This September, we welcome Mr. Scruff to SOUP for the first in our autumn / winter series of artist talks in Manchester. 

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A certified electronic music legend, Mr. Scruff has been producing dancefloor classics for over 25 years. As a DJ, his career began in the early 90s and soon after his instantly recognisable illustrations became synonymous with his music. 

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Below we explore his back catalogue starting with his 1999 release, Honeydew on Ninja Tune.

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Mr. Scruff’s 1999 release, Honeydew features Feebi and a Homosapiens Mix of So Long and an instrumental of Honeydew. This catchy track even featured in a UK advert! 

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Doing what he does best, Honeydew is a fusion drawing from the best bits of late 90s British Hip-hop merging with nu-jazz, and of course a dash of soul. It’s an uptempo track perfect for down days.

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Listen to the track below:

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Next up we have Mr. Scruff’s 2002 release, Trouser Jazz on Ninja Tune. 

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His second album Trouser Jazz was an exciting excursion taking the listener on a sonic journey through funk to jazz to soul and all the back around to hip-hop. His style of genre bending playfulness that would underpin his career for the next two decades was brought to life in this project, which included commentary from children's TV presenters and is flooded with fish references. 

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Listen to the track Come on Grandad below:

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In 2006, Mr. Scruff released a compilation for The Big Chill, which was an annual U.K. festival focusing on alternative, dance and chill-out music between 1994 and 2011. Mr. Scruff was one of their key alternative electronic music acts in their 1996 edition, alongside LTJ Bukem, Squarepusher and Autechre. 

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Mr. Scruff’s contribution to the series featured an all star lineup across two discs, including Grady Tate’s Moondance, Glen Brown’s Wicked Can’t Run This Dub, Mike Westbrook’s Metropolos IX and Fela Kuti’s My Lady Frustration. 

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You can listen to Fela Kuti’s My Lady Frustration below:

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Speaking of compilations, in 2009, Mr. Scruff released his Bonus Bait edition of outtakes of his album Ninja Tuna. 

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Ninja Tuna released in 2008.

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Bonus Bait released in 2009.

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You can listen to Mr Scruff's track Nice Up The Function feat. Roots Manuva:

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Released on his personal imprint of Ninja Tune, "Ninja Tuna", his album of the same name was his fourth studio album. It contained a plethora of genres. Pop rock, jazz funk piano, electronica and soul meet together for a delightfully addictive album featuring Alice Russell, Quantic, Roots Manuva, Danny Breaks and Andreya Triana. 

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Lastly for our round up, we have Wobble Control. Released in 2011 on Ninja Tune.

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Wobble Control is a full bodied exploration of a wobbly, guitar like synth, pushed to its outer limits and manipulated beyond what any listener would expect. Steering the wobble through the highest and lowest of frequencies, oscillating back and forth. It’s completely different from Mr. Scruff’s usual stuff but showcases his excellent production and sound design skills.

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You can listen to Wobble Control below:

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For any DJs out there, there’s also the Mr. Scruff essential guide to being a DJ printed on a t-shirt and A3 print. 

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You can read more on his tips for DJs on the Brighter Sound website.

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You can book your ticket for his artist talk at SOUP on Wednesday 27th September here and for fans of his artwork, head to his shop. 

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