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Mr Scruff's Big Chill Classics - Reviews
Mr Scruff and the Big Chill have been virtually inseparable since the club-turned-festival's early days. They both share a musical vision that is wide open to all genres, styles, tempos and tastes with little regard for fashion. As long as the music is creative, inspiring or moving (either physically or emotionally) it is worthy of inclusion. Having been the perfect bed fellows, it is little surprise Stockport's finest has been chosen to put together this double disc of horizontal soulfulness.Mr Scruff (real name Andy Carthy) has built his reputation on epic, evolving DJ sets that swallow the world yet somehow retain cohesion throughout. On first listen it becomes apparent that the gradual tempo-rising to the usual rabble-rousing party crescendo is lacking: this is Mr Scruff at his most sedate. Beginning with the simple lazy jazz of Mike Westbrook's Metropolis IX then progressing to the melodic backing and impassioned vocals of The Ousmane Kouyate Band's N'Nafanta, the tempo stays down and the soul deep as Celestial Blues by Gary Bartz Ntu Troop moseys into earshot. Whether it's swooning funk (Paul Hunter), jazz-touched lullabies (Takemura Nobukazu), rousing, Latin-influenced Balearica (Treva Whateva) or deep dub workouts (Glen Brown) the onus is on blissful relaxation.
Mr Scruff's trademark pick and mix of styles continues with funk from Fela Kuti, a loungey cover of Van Morrison's Moondance from Grady Tate before D'Angelo helps kick off disc two with a mix of Roy Ayers' Everybody Loves The Sunshine, which almost proves even more soulful than the original. There are also many relatively unknown beauties that have been dug up by a DJ obviously devoted to his cause. These include the beautiful lilt of Donald Byrd's Kofi and the Motown soul of Odyssey's Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love.
At no time does Scruff veer into obvious or clichéd chill out territory. The simplistic downtempo bass of Fingathing's You Fly Me sits next to the fuzzy hip hop of G Love & Special Sauce's Blues Music and the gorgeously rich orchestral breaks of Held Him First by Deyampert. There are many moments worth losing yourself in: even the offbeat Strangers by Homelife with its Mick Hucknall-esque vocals proves a woozy pleasure. It’s left to the distinctive tones of Bajka on Das Goldene Zeitalter's A Vision (the track that led Bonobo to feature the vocalist heavily on his forthcoming long-player) to round things off nicely.
Anyone who has heard Mr Scruff's epic DJ sets or bought one of his previous mix albums will know that he epitomises eclecticism and may be a little disappointed on hearing this compilation. While it is full of blissed-out tunes perfect for reclining to, it only gives you a slight hint of Mr Scruff's, and indeed the Big Chill's, usual wide-open perspective of taking in a broad spectrum of different styles and genres from ambient to house to ska, drum and bass, reggae, folk and electronica.
Mr Scruff's Big Chill Classics is focussed purely on creating a soundtrack perfect for soaking up a sunny afternoon and ignores the flipside of a night out in the Big Chill's club tent but the soulfulness it oozes render those shortcomings virtually meaningless by the end of the second disc. While this unmixed compilation of downtempo classics is a missed opportunity for both Mr Scruff and the Big Chill to show newcomers what they are truly all about, you will still be hard pushed to find another downtempo compilation that is this well-rounded.
Ian Roullier
www.musicomh.com
Tunes so chilled you’d think they were born in a Smeg...
When you say the words "chill" to people, most think in terms of obvious generics - Morcheeba, Portishead, Zero 7. You get the picture.
Fools! "Chillout" isn’t a genre. It’s a movement. It’s about the feeling that you get when its late at night, and the music is drifting over you and you never want it to end, but you don’t want to dance either. Or that could just be being stoned.
Anyway - Mr. Scruff, the "we are not worthy" of the chillout movement, a man who recently had an entire tent to himself at a festival and DJed for 2 days solid has chosen 2 CDs worth of stuff that for him sums up the Big Chill festival - a haven for all things mellow and groovy and probably Moroccan.
But the important thing (and an education for us all) is that just about every musical style and era is represented here - from jazz (Mike Westbrook), and soul (Johnny Hammond), laptop chill (Treva Whatever), Reggae (The In Crowd), bluesy hip hop (G Love Special Sauce), Blues (Ernesto)...
