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{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name = Mr. Scruff
| image = Mr._Scruff.JPG
| caption = [[Andy Carthy]] DJing at the Savoy, [[Cork City]], on 30 May 2008
| image_size = 220px
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = Andrew Carthy
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|2|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Macclesfield]], [[Cheshire]], England
| origin = [[Stockport]], England
| instrument = [[Digital audio workstation |DAW]], [[Sampler (musical instrument) |sampler]], [[turntables]]
| genre = [[Electronica]]<br />[[House music|House]] <br />[[Downtempo]]<br />[[Instrumental Hip Hop]]<br />[[Breakbeat]]<br />[[Trip hop]]<br />[[Nu-jazz]]<br />[[turntablism]]
| occupation = DJ
| years_active = 1994–present
| label = [[Ninja Tune]], Pleasure Music
| associated_acts =
| website = [http://www.mrscruff.com/ www.MrScruff.com]
}}

'''Mr. Scruff''' is the recording name of '''Andy Carthy''' (born 10 February 1972,<ref>[http://errol.oclc.org/laf/no2007115209.html Mr. Scruff – Linked Authority File]. ''Database entry.'' OCLC.org. Retrieved on 25 January 2011.</ref>), a British [[electronic dance music |electronic music]] [[record producer |producer]] and [[DJ]]. He lives in [[Stretford]], Greater Manchester, and studied [[fine art]] at the [[Psalter Lane]] campus of [[Sheffield Hallam University]]. Before he could make a living from his music alone, he worked as a shelf-stacker in the Hazel Grove branch of [[Kwik Save]].<ref>[http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/mrscruffx22x09x04 Mr Scruff - No Pies For 200 Yards, Video]. Contactmusic.com. Retrieved on 2012-04-16.</ref>

His stage name was inspired by his scruffy facial hair, as well as his trademark loose-lined drawing style. He has been DJing since 1994, at first in and around Manchester then nationwide. He is known for DJing in marathon sets (often exceeding six hours), his eclectic musical taste, his love of a "nice cup of tea" and the quirky home-produced visuals and animations associated with his music. In an interview he said: "It’s about putting a lot of effort in and paying attention to detail. I get annoyed if I don’t take risks. I’m very hard on myself."<ref>{{cite web
| title = Mr Scruff Interview
| work=Interview
| publisher=BBC.co.uk (BBC Norfolk)
| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/articles/2004/09/18/club_feature_mr_scruff_interview_feature.shtml
| accessdate =12 May 2009 }}</ref>

==Career==
In his twenties Mr. Scruff's first 12", "Hocus Pocus" was released on the small Manchester-based label, [[Robs Records]]. Subsequent singles and his first album, ''[[Mr. Scruff (album)|Mr. Scruff]]'' followed, released on Robs Records subsidiary, Pleasure Music.<ref name=ScuffSite>{{cite web
| title = About Mr. Scruff
| work="About" page
| publisher=Mr. Scruff
| url=http://www.mrscruff.com/showscreen.php?site_id=9&screentype=folder&screenid=428
| accessdate =18 February 2008 }}</ref> After a brief spell working with [[Mark Rae]], he moved to the larger [[Ninja Tune]] label, and subsequently released the albums ''[[Keep It Unreal]]'' and ''[[Trouser Jazz]]''.

His most notable hit, "Get a Move On", is built around "Bird's Lament (In Memory of [[Charlie Parker]])" by [[Moondog]].<ref name=Discogs>{{cite web
| title = Mr. Scruff – Get A Move On / Ug
| work=Database entry
| publisher=Discogs
| url=http://www.discogs.com/release/35524
| accessdate =18 February 2008 }}</ref> and has been used in several [[television commercial|commercials]] ranging from [[Lincoln automobile|Lincoln]] and [[Volvo Cars|Volvo]] automobiles to [[France Télécom]] and [[GEICO]] insurance. The song also samples [[Shifty Henry]]'s "Hyping Woman Blues" and led to a renewal of interest in Henry's compositions.

In 2004, Mr. Scruff released ''[[Keep It Solid Steel Volume 1]]'', the first of what is intended to be a series of several [[DJ mix|DJ-mixed]] compilation CDs for Ninja Tune's [[Solid Steel]] series of artist mixes.<ref name=ScruffShop>{{cite web
| title = Keep It Solid Steel Part 1 (album)
| work=Product listing
| publisher=Mr. Scruff
| url=http://www.mrscruff.com/showscreen.php?site_id=9&screentype=folder&screenid=212&shopaction=showproduct&product_id=97&categoryfilter=*
| accessdate =18 February 2008 }}</ref> These mixes are designed to recreate the eclectic genres one would expect to hear at a Mr. Scruff club night. In November 2006, Ninja Tune confirmed that the 8th Solid Steel record would be mixed by [[J Rocc]] and the 9th would be Volume 2 from Mr. Scruff. Other [[Solid Steel]] mixes have been released by fellow Ninja Tune artists including [[The Herbaliser]], [[Hexstatic]], [[DJ Food]] and [[Amon Tobin]].

