:: Mr Scruff - Keep It Solid Steel Part 1

Mr Scruff

Around the world, Mr Scruff has been delighting dancefloors with his marathon DJ sets – sometimes six hours – and his funky, soul, hip-hop flavours have created such an impression that his label Ninja Tune couldn’t restrain him to one album. This is Part 1 of what is set to be a mini-series. Accordingly, it is Mr Scruff’s first commercially available mix CD. Based on the “Keep It Unreal” club nights and the title of his debut album, Scruff selects elements of old school funk and mashes them with hip hop and rare grooves in his own quirky delivery. Yet, his style creates an unmistakable flow and the charismatic moods. He takes in the grooves of Mungo’s Hi Fi, the big sounding funk of Connie Price & the Keystones, through to the hip-hopping Just Ice and soulful groove of Chocolate Milk. A couple of real gems to listen out for are “Tell My How” by Sarah Winton (Nightmares On Wax vocalist) and the last track “You’ve Got To Have Freedom” with the jazzy vibes of Pharaoh Sanders – consisting of keyboards, vocals, and gorgeous sax by Pharaoh himself. In keeping with his strength in pushing boundaries and creating a party atmosphere, Mr Scruff has concocted a favourable mix that combines his quirky tastes into something cohesive. It’s a very creative album and makes for a perfect addition to the series. Hopefully he can outdo himself on the next part of the series.