Mr. Scruff

Mr. Scruff produces and spins a playful, groove-heavy mixture of house, disco, jazz, and breaks, accompanied by his distinctive cartoon artwork, which he describes as "potato-style." First appearing with a series of dubby downtempo EPs and a self-titled 1997 full-length, he became a darling of the downtempo and nu-jazz scenes with subsequent efforts like Keep It Unreal (1999) and Trouser Jazz (2002). Later works such as the electro-funk-leaning Friendly Bacteria (2014) featured fewer samples and more guest vocals. Scruff has additionally released an adventurous series of mixed CDs, heavy on reggae, soul, and underground hip-hop tracks, including Keep It Solid Steel, Vol. 1 (2004) and DJ-Kicks (2020).

The authorial nickname of Manchester native Andy Carthy (his neatly trimmed beard being the source), Mr. Scruff attracted the buzz of DJs and critics alike with the 1995 <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rob%27s+Records%22">Rob's Records</a> release "Sea Mammal." A semi-veiled tribute to <a href="spotify:artist:4toEjJSZu1rbfX2hfVdZFA">Boogie Down Productions</a>' seminal "My Philosophy," it combined the dime-store aesthetic of a <a href="spotify:artist:0HfxCluo7N2dhr4oRM0wBv">Luke Vibert</a> or <a href="spotify:artist:1DAJPl1Q9bNwPGUqL08nzG">Howie B</a> with more tempered, straight-ahead rhythms and subtle funk, soul, and electro references. The appearance soon after of The Frolic EP on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rob%27s%22">Rob's</a> subsidiary Pleasure Music -- which took the breezier, tea room quotidian feel of his debut a few Sunday afternoon steps further -- turned buzz to blare for Carthy, and remix offers from the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:4NZM5xKuDpGc4vEHDwGO1Q">DJ Food</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:08YvZ2qzFrDSITfHLbPKMP">Lamb</a> flowed in. The year 1997 brought an EP, Large Pies, for noted Bristol label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Cup+of+Tea%22">Cup of Tea</a>, as well as Scruff's eponymous debut full-length, which contained many of the highlights of his early singles.

Keep It Unreal, his first <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ninja+Tune%22">Ninja Tune</a> release, followed in 1999 and featured <a href="spotify:artist:4sSSkVtrCTzENCgm2vokiY">Roots Manuva</a> on the track "JusJust," as well as "Get a Move On!," a jaunty, <a href="spotify:artist:7HvQfRNJCvPXTVirKKB0Nn">Moondog</a>-sampling single which subsequently became Scruff's most well-known track, due to its frequent placement in advertisements and compilations. Around that time, Scruff also became known for all-night DJ sets that included everything from '60s and '70s soul-jazz and funk to scratchy old reggae and dub 45s, classic hip-hop, schmaltzy vocal pop, and new-school electronica. He compiled the dub-centric compilation Heavyweight Rib Ticklers in 2002, and his first official mix CD, Keep It Solid Steel, Vol. 1, arrived in 2004.

His third full-length, 2002's Trouser Jazz, was his most successful, reaching the Top 30 of the U.K. albums chart and selling over 100,000 copies throughout Europe. His debut album was re-released (with bonus material) by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ninja+Tune%22">Ninja Tune</a> as Mrs. Cruff in 2005. Ninja Tuna, appearing on Scruff's sublabel of the same name in 2008, featured guest vocalists such as <a href="spotify:artist:1ga4lWS7NtKo4r9jNSWumc">Alice Russell</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6SKEuFZYhaTytrhtJjgnO2">Andreya Triana</a>. EP releases scattered across the tail-end of the 2000s and the beginning of the 2010s led to 2014's Friendly Bacteria, on which he was joined by <a href="spotify:artist:0Cioop2zjxXxtcPUme7R46">Matthew Halsall</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:407nV5hO7mZap3UJdpTr4t">Robert Owens</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5C4gaWnEwsHzn34UhjVV8c">Vanessa Freeman</a>. The almost electro album featured a more minimal set of sounds with less samples and heavier bass. "Joy of Brass," a left-field house single with <a href="spotify:artist:3xlkiDlNGdmuNg01x7SVJd">Phil France</a>, appeared on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Gondwana+Records%22">Gondwana Records</a> in 2017. Scruff's contribution to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22%21K7%22">!K7</a>'s long-running DJ-Kicks series arrived in 2020; typical of his eclectic sets, the mix touched on dancehall reggae, Afrobeat, samba, and many other genres. ~ Sean Cooper & Paul Simpson, Rovi