He has a wide array of remixes to his name, and has also produced tracks for others – notably "Echo of Quiet and Green" for sometime-collaborator [[Niko (musician)|Niko]] for her 2004 album ''Life on Earth''. Niko returned the favour, appearing on the track "Come Alive" from the ''Trouser Jazz'' album.

Having performed regularly at [[The Big Chill (music festival)|The Big Chill Festival]] in [[Eastnor Castle]] deer park, [[Ledbury]], Herefordshire, he was asked in 2006 to select the tracks for the compilation album, ''Big Chill Classics''.<ref name=ScruffShop2>{{cite web
| title = Big Chill Classics (album)
| work=Product listing
| publisher=Mr. Scruff
| url=http://www.mrscruff.com/showscreen.php?site_id=9&screentype=folder&screenid=212&shopaction=showproduct&product_id=27&categoryfilter=6
| accessdate =18 February 2008 }}</ref>


July 2008 saw the release of ''Southport Weekender Volume 7'', a double album released in the Southport Weekender series, recorded in a purpose-built holiday village in [[Southport]], Merseyside. The first disc was mixed by German [[nu jazz]] DJs [[Jazzanova]], and the second was mixed by Mr. Scruff. Scruff's contribution is a mix of [[soul music]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Mr. Scruff – He Wants Your Soul
| work=Music article
| publisher=three d world
| url=http://www.threedworld.com.au/content/view/6343/58/
| accessdate =12 August 2008 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080801232256/http://www.threedworld.com.au/content/view/6343/58/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 1 August 2008}}</ref>

In 2008, a new independent record label, [[Ninja Tuna (label)|Ninja Tuna]], was founded, a collaboration between Scruff and the Ninja Tune label. Mr. Scruff's most recent singles and the album ''[[Ninja Tuna]]'' were all released on the new label.<ref name="ScuffSite" /><ref name="tuna">{{cite web
| title = Mr. Scruff: Ninja Tuna
| work=Catalogue entry
| publisher=Ninja Tune
| url=http://www.ninjatune.net/ninja/release.php?id=1448&search=ninja+tuna#1
| accessdate =12 May 2009 }}</ref>

A US-only release of the album on mp3 came with 10 additional tracks from the ''Ninja Tuna'' recording sessions, under the title ''[[Ninja Tuna#Bonus Bait|Bonus Bait]]''. A CD version of this supplementary album was released in the UK in February 2009.

==Style==
===Artwork===
Mr. Scruff's album and single [[Album cover art|cover art]], music videos, merchandise and his official website are noted for their whimsical cartoonish look; the cartoons are drawn by Scruff himself, in what he calls "potato style". The images and animations are also projected onto large screens during his [[Concert|gigs]].
Scruff also drew cartoons for music magazines such as ''[[Jockey Slut]]'' in the 1990s.<ref name=ScruffForum>{{cite web
| title = Mr. Scruff Official Forum
| work=Forum thread: "Tell me about your cartoons"
| publisher=Mr. Scruff
| url=http://www.fantactics.co.uk/showscreen.php?site_id=9&screentype=folder&screenid=431&forumaction=showposts&forum_id=38&topic_id=466
| accessdate =18 February 2008 }}</ref>
[[Image:MakeUsABrew.JPG|right|thumb|The company logo for Mr. Scruff's tea company, Make Us a Brew. The logo also shows an example of Scruff's drawing style.]]

===Tea===
Mr. Scruff began selling tea from a small room at the Manchester club, the Music Box, where he was resident DJ in around 2000, with the proceeds going to charity. When he started touring, Scruff took the enterprise with him and gained a reputation for being the DJ with the teashop. When appearing at festivals, such as Big Chill and [[World of Music, Arts and Dance|WOMAD]], tea stalls or tents were erected, and were open for the duration of the festivals. Scruff subsequently started an online tea company, Make Us a Brew, and produces his own range of [[fair trade]] teabags. Both his official website, and the Make Us a Brew site also sell branded tea-related paraphernalia including teapots, mugs and tea-towels. The teabags are sold in department store chains [[Selfridges]], [[Waitrose]] and [[Booths]].<ref name=SundayMail>{{cite web
| title = Mr Scruff Interview
| work=Interview
| publisher=SundayMail.co.uk
| url=http://blogs.sundaymail.co.uk/adriftintheabnormal/2008/11/mr-scruff-interview.html
| accessdate =11 December 2008 }}</ref>

