a bunch of techy sounds into a devastating club rocker. Scruff had arrived and set himself a benchmark of considerable quality, and one that he has adhered to without fail ever since. Arguably his first major crossover hit was the trad jazz inspired dub house of 'Get a Move On' from the 'Keep it Unreal' LP which broke out of the more progressive breakbeat nights into the mainstream dance clubs. And in those earlier days Scruff played several legendary 4-5 hour sets at Jelly Jazz, even back then causing some of the longest queues we've ever had.

His subsequent rise to super-stardom has been relentless, and along with his unique artwork, the pies, the teashop and all manner of other eccentricities, Mr Scruff has become an international brand. Nevertheless, all the while he's managed to stay as approachable as your best friend.

From his early days in Stockport, making mix tapes, his first DJ sets and the beginning's of music making, he has nurtured an individual approach. Whether it was planned or plain organic, his persona as a DJ has transformed into one of the most famous 'brands' in leftfield music. Why? Because as a DJ he epitomises what a progressive DJ should be. He uses anything and everything to create something new, and in one of his marathon 6 hour sets you will hear things that no one else would have the nerve to try. As a music maker he again pushes the boundaries, meddling with many genres and adding that 'scruffy' touch that is so recognisable. As an artist he has created an image to the world of Mr. Scruff that is unique, inviting and refreshingly humorous. The whole package has spawned a worldwide scruffy phenomena that sees many 1000's of people react to him in a way reminiscent of beetlemania, well almost!

So what makes him tick, over to you Andy...

1. Did you ever decide to become a DJ, or did it just happen through a love of music?
I have always loved music, and have been buying records since I was a child. From a young age I used to make my own pretend radio shows, and play around with radios & tape decks. When I heard the very influential Electro mix albums as an 11 year old, I hijacked the family stereo & taught myself to mix & edit.

Listen to: Mr Scruff 'Donkey Ride'

2. Did you have other plans as a youngster, was art something you thought of following? And if you weren't a DJ now, what do you think you' be doing?
I didn't really have any ambitions as a child, and although I studied art, as it was the one subject I was ok at and enjoyed, it was more a way of avoiding getting a proper job, than as a means to making a living. The music thing has always been a hobby, which happened to grow into what I do now. As for what I would be doing instead, I have no idea.. probably still working in Kwik Save & doing mix tapes!

3. What were the sounds that made you sit up in those formative years?
As a kid, I used to listen to the radio all the time, to people like John Peel, Tony Blackburn, and then stuff like Radio Luxembourg & Pirate radio. Genre-wise, I listened to 2 tone stuff, and then got into electro in 1983.

4. Where and when were your first DJ gigs, and what music were you playing?
My first regular gigs were in Manchester in 1994. I played in a lot of bars, plus club events such as a young manumission, a world music night called 'one tree island', a reggae night called 'dubism', and a hip hop/soul/jazz/funk night called 'headfunk'. I played different music at each event, generally whatever I could get away with!

5. How long was it before you started getting noticed, and what triggered it?
I would say it took 2 or 3 years. A I was a bedroom DJ & obsessive collector for 10 years before playing in public, I already had a high level of musical knowledge & technical skill when I started playing in out. The records helped too!

6. After your first few releases on Pleasure, Ninja Tune came Knocking. Was this a dream come true?
Of course! I was already friends with the Ninja crew, as I had DJed at their 'Stealth' club night a few times, alongside Mark Rae of Grand Central. I thought that Ninja would be the perfect label for me (and I still do!).

7. 'Trouser Jazz' seems to be the point where your popularity really exploded, is this where you had everything right musically and artistically?
I would say that Keep It Unreal was the first big step up, and the couple of years after its release saw my profile rise steadily. 'Trouser Jazz' carried on this momentum, while pushing forward what I do. As for having everything right, I am not sure if that will ever happen. I will give it a good go though!

8. Most DJs play a 2-3 hours set, what is the ethos behind your 6 hours sets?
When I started my 'Keep it Unreal' night in 1999, the idea was to bring together all the kinds of music that I was playing at different nights. At the time, my guest DJ slots at these more specialist nights were around 3 hours long, so I decided that I would need a whole night to squeeze everything in!

9. I've heard that often your team will need access to a venue on the morning of a gig and commendably will often spend all day working on the sound to optimise it for the venue! Does that obsessive attention to detail come from you or from Ninja tunes?
That comes from me. Because I play all night, and play a lot of music that people may not have heard before, it is important to get the sound right for two reasons. First, bad sound creates ear fatigue, which makes people go home early. Also, if you are hearing a tune for the first time, you are far more likely to get into it if you can hear it clearly.

10. You're renowned for being an innovator with technology in your live sets. You still predominantly DJ from vinyl, albeit with some very tasty effects thrown in for good measure. Have you been tempted at all by the potential for digital DJing and where do you see all that going?
I use vinyl & cd, plus external effects & EQ. My priority is to keep the sound quality as good as possible, so all my decks have hi-fi tonearms, stylii & preamps. There have been some exciting developments in digital technology, but I still have a slight distrust of computers, as they do crash occasionally, and a smoky, humid, dusty nightclub is not the best environment for them. Never say never though!