Basically (and apologies for the cliché - I’m cringing myself) - it’s a musical trip. And it’s a fair comment. Because the real star here is Mr Scruff himself. The mark of a true DJ is his ability to be eclectic without you noticing - to create a vibe - to bring you up, to bring you down and then drop you off back at the bus stop in time for a cup of tea and a Hob Nob.
Mission accomplished, Mr, (I can call you Mr, can’t I?). Mission accomplished.
Chris Merriman
www.subba-cultcha.com
Since 1994 the Big Chill Festival has avoided the hyperactive buzz of Reading or Leeds, the vast chaos of Glastonbury and the noise of soulless dance music festivals to be a place of escapism that lets you truly unwind for a weekend. A stable diet of good vibes is the spirit, so who better so select his festival favourites than the man who has been on the line-up lists since its inception? Mr Scruff: step forward (and bring a cup of tea with you).
Anyone who has seen a Mr Scruff DJ set will know how adept he is at genre hopping and switching styles so that one minute you are vibrating along with a big fat bassline, and the next minute its salsa time. Well this classics CD invites you to hang up those dancing shoes and get comfy in a hammock, or another equally lounging position, to, well, chill! While there are some feet-moving moments, it is far more suited for listening to relfect on the Big Chill or life in general alone or with close friends. Big up your tent, or perhaps your living room if it is too cold for camping.
The first CD kicks off with relfective jazz piece "Metropolis IX" from Mike Westbrook, the final track from his classic album of 1971. There is a 12-minute spellbinding turn from The Ousmane Kouyate Band, "N’Nafanta", and a Latin-tinged downbeat offering from Paul Hunter. Scruff finds space for old friend Treva Whateva’s atmospheric "Music’s Made of Memories" that has the feel of an early evening wander around the campsite to the setting sun. This CD also sees Scruff turn his attention to reggae and dub which is always sure to get you thinking of clear blue skies and not a care in the world. Classic ‘Back a Yard’ from The In Corwd, Glen Brown’s "Father for the Living Dubwise" and Daweh Congo’s "Proverbs" prove to be inspired choices to capture that Sunday morning feel.
The second CD has an equally lounging feel, kicking off with D’Angelo’s cover of Roy Ayers’s "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" that is sure to relax even the most tense of bodies with its simple yet effective style. More sunny sounds come from late Motown legend Rick James and his "Getting it on (In the Sunshine)". Mr Scruff certainly wants us to feel the love and moves into samba mode with Dom Salvador’s "Hei! Voce" and waltzer "Off and On" from Moacir Santos. The Brazilians sure know how to provide a soundtrack to the sun. Elsewhere obscure west coast outfit Odyssey weigh in with some soul and Fingathing show a more sensitive side to their usual rowdy double bass/turntable action with "You Fly Me". This CD becomes more vocal-heavy towards the end, closing with a 10-minute deep jazz workout from Das Goldene Zeitalter with the hypnotic "A Vision".
There is no doubt this collection will bring a wide and chilled smile to your face, however, at times Mr Scruff’s eclectic taste proves slightly uneven when switching between styles. I feel that perhaps a knowing nod to his more dancefloor friendly reputation would not have gone amiss to liven proceedings for a track or two but he has succeeded in capturing the spirit and ethos of the Big Chill. Scruff claims this collection sums up his vision for the festival — well, with my feet up and cocktail in hand, I for one enjoyed his choice of chilled sounds — may it prove to be a warm reminder of summer in the cold months ahead.
4/5
www.zapbangmagazine.com
After a decade of spinning discs and selecting tunes for The Big Chill, it’s fitting that Stockport’s very own Mr Scruff should make a selection of his favourite cuts. Rather humbly he’s not included any of his own material but local peers in the form of Fingathing and Homelife are given some deserving shelf space. As you’d expect there are fusions of jazz and dance, dashes of world music and soul funk. Treva Whateva adds apocalyptic sparkles via the very clever "Music’s Made Of Memories" and then there’s the excellent dub of Gen Brown and Daweh Congo. Odyssey add a splash of glamour and dense harmonies, but the coolest track has to be through the hangdog blues of Ernesto’s "Devils Got To Run". This is an intensely eclectic and enjoyable sample of rare and influential music - it’s as educational as it is enjoyable.
4/5
www.music-dash.co.uk
Written: 20th Sep, 06
Read: 3253 times