===Fish===
Most of Mr. Scruff's studio albums contain tracks about fish, whales and other [[Marine biology|sea-life]], which [[Cut-up technique|cut up]] [[sound recording|recordings]] of [[voice-over|voiceovers]] from children's stories and nature documentaries to create surreal and silly stories.<ref name=BBCCollective>{{cite web
| title = More cuddly tunes from Manchester's favourite fishmonger.
| work=Editors Review: Mr. Scruff – Trouser Jazz
| publisher=BBC.co.uk Collective
| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A825185
| accessdate =18 February 2008 }}</ref> They began with the track "Sea Mammal" (featuring a sample from [[Boogie Down Productions]]' track "Part Time Sucker"), released on the ''Hocus Pocus'' single (1995).<ref>{{cite web
| title = Mr. Scruff
| work=Biography
| publisher=eMusic Europe
| url=http://www.emusic.com/artist/Mr-Scruff-MP3-Download/11630006.html
| accessdate =17 December 2008 }}</ref> It is also the opening track on Scruff's first album. This was followed by "Wail" (as a homophone for "Whale"), also on his first album. ''[[Keep It Unreal]]'' (1999) featured the tracks "Shanty Town" and "Fish", the latter of which features samples from the likes of [[David Attenborough]] and [[David Bellamy]]. The album ''Trouser Jazz'' (2002) closes with another cut-up track, "Ahoy There!", noted as featuring an appearance from "Albert Ross" (albatross).

Scruff has stated that he is unlikely to record any further fish-based cut-up tracks. However, marine references continue in Scruff's work including the track "Shrimp" from ''Trouser Jazz'', and the title and cover art of his most recent albums, ''[[Ninja Tuna]]'' (2008) and its companion release, ''Bonus Bait'' (2009).

===Hot Pot===
Mr. Scruff and [[Treva Whateva]] (his Ninja Tune label-mate and friend from Stockport) recorded a weekly hour-long radio show, some episodes of which can still be found on [[samurai.fm]].

==Discography==
===Albums===
====Studio albums====
* ''[[Mr. Scruff (album)|Mr. Scruff]]'' (Pleasure Music, 9 May 1997)
* ''[[Keep It Unreal]]'' ([[Ninja Tune]], 14 July 1999)<ref>Woo, Rob. [http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=130&csid2=4&fid1=36728 "Return of Mr. Scruff"], ''[[Exclaim!]]'', December 2008.</ref> UK #175
* ''[[Trouser Jazz]]'' (Ninja Tune, 16 September 2002) UK #29<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
* ''[[Mrs Cruff|Mrs. Cruff]]'' (Ninja Tune, reissue of ''Mr. Scruff'' with additional tracks, 5 May 2005) UK #195
* ''[[Ninja Tuna]]'' ([[Ninja Tuna (label)|Ninja Tuna]], 6 October 2008)<ref name="tuna" /> UK #60
* ''[[Ninja Tuna#Bonus Bait|Bonus Bait]]'' (Ninja Tuna, 9 February 2009)

====Mix and compilation albums====
* ''[[Heavyweight Rib Ticklers]]'' (Compilation album, [[Unfold Recordings]], 11 February 2002)
* ''[[Keep It Solid Steel Volume 1]]'' (DJ mix album, Ninja Tune, 1 January 2004)
* ''[[Big Chill Classics]]'' ([[Compilation album]], [[Resist Music]], 21 August 2006)
* ''Southport Weekender Volume 7'' (DJ mix album – Disc 2 mixed by Mr. Scruff, [[Concept Records]], 21 July 2008)
* ''[[Mr. Scruff Feat. Alice Russell]]'' (Music Takes Me Up, 2008)

