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Biographie
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.
Avis
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
Andrew Carthy’s endearingly honest stage name isn’t the only thing that’s made him both a cult figure in the electronic music world and a local legend in and around his native Manchester; his eccentric musical tastes speak to a lifetime of serious crate-digging, and suggestions of an admirable work ethic are further bolstered by his penchant for marathon DJ sets, often stretching as far as six hours. In the scene in which he’s made his name, his style has never really gone out of fashion, but his jazz-tinged take on trip hop seems to be threatening to come to wider prominence again in 2014. Earlier this year, he dropped his fifth proper studio release, Friendly Bacteria, to wider press fanfare than he’s enjoyed in a while. That’s not due to any kind of compromise on his part, though, and certainly not in terms of his live craft, which remains as endearingly weird as ever; blending a diverse range of beats with samples from jazz and soul is still the Mr. Scruff staple, with a series of rudimentary cartoon drawings through the projector keeping the focus solely on the music. The two things that are unrelentingly evident, in his live sets, are his passion for music and his refusal to take himself too seriously; I can think of few artists more deserving of a career renaissance.
Joeg_67
Mr Scruff was great! Though it was a little more expensive than other club nights in Manchester, the music and the venue were both great, and the no phone policy made it a really great environment. I'll definitely be going again!
jenny.rogal
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