Keep it beyond unreal

DJ Spinna and Mr. Scruff hit the MEG with a
musical bag of tricks

by SCOTT C

It's natural for young DJs to gravitate to one sound or another in the hopes of making a name for themselves in their preferred groove, but what happens when you're pushed and pulled in all kinds of musical directions and you want to get a little bit of everything in there? Usually a story like this ends in disaster, either because most dancefloors don't have the patience for genre-jumping, or because the DJ's love for many styles far outweighs their skills at programming a solid night behind the decks.

At this year's MEG, prepare to get schooled when DJ Spinna and Mr. Scruff roll into town on the last leg of the Verve Remixed 2 North American tour. Both are known for blowing up dancefloors with a wide array of strong, expertly mixed songs, representing love for reggae, soul and funk, house, D&B and hip hop. Let's take a closer look at why it's so fitting that they're touring together in the first place.

Mr. Scruff: Studied fine arts at Sheffield University part-time while listening to electro, ska and hip hop in his bedroom. Started DJing around Manchester in 1994.

DJ Spinna: Started DJing at Binghamton University's WHRW-FM, and after a guest appearance on KISS FM New York in 1994, became a resident on WBAI's Underground Railroad program.

Mr. Scruff: Influenced by blues, 2-tone, ska, electro, hip hop, soul, house, funk, disco, jazz, reggae, soundtracks, African, Latin and children's records.

DJ Spinna: Influenced by hip hop, R&B, rare groove, classic soul, funk, jazz, disco, house and garage.

Mr. Scruff: Released LP Keep It Unreal on Ninja Tune in 1999, showcasing his apparent ease at jumping from genre to genre with style. Rubs shoulders with numerous labels including Warp, Sirkus, Disorient, Ubiquity, Blood & Fire, Moving Shadow, Hospital, Grand Central and Ninja Tune of course.

DJ Spinna: Released The Beyond Real Experience underground hip hop compilation, opening a floodgate of remix and production requests. Hits new heights in productive creativity, working with Blue Note, Avex, Osyter Music, Up Above, Groove Attack, Sole, Tommy Boy, Talking Loud, Om, Landspeed, Rawkus, BBE, Nervous, Official Jointz, Guess Whyld and many, many more.

Mr. Scruff: Scores a 4/4 anthem with "Get a Move On," which is later licensed by Volvo and a slew of other companies.

DJ Spinna: Scores a 4/4 anthem with "Days Like These" remix for Shawn Escoffery, solidifying his smooth shift from underground hip hop to house and garage productions.

Mr. Scruff: Releases the LP Trouser Jazz in 2002 on Ninja Tune, reminding us that cramming a little bit of everything on a record can be done properly.

DJ Spinna: Releases Here to There on BBE, an album focusing on his versatility as a producer and featuring the missing links between hip hop, funk, disco, house and electro.

Mr. Scruff: Remixes Ramsey Lewis's "Do What You Wanna" for Verve Remixed 2.

DJ Spinna: Remixes Betty Carter's "Naima's Love Song" for Verve Remixed 2.

At SAT on Saturday, Oct. 25, 9pm, $25

>> Music Listings