===Singles===
* "Hocus Pocus" ([[Robs Records]], March 1995)
* "The Frolic EP Part 1" (Pleasure Music / [[Pinnacle Records]], 15 January 1996)
* "The Frolic EP Part 2" (Pleasure Music / Pinnacle Records, 16 February 1996)
* "Limbic Funk" (Pleasure Music, 29 July 1996)
* "Large Pies EP" ([[Cup of Tea Records]], 7 April 1997)
* "How Sweet it Is" / "Is it Worth It?" (with [[Spikey T]]) ([[Grand Central Records]], 13 June 1997)
* "Pigeon" (Pinnacle Records, 6 June 1997)
* "Chipmunk / Fish / Happy Band" (Ninja Tune, 10 March 1998)
* "Get a Move On" (Ninja Tune, 26 April 1999) UK #139
* "Honeydew" (Ninja Tune, 22 October 1999) UK #129
* "Hocus Pocus" (re-release, Robs Records, 7 May 2001)
* "Get a Move on / Ug" (re-release, Ninja Tune, 6 August 2001) UK #83
* "Shrimp!" (Ninja Tune, 27 May 2002) UK #78
* "Beyond / Champion Nibble" (Ninja Tune, 23 September 2002) UK #125
* "Sweetsmoke" (Ninja Tune, December 2002) UK #75<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]]
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 371}}</ref>
* "Sweetsmoke Remixes" (Ninja Tune, April 2003) UK #91
* "Giffin" (Ninja Tune, 20 October 2003)
* "Chicken in a Box / Spandex Man" (Ltd edition, Ninja Tune, 11 April 2005)
* "Donkey Ride / Giant Pickle" (with [[Will Holland|Quantic]], Ninja Tuna, 12 May 2008)
* "Kalimba / Give Up To Get" (Ninja Tuna, 14 July 2008)
* "Music Takes Me Up" (Ninja Tuna, 15 September 2008)
* "Get on Down / Hold On" (Ninja Tuna, 1 December 2008)
* "Whiplash / Bang The Floor / Cat & Mouse" (Ninja Tuna, 9 February 2009)
* "This Way / Hairy Bumpercress" (Ninja Tuna, 9 March 2009)
* "Nice Up The Function / Listen Up" (Ninja Tuna, 6 April 2009)
* "Bunch of Keys / Cat & Mouse Version 2" (Ninja Tuna, 8 June 2009)
* Mr Scruff Vs Kirsty Almeida – "Pickled Spider" (Ninja Tuna, 14 June 2010)
* "Wobble Control" (Ninja Tuna, 9 May 2011
* "Feel It / Bounce" (Ninja Tuna, 3 October 2011)
* "Be The Music" (Ninja Tuna, 28 September 2012)

===Collaborations===
Mr. Scruff with...
* [[DJ Spooky]] – "Murderah Style" appeared on the compilation album ''Tribal Gathering 96'' ([[Universe (label)|Universe]], 1 October 1996)
* [[Mark Rae]] – "How Sweet It Is" and "Gotta Have Her" both appeared on the compilation album ''[[Central Heating (Grand Central album)|Central Heating]]'' (Grand Central Records, 25 November 1996)
* [[Tony D]] – "Flavour" featuring [[Mark Rae]], [[Mark 1 (musician)|Mark 1]] and Mr. Scruff, from the album ''Pound For Pound'' (Grand Central Records, 15 September 1997)
* [[Mark Rae]] – "The Squirrel" appeared on the compilation album ''[[Central Heating 2]]'' (Grand Central Records, 17 April 2000)
* [[Peter Nice Trio]] vs. Mr. Scruff – "Harp Of Gold" from the compilation album ''Out Patients'' ([[Hospital Records]], 30 May 2000)
* [[Fingathing]] – "Just Practice" featuring Mr. Scruff, from the album ''[[The Main Event (album)|The Main Event]]'' (Grand Central Records, 20 November 2000)
* [[Will Holland|Quantic]] – "It's Dancing Time" from the compilation album ''Shapes One'' ([[Tru Thoughts]], 1 September 2003)
* [[Will Holland|Quantic]] – "Giraffe Walk" from Quantic's album, ''One Off's Remixes and B Sides'' (Tru Thoughts, 6 February 2006)
* [[Swell Sessions]] – "No No" from the album ''Swell Communications'' (Freerange Records, 24 September 2007)
* [[Will Holland|Quantic]] – "Donkey Ride" (Ninja Tune, 12 May 2008)
* [[Kaidi Tatham]] – "Fresh Noodles" (Prime Numbers, 30 November 2009)
* [[Kirsty Almeida]] – "Pickled Spider" (Ninja Tune, 30 April 2010)

Several of Mr. Scruff's records also feature guest vocalists and musicians. These include Sneaky (from [[Fingathing]]), [[Roots Manuva]], [[Niko (musician)|Niko]], [[Braintax]], [[Alice Russell (singer)|Alice Russell]] and [[Danny Breaks]].
Both Scruff and Roots Manuva have expressed an interest in recording a full album together, though the artists' schedules have prevented it to date.<ref name="SundayMail" />

===Cover version===
* "Get a Move On" was covered by [[Will Holland]]'s side project, [[The Quantic Soul Orchestra]] on the album ''[[Pushin' On]]'' (Tru Thoughts, 5 May 2005).

