“Listen keenly,” advises MC Kwasi in a gusty introduction to Mr. Scruff’s fifth mix/compilation LP, which can also be called his twelfth album if you count the all the studio work in his 25 years in service to sound. DJ Kicks represents a strange new dimension in mix-master music, as it combines tunes like a random hour of MTV from the early years on VCR tape on fast-forward with modern high-def acoustics. The vibes come fast with a distinctly retro flavor, heavily influenced by the ’80s at times, but also wandering back a century to catch a feeling shift.

The overall mood of DJ Kicks swerves hard to the positive lane. Think of the grooviest teatime with decent drugs and nothing to do in the evening but chill it off and that’s the scene DJ Kicks flows smoothest in. It’s eclectic, yes, but worldly as well: lots of languages and lots of voices allow this album to represent the best of non-Brexit UK society. The kind of post-imperial inclusion that makes The Great British Bake Off so pleasant stands hand in hand with Mr. Scruff as he takes the listener out to meet all his weirdo friends.

DJ Kicks does suffer from the same problems as many other compilations; some parts drag and some parts kick, but it’s a pain to try and skip around. Whole sections of the album have absolute ear command but the listener has to wait to get there. It’s a long album too, and right around the one-hour-and-ten-minute mark, there exists a tone of wanting to check the Soundcloud playlist to see who’s next.

But while it’s not perfect, it is different, and new, and fun, and cool, and wacky, and highly likable. Mr. Scruff is a scientist and shouldn’t be admonished for conducting experiments – it’s what his kind does by their nature. And if the hypothesis is that by mixing up lots of new, old, and in-between records you can produce a solid work of art, then The Royal Society may as well open its halls to a new member.

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The lineup gathered outside of the venue before the doors opened. While there wasn’t much heat, there was definitely a ton of excitement in the crowd. People were slowly trickling into the room, grabbing beers and paying no attention to a relaxed Andy Carthy arranging his pretty hardcore set-up on stage, walking on and off, getting a sense of the room and the sound. Something about his presence is incredibly content.

Content, however, does not mean boring. In no time, the jazzy beats flooded the disco ball-lit room. One by one, people danced their way to the front and with the first beats of Latin influence, Wrongbar turned into a fluid mosh pit.

When we asked Carthy what we should expect at the show earlier that week he promised, “A balding geek playing a 4 hour, across the board DJ set, with some two-dimensional potato action.” He delivered.

“Hey, hey you, le’me ask you a question, is this what you expected from a Mr. Scruff show?” I turn to see him patiently waiting for an answer, “Isn’t this stuff really jazzy?” he adds. (I’m not sure if the drunk club goers can always spot a music writer in the room, but this definitely isn’t the first time). I went on to share my thoughts with him on the overall Scruff music repertoire, Ninja Tune association, and wrapped it up with my exceeded expectations. Plus ones and wonderers aside, the Mr. Scruff fan base is very much in touch, they knew what they came for, they were ready for it. They brought IT.

Scruff played a stirring selection of genres from disco and jazz to latin to industrial house with a dash of pop and back. To say that Toronto enjoyed itself would be an understatement. Boys and girls danced deep into the night, letting their inner latinos shine through, throwing moves and shapes left and right.

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Carthy got into music at an early age listening to the radio and began DJing at home when he was 13 years old. Two decades forward with seven albums in record stores and loving support of Ninja Tune, Carthy is still going strong. Earlier this year he released Friendly Bacteria, an album that spans his wide range of musical interests and employs not only Carthy’s many production gifts, but a varied array of voices.

A new album is always a good reason for a tour, so Mr Scruff is on road til December, stopping in cities across North America and Europe from LA to Manchester. Curious about how he’s been, we caught up with Carthy before his four-hour set in Toronto (coming up on August 20th).

Kateryna Topol: It’s been 20 years since you started, congratulations on that, what were some of the most memorable moments?

Andy Carthy: Too many to mention. Meeting lovely people, playing all over the world. Signing to Ninja Tune was a big moment for me. Eating in Ethiopian Diamond restaurant in Chicago while Phil Cohran played live in the corner… Playing WOMAD on Mount Taranaki in New Zealand…

KT: Do you think you’ve evolved a lot since your first record?

AC: I just think that my musical taste has continued to broaden, and that comes from having hungry ears. Hearing other people share their musical tastes with me has helped a lot. I still try and  hold onto the same enthusiasm that I had as a teenager though. It keeps things exciting!

KT: How did you choose your collaborators for Friendly Bacteria?

AC: Most of them were good friends already, and I had them in mind for a while, and we had talked for years about collaborating. The only one I didn’t know prior to recording was Robert Owens. His voice popped into my head as soon as I wrote the music for “He Don’t,” so I got in contact and he replied almost immediately, saying that he loved the track.

KT: This last album brings together a few different styles, some tracks feel more modern, for the lack of a better word (i.e., “Friendly Bacteria”), while others (“We Are Coming”) take me back to the 90’s warehouse parties. In your own words, what’s the story behind Friendly Bacteria?

AC: I suppose that there is an overall heavy production feeling, but the styles are varied, as with my other albums. Putting an album together is quite like a DJ set, it has to have variety and dynamics, but also make sense as a coherent musical statement. I like to write a few tunes, then collect them together to give myself an idea of what I am trying to say. Then I finish the story!

KT: The album is very vivid and strange (in a good way), did you have a feeling in mind when working on it?

AC: I tapped into the variety of sounds that my collaborators brought to the album, and brought it all together in a way that made sense to me. Denis Jones added a real dark, foggy, grainy, soulful edge to the sound, which works really well with my bouncy, punchy, free and easy style.

KT: Were you expecting a specific reaction?

AC: That is the fun part. I thought that my sound had changed quite a lot on this album, but people were still coming up to me at gigs, when I was testing out demo tracks, and saying ‘this is you, isn’t it!’

KT: How long did this one take and where did you mainly record it?

AC: It took about two years, in between tour dates. Most was done at home, or in SSR studios in Manchester. I recorded Robert Owens in London.

KT: Looking back, how did the illustrations and characters come to be a part of the Mr Scruff identity?

AC: I have always drawn in that style, so it seemed like an easy and obvious option to illustrate my own music with my two-dimensional potato friends. They give a friendly, fun face to what I do.

KT: I hear you have a pretty solid record collection, what are you listening to this week?

AC: All sorts! Just bought some old jazz and funk vinyl from Groove Merchant in San Francisco, so I am having fun trawling through that.

KT: You’re on tour now, what can people expect from the live show?

AC: A balding geek playing a 4 hour, across the board DJ set, with some two-dimensional potato action.

KT: As someone who’s had an impressive career in music is there anything you’d like to share with the up and coming musicians?

AC: Be yourself, follow your instincts, and keep your ears open all the time. There is always something to learn!

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