Mr Scruff will release a special 20th anniversary edition of his classic album “Trouser Jazz” on Friday 28th July via Ninja Tune. The deluxe 2LP features blue / red vinyl discs, iconic artwork by Mr. Scruff himself alongside Airside and boasts an infinity peelable trouser sticker on the cover to reveal silver and gold foiled 20th anniversary trousers. As a DJ, Andy Carthy aka Mr. Scruff plays across the board, flitting between soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, reggae, latin, african, ska, disco, house, funk, breaks, soundtracks and loads more. As a producer he makes music that draws on these influences, with a large dose of cheek and good humour. His cartoon drawings illustrate gig flyers, posters, record sleeves, t-shirts and usually accompany him at gigs as live animated visuals. Originally released in 2002, “Trouser Jazz” was the hotly anticipated follow-up to the Manchester-based DJ, producer, record collector and cartoonist’s barnstorming debut “Keep it Unreal” (1999). “Trouser Jazz” neatly encapsulated Scruff’s ethos, his joie de vivre and his inimitable combination of tight knit funk, expansive sonics and dancefloor dynamite. Recorded largely at his home studio, it featured collaborations with UK rapper Braintax (founder of the cult British hip-hop label Low Life); Homelife’s octave defying Seaming To, Niko and bassist Sneaky (both Mancunians and affiliated with the highly respected Grand Central imprint). Everyone including Pitchfork delighted in the record’s joyful eclecticism: “Trouser Jazz is quite possibly the answer to all of your sugar-fueled Saturday morning disco prayers, churning out one chocolate-frosted cereal box prize after another and bringing down the house with an inspired mix of rubbery funk, hipster soul and gleefully contorted, krush groovin' hip-hop.”