==Song appearances==
* The last segment from the documentary movie ''[[Scratch (2001 film)|Scratch]]'' (2001), entitled "Full Circle", features a different mix of "Spandex Man" with additional samples.
* Episodes of the [[Channel 4]] UK TV comedy show ''[[Spaced]]'' featured the tracks "Spandex Man", "Chipmunk" and "Blackpool Roll" from the ''[[Keep It Unreal]]'' album.
* "Spandex Man" was also used on the [[BBC]] series ''[[Top Gear (current format)|Top Gear]]'', is often used on the [[BBC Three]] show ''[[The Real Hustle]]'' and features in the films ''[[SW9 (film)|SW9]]'' and ''Gumball Rally 3000''.
* The song "Ug" from the album ''[[Trouser Jazz]]'' is used in numerous ''[[Weebl and Bob]]'' cartoons, including the very first one entitled "Pie". The [[pie]] as a motif later recurred in one of Scruff's videos (''Sweetsmoke'').
* "Get a Move On" has been used in advertisements including [[Volvo]] and [[Lincoln (automobile)|Lincoln]] automobiles, in television shows including the BBC's snooker highlights, ''[[Bargain Hunt]]'' and ''[[The Apprentice (UK)|The Apprentice]]'' and in Kenny Anderson's section of the skateboarding video ''One Step Beyond''. The song was chosen by [[Victoria Wood]] as one of her eight favourite records on ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Desert Island Discs: Victoria Wood
| work=Radio show
| publisher=BBC.co.uk (Radio 4)
| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr/episodes/2007
| accessdate =15 December 2009 }}</ref>
* "Blackpool Roll" was used in New Zealand by television network [[TV One (New Zealand)|TV ONE]] as background music as part of their branded channel advertising and show listings. It also appears in the game Rolando 2.
* "Fish" was used by [[Nexus Productions]] for the [[Virgin Atlantic]] safety video, which features the voices of [[Vic Reeves]] and [[Dani Behr]]. It was also used by [[Thomson Reuters]] for their UK Customer Service hold music.
* Several Mr. Scruff tracks appeared on ''[[Rolando (video game)|Rolando]]'', a game for [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[iPhone]] and [[iPod Touch]] devices in 2008. The game, developed by [[HandCircus]] and published by [[Ngmoco]], features the tracks "Ug", "Stockport Carnival", "Spandex Man", "Donkey Ride", "Kalimba", "Shrimp", and "Mice at the Organ".
* The track "Kalimba" from the album ''Ninja Tuna'' is included in the sample music folder on computers running [[Windows 7]].
* "So Long" and "Get a Move On" from the album ''Keep it Unreal'', have been featured on Cartoon Networks' Adult Swim during commercial breaks.
* "Spandex Man" is used several times during Season 2 of the tv-show [[Spaced]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{External links|date=April 2012}}
===Official===
*[http://www.mrscruff.com Artist website]
*[http://ninjatune.net/artist/mr-scruff Artist page] on Mr. Scruff's label, [[Ninja Tune]]
*[http://www.myspace.com/mrscruff "Pie Space" artist page] on MySpace
*[http://soundcloud.com/mr-scruff Artist page] on [[SoundCloud]]
*[http://www.makeusabrew.com/showscreen.php?site_id=20&screentype=site&screenid=20 Make Us a Brew website]

===Interviews===
*{{cite web|last=Bergen|first=Andrez|title=A Quickie with Mr. Scruff|url=http://de-vice-third.tripod.com/id37.html|work=de-VICE the 3rd}}
*{{cite web|last=Gluzman|first=David|title=Interview with Mr.Scruff|url=http://r4nt.com/article/interview-with-mrscruff/|work=R4NT Magazine|year=2004}}
*{{cite web|title=Mr Scruff interview|work=BBC Norfolk|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/articles/2004/09/18/club_feature_mr_scruff_interview_feature.shtml|date=18 May 2005}}
*{{cite journal|last=Kiddey|first=Guy|title=Guy Kiddey talks to Mr Scruff, international DJ and good-time man|journal=The Globalist|year=2008|month=May|page=48|publisher=Varsity|location=Cambridge|url=http://www.theglobalist.co.uk/Editions/May08.pdf}}
*{{cite news|last=Naylor|first=Ben|title=The 5-minute Interview: Mr Scruff, DJ and producer|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/the-5minute-interview-mr-scruff-dj-and-producer-854318.html|work=The Independent|date=26 June 2008}}
*{{cite web|last=Sleigh|first=Rob|title=Interview with Mr Scruff|work=Room Thirteen|date=18 Apr 2010|url=http://www.roomthirteen.com/features/750/Interview_with_Mr_Scruff.html}}

===Other===
*[http://rbmaradio.com/ARCHIVE.153.0.php?extID=0&showID=42 "Train Wreck Mix"] by Mr. Scruff on the [[Red Bull Music Academy]] Radio website
*[http://core.thomaslaupstad.com/bbc-radio-1-essential-mix-2009-02-07-with-mr-scruff/ "Essential Mix"] by Mr. Scruff (7 February 2009)

{{Mr. Scruff}}
{{Authority control|VIAF=12096490}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Scruff, Mr.
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Carthy, Andy
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British DJ and artist
| DATE OF BIRTH = 10 February 1972
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Macclesfield]], [[Cheshire]], England
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scruff, Mr.}}
[[Category:British DJs]]
[[Category:English electronic musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Manchester]]
[[Category:Music in Stockport]]
[[Category:People from Macclesfield]]
[[Category:People from Stockport]]
[[Category:Ninja Tune artists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1972 births]]