11. 'Star' DJ status affords you the ability to drop really obscure music into the mix and have audiences accept it unreservedly. It's a privilege to have that, do you exploit it as much as possible?
Yes! I think it is really important to continue pushing my own personal boundaries, and where DJing is concerned, that means taking risks in what I play. I have a very strong belief in the music that I am into, and if I think it is good, then other people must like it too. To be honest, playing a whole night of tunes that people know, and that would guarantee a good reaction, would bore me senseless! I like to learn from every DJ gig, and you can only do that if you try something new every time. On top of that, there is so much amazing music around, which deserves more exposure. My job is to do just that!

12. Has your success surprised you at all?
Yes, especially on the first 'keep it unreal' night back in 1999. It was the first club night I did where it was just me all night, and I was a bit feaked out when a lot of people turned up.

13. You are touring worldwide these days, as well as keeping up your regular sessions in Manchester, Brighton etc. How do you manage your time with such a schedule? Do you have label pressures for the 'next record' to contend with?
I would say that I am average at time management. Studio wise, I am rubbish at keeping to deadlines, but Ninja are very understanding. The gigs & studio work are both as important to me, so I try and do both (gigs at the weekends, Studio in the week).

14. I'm, wondering if I'm detecting a slightly perfectionist streak here. You mentioned that you find it difficult to keep to recording deadlines. Do you find it difficult to know when tunes you are working on are finished?
I tend to test tunes out in clubs, and then take them back to the studio to tweak them. I very rarely change any of the elements or arrangement, it is more of a mixdown thing. It is more a case of knowing when they are finished, rather than being indecisive. I am a perfectionist though!

15. Just for the other tech-heads out there, would it be impertinent to ask what software you are using to make your music these days?
I arrange in logic, and use a lot of outboard gear, such as Akai MPC60, EMU SP1200, manley compressors & EQ, Drawmer, Empirical labs Distressor, lexicon reverbs, spring reverbs etc etc, plus loads of instruments...

Listen to: Mr Scruff 'Kalimba'

16. How do you typically go about starting a new tune? Does it start with a sample or a particular beat or do you just get a melody in your head and take it from there?
Generally I start with a loop or a beat, and see where it takes me.

17. You were recently in New Plymouth in New Zealand (at New Jelly Jazz?, alas no!) at the Womad Festival. How was that? And how dointernational crowds compare with the crazed support you get from us Brits?
Womad in New Zealand was fantastic! We saw some amazing musicians from all over the world, most of whom I had never seem before. I have been lucky to play at many Womad festivals, and this was the best one yet. The crowd was lovely, as you would expect in a beautiful, relaxed place like New Zealand. I have been lucky to have good, enthusiastic crowds wherever I play.

18. What are you working on right now?
I am working on album no.4 for Ninja Tune, as well as the second instalment of my Solid Steel mix series. I have also just done a Nicole Willis remix, and a collaboration with Andreas Saag for his album on Freerange Records.

19. I've personally witnessed you in second hand record shops buying for England, how many records do you actually own? And are you able to keep some kind of order to them?
I have no idea how many records I own, I have two rooms stuffed floor to ceiling with vinyl, which is mostly in order (alphabetically by genre & format).

20. What's the future for Mr. Scruff, have you got plans to create even more facets to your show?
Gig wise, the main thing is to keep pushing the music & sound quality. I am constantly modifying & improving my DJ equipment to improve the sound, and the visuals evolve over time too. Currently, Ireally like the balance of gigs I have (full shows with the tea shop/visuals etc), plus the more intimate gigs like my 'Keep It Unreal' residency in Manchester, with a killer sound system & no frills!

21. What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a DJ?
Dearie me.. Ihave been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing places & meet loads of lovely people. I would say playing Womad in New Zealand, for the combination of a great gig in amazing surroundings. I am very lucky to enjoy pretty much all my gigs, as I get to do things my way nearly all of the time.

22. They say the secret of success in business is diversification! What made you decide to go into Tea?
It's the best drink of the day! We started serving tea at my club night in Manchester, and it just grew from there. Most of the things I get into stem from daft ideas that people seem to like.

23. You have one of the widest tastes in music of any of the DJs that we know and seem to be able to pull nuggets out of pretty much any genre. Are there any types of music that you really really loathe?
Trance, Hard House, Smooth Jazz, Soft Rock, Hard House remixes of Soft Rock tunes, etc etc..

Many thanks to Andy for his interview, and don't expect to a rock laden trance-jazz tune on the next LP! No doubt you'll be able to catch him DJing somewhere around the world this year. And we hope to have a bit of scruff on the side at a Jelly Jazz event sometime in the near future.

Links
www.mrscruff.com
www.ninjatune.com
www.myspace.com/mrscruffofficial


Mr Scruff on Facebook