"My purpose was simple: to catch the feel, the pulse of rock, as I had lived through it. What I was after was guts, and flash, and energy, and speed" - NIK COHN -
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When the music was new and had no rules" -LUNA C
That's the juiciest mix but this one has its a-peel
Still, pipped to the post by the original mix.
Skin Up had another entertaining cheesy-quaver moment
Is that the voice of Neil the Hippie in there?
Ha, something I only just noticed - Skin Up, aka Jason Laurence Cohen, went on to the Big Beat artist Laidback, who recorded for a label I was fond of for a moment - Bolshi
However I don't remember being that struck by the Laidback tunes - the outfits I liked most were Rasmus and Beachcomas
The latter did this fruit 'n veg themed oddity - possibly Gardeners Question Time sourced samples that go "peaches, shaped like doughnuts... split and juicy", "strawberries", "nuts.... and medleys"
Love it to the marrow. (Boom boom)
A Mekons sample too wouldyabelieve
One of my absolute favorites out of that late '90s harvest, the ripening bounty before all went to shit in the early 2000s
That's my video by the way, illustrated with idyllic images of the Chilterns (watch out for my mum) and Oxfordshire and Maryon Park, South London - the bulk of the pix first aired in this elegiac post
An exploration of personal and collective histories from the UK garage rave scene of the early 2000’s, from Angel Zinovieff.
This Material Archive brings together a collection of works made between 2014 and 2023. Reflecting on sonic, choreographic and social histories of the UK garage rave scene, it maps themes such as joy in collective movement, transcendence, madness, the power of the imagination and the division of time. Weaving both deeply personal and collective experiences, the work encompasses archival materials, video work, music and text.
Two piece chicken and chips for 99p inside the party
[Verse 2 - Shotta Shah]
It's me; Shotta Shah Khan
Hold tight yes with the garlic naan
Smack Princess Pukka with the back of my palm
Sniff ten lines, that shit's haraam
Uncle will flip but I'll tell him keep calm
It's me and my boy Ali
Coming down Leeds Road at ninety
In my Chacha's Ferrari
I'm a taxi driver
Drive you to my yard for a fiver
Get a sucky off a prozzy for a bottle of cider
Up on the mic ah!
I said I took this bird to the Shimla Spice
Curry and rice on a Friday night
I got a vindaloo and it made me poo
Now I'm at Frame 2 with the Leeds road crew
See rap shows near Hollywood
Get tickets as low as $112
[Verse 3 - Halal Ham]
Stepped in the party, pass me the shisha
Drove to Bradford in my two-litre
Saw a peng ting, I'll go chat to her
Not going to Begum though like Shamima
I moved to this Auntie, Aunti went hanji
Then she went to go make me some handi
It's Shotta Shah and Kutta Khan and we go hard in Bradistan
A couple of apnas, a couple of goras
A couple of tings for a couple of pakoras
Uss bar kidda sohniye
And she's gonna take me home with her
Kasmeh bro it was mental
Spend my Eid monies on a rental
I was like "Boss who wants a Lambo?"
Popping bottles; Rubicon Mango
Shotta Shah is from Bad Boy Chiller Crew and here's another BBCC track that references Chicken Dhansak
What led me back to these was a more recent "Bradford Sound" track by MC Chippy
A real "Danelaw" look to most of the people in this video - red hair, pale skin, narrow eyes
A Scandi-ness that recalls Die Antwoord, the whitest people who ever rapped - until BBCC + crews
(although donkists the Blackout Crew were pretty pasty)
This Chippy fella looks like a mash-up of Catweazle and Jimmy Savile
Looking at these vids (and there's so many of them) I sometimes can't help picturing a post-apocalyptic tribe out of some Russell Hoban scenario.... mutant survivors who've reconstructed "civilization" using a handful of cultural fragments - in this case, a So Solid Crew DVD, a No Limit CD, singles by T2 and DJ Q... a Niche mix-tape pack ... over the centuries the repeated gestures and references devolved into rote ritual, emptied of meaning, original referents long lost....
Hey look - an Irish branch of this bassline/rap fusion