Revision as of 18:20, 6 January 2014

Mr. Scruff
Andy Carthy DJing at the Savoy, Cork City, on 30 May 2008
Andy Carthy DJing at the Savoy, Cork City, on 30 May 2008
Background information
Birth nameAndrew Carthy
Born (1972-02-10) 10 February 1972 (age 52)
Macclesfield, Cheshire, England
OriginStockport, England
GenresElectronica
House
Downtempo
Instrumental Hip Hop
Breakbeat
Trip hop
Nu-jazz
turntablism
Occupation(s)DJ
Instrument(s)DAW, sampler, turntables
Years active1994–present
LabelsNinja Tune, Pleasure Music
Websitewww.MrScruff.com

Mr. Scruff is the recording name of Andy Carthy (born 10 February 1972,[1]), a British electronic music producer and DJ. He lives in Stretford, Greater Manchester, and studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University. Before he could make a living from his music alone, he worked as a shelf-stacker in the Hazel Grove branch of Kwik Save.[2]

His stage name was inspired by his scruffy facial hair, as well as his trademark loose-lined drawing style. He has been DJing since 1994, at first in and around Manchester then nationwide. He is known for DJing in marathon sets (often exceeding six hours), his eclectic musical taste, his love of a "nice cup of tea" and the quirky home-produced visuals and animations associated with his music. In an interview he said: "It’s about putting a lot of effort in and paying attention to detail. I get annoyed if I don’t take risks. I’m very hard on myself."[3]

Career

In his twenties Mr. Scruff's first 12", "Hocus Pocus" was released on the small Manchester-based label, Robs Records. Subsequent singles and his first album, Mr. Scruff followed, released on Robs Records subsidiary, Pleasure Music.[4] After a brief spell working with Mark Rae, he moved to the larger Ninja Tune label, and subsequently released the albums Keep It Unreal and Trouser Jazz.

His most notable hit, "Get a Move On", is built around "Bird's Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)" by Moondog.[5] and has been used in several commercials ranging from Lincoln and Volvo automobiles to France Télécom and GEICO insurance. The song also samples Shifty Henry's "Hyping Woman Blues" and led to a renewal of interest in Henry's compositions.

In 2004, Mr. Scruff released Keep It Solid Steel Volume 1, the first of what is intended to be a series of several DJ-mixed compilation CDs for Ninja Tune's Solid Steel series of artist mixes.[6] These mixes are designed to recreate the eclectic genres one would expect to hear at a Mr. Scruff club night. In November 2006, Ninja Tune confirmed that the 8th Solid Steel record would be mixed by J Rocc and the 9th would be Volume 2 from Mr. Scruff. Other Solid Steel mixes have been released by fellow Ninja Tune artists including The Herbaliser, Hexstatic, DJ Food and Amon Tobin.

He has a wide array of remixes to his name, and has also produced tracks for others – notably "Echo of Quiet and Green" for sometime-collaborator Niko for her 2004 album Life on Earth. Niko returned the favour, appearing on the track "Come Alive" from the Trouser Jazz album.

Having performed regularly at The Big Chill Festival in Eastnor Castle deer park, Ledbury, Herefordshire, he was asked in 2006 to select the tracks for the compilation album, Big Chill Classics.[7]


July 2008 saw the release of Southport Weekender Volume 7, a double album released in the Southport Weekender series, recorded in a purpose-built holiday village in Southport, Merseyside. The first disc was mixed by German nu jazz DJs Jazzanova, and the second was mixed by Mr. Scruff. Scruff's contribution is a mix of soul music.[8]

In 2008, a new independent record label, Ninja Tuna, was founded, a collaboration between Scruff and the Ninja Tune label. Mr. Scruff's most recent singles and the album Ninja Tuna were all released on the new label.[4][9]

A US-only release of the album on mp3 came with 10 additional tracks from the Ninja Tuna recording sessions, under the title Bonus Bait. A CD version of this supplementary album was released in the UK in February 2009.

Style

Artwork

Mr. Scruff's album and single cover art, music videos, merchandise and his official website are noted for their whimsical cartoonish look; the cartoons are drawn by Scruff himself, in what he calls "potato style". The images and animations are also projected onto large screens during his gigs. Scruff also drew cartoons for music magazines such as Jockey Slut in the 1990s.[10]

File:MakeUsABrew.JPG
The company logo for Mr. Scruff's tea company, Make Us a Brew. The logo also shows an example of Scruff's drawing style.

