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Before Carthy delved into his musical excursions he studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University and worked as a shelf stocker for his local branch of Kwik Save. The name Mr. Scruff derives from his ‘scruffy’ facial hair and appearance and his signature loose-lined drawing style. Carthy started DJing in 1994 initially to Manchester, UK audiences then nationwide who would go to hear his eclectic mixes of funk, soul and electro, and apt use of samples.
Around this time Mr. Scruff released his first 12” vinyl “Hocus Pocus” on the small Manchester label Robs Records and soon after the EP “Sea Mammal” which created a small around the artist. The releases set the scene for Carthy’s debut self-titled album which was released May 12, 1997 which along with “Sea Mammal” incorporated the DJ’s fondness for the sea and marine life. The DJ has also made a name for himself with his notorious all-night DJ sets with his genre-blurring style.
Mr. Scruff's two follow-up albums “Keep It Unreal” and “Trouser Jazz” were released on the bigger label Ninja Tune. “Keep It Unreal” features a variety of samples from wildlife narrator David Attenborough to T-Bone Walker’s “Hypin’ Woman Blues” and vocals from Roots Manuva. The DJ and music producer’s three subsequent albums “Ninja Tuna” (2008), “Bonus Bait” (2009) and “Friendly Bacteria” were all released on the label Ninja Tuna – a collaborative label of Mr. Scruff and Ninja Tune, and saw the DJ collaborate with a number of artists including Alice Russell, Agent K and Robert Ownes.
Carthy’s most recognisable hit “Get a Move On” has its sample roots in Moondog’s famously-brassy “Bird’s Lament” and has been used in commercials from Volvo to France Télécom and GEICO insurance. Mr. Scruff’s laundry list of popular singles and mixes speaks volumes to his quality and respect in the industry, and are almost as popular as Carthy’s own tea company affectionately named Make Us a Brew.
The DJ that came before Acid Arab to warm up the room wasn't great, his timing and mixing was awkward, so the crowd was getting sleepy when Acid Arab came on - it took them a while to pick us up again, especially because they started calmly themselves. But after about 40 minutes the music built up and then atmosphere was increasingly ecstatic. The duo's well-known tracks were especially well-received, but also between those the eclectic mix of oriental sounds made it impossible to calmly sway about. In short, it started off a bit slowly but at the end, as the early birds left for bed and there was more space to dance, it was just arms and legs flinging about on the dance floor ;)
flouiseb
Mr. Scruff – aka Andy Carthy – is one the UK’s most legendary DJs, famed for epic sets that can span hours and hours, his obsession with tea (he even owns a tea shop) and for his allegiance to renowned label Ninja Tune. I first saw him DJ for six hours straight in 2008, at Beach Break in Cornwall, just before the release of his album Ninja Tune (after his beloved label). I was only just discovering electronic music and his set was the perfect introduction to dance music, featuring what seemed like the history of the genre – there was everything from disco house to hip hop and drum’n’bass.
More recently I saw Mr. Scruff at his massive all-dayer at London’s Roundhouse. Armed with a brilliant new album – which features a move away from the jazz-laced lounge-hop that he made his name with, towards a darker, more bass-drive glitch-hop sound – he span discs for three hours, often in innovative, unexpected ways.
Title track ‘Friendly Bacteria’ and ‘Stereo Breath’ were particular stand-outs, and once things turned delightfully grimy at the end the whole place showed their appreciation. Naturally, the older, enjoyably silly material went down a storm, and he was backed by huge screens featuring his impressive hand-drawn cartoons brought to life via an inventive AV show. Scruff is one of the UK’s most consistent DJs who never fails to deliver a great set.
cliverozario
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