my imaginary interview with dj/producer mr.scruff

 

Mr. Scruff is one of my favourite djs/producer. Based in England, he is also a cartoonist and owns a tea company.

When I imagined meeting Mr.Scruff  I asked him the following questions.

why did you get involved in music?

The event that first sparked my curiosity about music was in the early 1980′s when, as a young 2 Tone fan, I discovered a stack of my father’s original Blue Beat 7″s, including several Prince Buster songs that had been covered by my then favourite band, Madness. I suddenly realised that the new music I had been listening to had roots that reached far back, and this knowledge inspired me to explore the wider musical world which had just been revealed to me.

what is your dj philosophy?

My aim when djing is to play music that inspires me. It is very important for me to expose my influences, and I work on the premise that if something influences me, then people who like my music, which contains a lot of varied musical influences, will enjoy hearing where it came from too. Its all about the roots! I generally play all night, or at least 3 hours at festivals, as I enjoy playing many styles, but without rushing between them. It is a lot easier to join the dots when you are not in a hurry, and it feels more natural to do so.

what would you say are the important skills for djing?

Although I am a fairly technical DJ, it is vital to remember that the most important skill for a DJ is to play great records in the right order. Each record must complement the one before, and introduce the one that follows. Beatmatching is an obvious way of linking records, but there are other common factors, such as lyrical themes & complimentary keys that a DJ can use to aid the transition. Each piece of music has a mood and an energy level, and orchestrated carefully, you can create an atmosphere where every record that comes in is precisely right for that moment.

How do you create music?

I work with samples, then work with musicians to help flesh out the ideas. I think it is very important to keep the roughness, grit & weight you get from sampled music. The aim is a fusion of the two. Sometimes I program samples to sound live, other times I process & edit live stuff to sound like samples. Let’s blur the boundaries! Sometimes I visualise each element as a cartoon person, and try to get this band of imaginary musicians to interact with one another.

information and music about mr.scruff can be found at:

www.mrscruff.com

the real interview can be found at:

www.mrscruff.com

Dub.Conscious experiments in DUB

Reflections on the dj as an artist

I made a few notes which capture my discussion with friends attending my sound art installation at Chillitos last night.

• The dj is a product of society. She is defined by and plays a role which is given, set and standard.
• The dj is an entertainer
• The dj is rarely an interpreter of music, songs and sounds
• Club spaces and parties are where djs are to be found
• The concept of a dj is firmly connected to playing music for other people. The dj is sharing her music with an audience and seeks to impress them.
• Djing is always done in context; considering what the listener has heard before, is used to hearing or wants to hear. Psychologically this can limit the freedom to play
• The energy of an audience affects the type of play
• An artist is different from a technician
• A dj technican is skilled on the techniques of djing (mixing, beatmatching, scratching)

the dj as an artist

• the dj is an artist when she attempts to go beyond skill and uses the energy and feeling of the songs
• the dj becomes an artist by connecting songs.
• the dj becomes an artist by experimenting with new sounds and familar sounds
• the dj as an artist is an interpreter of music/songs/sound.

Why does it matter

1. If we see the dj as an artist we expect more than entertainment from an experience we expect inspiration.
2. If people want more, those making music will be forced to make music differently to give more. This will change  the music we consume how and when.
3. art is life. and understanding and examining art keeps people connected and in touch with life.
4. Jamaica is a musical mecca. why not push the boundaries of our creativity outside of music as well and become a mecca of creativity. we can only do this if we examine all forms of creative expression.

Question

Where are the parallels in other art forms in Jamaica?

The DJ is an artist

In our music culture the Dj is very important, but not considered an artist whose music is her art.

On Thursday December 2 Dj Afifa will stage a live art installation at Chillitos Mexican restaurant to explore the idea of the Dj as an artist. The installation is called Play.

We believe that understanding who the Dj is is as important as understanding the musician or the singer.Alll come together to shape  the musical landscape and the sound.

This live installation by DJ Afifa explores our idea of Art and Djing and the emphasis we place on technology and technique as opposed to the art of the music, the feeling of the music, the song that hits you transforms you and elevates you.

We invite people to come down to Chillitos at 7pm on Thusrday and  participate in this installation.

 

A SOUND CULTURE UNIVERSITY comes to KINGSTON

School starts this Friday when DJ AFIFA’s SOUNDS OF LIFE will kick of the first semester of the SOUND CULTURE UNIVERSITY at Emancipation Park.

SOUND CULTURE UNIVERSITY organizes lectures, presentations, and workshops and provides a forum for music lovers, artist and musicians to meet and share and create new ideas.

SOUND CULTURE UNIVERSITY is where people come to immerse themselves in music its history and its role in shaping culture and society.

“We want to invite people to share and discuss ideas on various aspects of music be

cause we believe this can help to build the music culture in Jamaica”.  It really is about focusing on the ideas and issues that can help our artist, producers, managers, promoters, and policy makers to make our music better.

We chose Emancipation Park because we want the discussion open to a broad cross-se

ction of people and this means that anybody walking by can join in. This kind of reasoning is a part of our culture and we want to bring it back at the Sound Culture University.

The team wants to have this as an ongoing series every month.

Steven Jackson, business and entertainment writer for the Jamaica Observer will host the first session.  Steven Jackson has been writing some very insightful articles about music and the development of Jamaican music and he will share some of this with us.

The discussion and starts at 7:00 and goes up until 9:00.