Tea

Mr. Scruff began selling tea from a small room at the Manchester club, the Music Box, where he was resident DJ in around 2000, with the proceeds going to charity. When he started touring, Scruff took the enterprise with him and gained a reputation for being the DJ with the teashop. When appearing at festivals, such as Big Chill and WOMAD, tea stalls or tents were erected, and were open for the duration of the festivals. Scruff subsequently started an online tea company, Make Us a Brew, and produces his own range of fair trade teabags. Both his official website, and the Make Us a Brew site also sell branded tea-related paraphernalia including teapots, mugs and tea-towels. The teabags are sold in department store chains Selfridges, Waitrose and Booths.[11]

Fish

Most of Mr. Scruff's studio albums contain tracks about fish, whales and other sea-life, which cut up recordings of voiceovers from children's stories and nature documentaries to create surreal and silly stories.[12] They began with the track "Sea Mammal" (featuring a sample from Boogie Down Productions' track "Part Time Sucker"), released on the Hocus Pocus single (1995).[13] It is also the opening track on Scruff's first album. This was followed by "Wail" (as a homophone for "Whale"), also on his first album. Keep It Unreal (1999) featured the tracks "Shanty Town" and "Fish", the latter of which features samples from the likes of David Attenborough and David Bellamy. The album Trouser Jazz (2002) closes with another cut-up track, "Ahoy There!", noted as featuring an appearance from "Albert Ross" (albatross).

Scruff has stated that he is unlikely to record any further fish-based cut-up tracks. However, marine references continue in Scruff's work including the track "Shrimp" from Trouser Jazz, and the title and cover art of his most recent albums, Ninja Tuna (2008) and its companion release, Bonus Bait (2009).

Hot Pot

Mr. Scruff and Treva Whateva (his Ninja Tune label-mate and friend from Stockport) recorded a weekly hour-long radio show, some episodes of which can still be found on samurai.fm.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Mix and compilation albums

Singles

  • "Hocus Pocus" (Robs Records, March 1995)
  • "The Frolic EP Part 1" (Pleasure Music / Pinnacle Records, 15 January 1996)
  • "The Frolic EP Part 2" (Pleasure Music / Pinnacle Records, 16 February 1996)
  • "Limbic Funk" (Pleasure Music, 29 July 1996)
  • "Large Pies EP" (Cup of Tea Records, 7 April 1997)
  • "How Sweet it Is" / "Is it Worth It?" (with Spikey T) (Grand Central Records, 13 June 1997)
  • "Pigeon" (Pinnacle Records, 6 June 1997)
  • "Chipmunk / Fish / Happy Band" (Ninja Tune, 10 March 1998)
  • "Get a Move On" (Ninja Tune, 26 April 1999) UK #139
  • "Honeydew" (Ninja Tune, 22 October 1999) UK #129
  • "Hocus Pocus" (re-release, Robs Records, 7 May 2001)
  • "Get a Move on / Ug" (re-release, Ninja Tune, 6 August 2001) UK #83
  • "Shrimp!" (Ninja Tune, 27 May 2002) UK #78
  • "Beyond / Champion Nibble" (Ninja Tune, 23 September 2002) UK #125
  • "Sweetsmoke" (Ninja Tune, December 2002) UK #75[15]
  • "Sweetsmoke Remixes" (Ninja Tune, April 2003) UK #91
  • "Giffin" (Ninja Tune, 20 October 2003)
  • "Chicken in a Box / Spandex Man" (Ltd edition, Ninja Tune, 11 April 2005)
  • "Donkey Ride / Giant Pickle" (with Quantic, Ninja Tuna, 12 May 2008)
  • "Kalimba / Give Up To Get" (Ninja Tuna, 14 July 2008)
  • "Music Takes Me Up" (Ninja Tuna, 15 September 2008)
  • "Get on Down / Hold On" (Ninja Tuna, 1 December 2008)
  • "Whiplash / Bang The Floor / Cat & Mouse" (Ninja Tuna, 9 February 2009)
  • "This Way / Hairy Bumpercress" (Ninja Tuna, 9 March 2009)
  • "Nice Up The Function / Listen Up" (Ninja Tuna, 6 April 2009)
  • "Bunch of Keys / Cat & Mouse Version 2" (Ninja Tuna, 8 June 2009)
  • Mr Scruff Vs Kirsty Almeida – "Pickled Spider" (Ninja Tuna, 14 June 2010)
  • "Wobble Control" (Ninja Tuna, 9 May 2011
  • "Feel It / Bounce" (Ninja Tuna, 3 October 2011)
  • "Be The Music" (Ninja Tuna, 28 September 2012)

Collaborations

Mr. Scruff with...

  • DJ Spooky – "Murderah Style" appeared on the compilation album Tribal Gathering 96 (Universe, 1 October 1996)
  • Mark Rae – "How Sweet It Is" and "Gotta Have Her" both appeared on the compilation album Central Heating (Grand Central Records, 25 November 1996)
  • Tony D – "Flavour" featuring Mark Rae, Mark 1 and Mr. Scruff, from the album Pound For Pound (Grand Central Records, 15 September 1997)
  • Mark Rae – "The Squirrel" appeared on the compilation album Central Heating 2 (Grand Central Records, 17 April 2000)
  • Peter Nice Trio vs. Mr. Scruff – "Harp Of Gold" from the compilation album Out Patients (Hospital Records, 30 May 2000)
  • Fingathing – "Just Practice" featuring Mr. Scruff, from the album The Main Event (Grand Central Records, 20 November 2000)
  • Quantic – "It's Dancing Time" from the compilation album Shapes One (Tru Thoughts, 1 September 2003)
  • Quantic – "Giraffe Walk" from Quantic's album, One Off's Remixes and B Sides (Tru Thoughts, 6 February 2006)
  • Swell Sessions – "No No" from the album Swell Communications (Freerange Records, 24 September 2007)
  • Quantic – "Donkey Ride" (Ninja Tune, 12 May 2008)
  • Kaidi Tatham – "Fresh Noodles" (Prime Numbers, 30 November 2009)
  • Kirsty Almeida – "Pickled Spider" (Ninja Tune, 30 April 2010)

Several of Mr. Scruff's records also feature guest vocalists and musicians. These include Sneaky (from Fingathing), Roots Manuva, Niko, Braintax, Alice Russell and Danny Breaks. Both Scruff and Roots Manuva have expressed an interest in recording a full album together, though the artists' schedules have prevented it to date.[11]

Cover version

Song appearances

  • The last segment from the documentary movie Scratch (2001), entitled "Full Circle", features a different mix of "Spandex Man" with additional samples.
  • Episodes of the Channel 4 UK TV comedy show Spaced featured the tracks "Spandex Man", "Chipmunk" and "Blackpool Roll" from the Keep It Unreal album.
  • "Spandex Man" was also used on the BBC series Top Gear, is often used on the BBC Three show The Real Hustle and features in the films SW9 and Gumball Rally 3000.
  • The song "Ug" from the album Trouser Jazz is used in numerous Weebl and Bob cartoons, including the very first one entitled "Pie". The pie as a motif later recurred in one of Scruff's videos (Sweetsmoke).
  • "Get a Move On" has been used in advertisements including Volvo and Lincoln automobiles, in television shows including the BBC's snooker highlights, Bargain Hunt and The Apprentice and in Kenny Anderson's section of the skateboarding video One Step Beyond. The song was chosen by Victoria Wood as one of her eight favourite records on Desert Island Discs.[16]
  • "Blackpool Roll" was used in New Zealand by television network TV ONE as background music as part of their branded channel advertising and show listings. It also appears in the game Rolando 2.
  • "Fish" was used by Nexus Productions for the Virgin Atlantic safety video, which features the voices of Vic Reeves and Dani Behr. It was also used by Thomson Reuters for their UK Customer Service hold music.
  • Several Mr. Scruff tracks appeared on Rolando, a game for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices in 2008. The game, developed by HandCircus and published by Ngmoco, features the tracks "Ug", "Stockport Carnival", "Spandex Man", "Donkey Ride", "Kalimba", "Shrimp", and "Mice at the Organ".
  • The track "Kalimba" from the album Ninja Tuna is included in the sample music folder on computers running Windows 7.
  • "So Long" and "Get a Move On" from the album Keep it Unreal, have been featured on Cartoon Networks' Adult Swim during commercial breaks.
  • "Spandex Man" is used several times during Season 2 of the tv-show Spaced.

References

  1. ^ Mr. Scruff – Linked Authority File. Database entry. OCLC.org. Retrieved on 25 January 2011.
  2. ^ Mr Scruff - No Pies For 200 Yards, Video. Contactmusic.com. Retrieved on 2012-04-16.
  3. ^ "Mr Scruff Interview". Interview. BBC.co.uk (BBC Norfolk). Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  4. ^ a b "About Mr. Scruff". "About" page. Mr. Scruff. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  5. ^ "Mr. Scruff – Get A Move On / Ug". Database entry. Discogs. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Keep It Solid Steel Part 1 (album)". Product listing. Mr. Scruff. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  7. ^ "Big Chill Classics (album)". Product listing. Mr. Scruff. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  8. ^ "Mr. Scruff – He Wants Your Soul". Music article. three d world. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008.
  9. ^ a b "Mr. Scruff: Ninja Tuna". Catalogue entry. Ninja Tune. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  10. ^ "Mr. Scruff Official Forum". Forum thread: "Tell me about your cartoons". Mr. Scruff. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  11. ^ a b "Mr Scruff Interview". Interview. SundayMail.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  12. ^ "More cuddly tunes from Manchester's favourite fishmonger". Editors Review: Mr. Scruff – Trouser Jazz. BBC.co.uk Collective. Retrieved 18 February 2008.
  13. ^ "Mr. Scruff". Biography. eMusic Europe. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  14. ^ Woo, Rob. "Return of Mr. Scruff", Exclaim!, December 2008.
  15. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 371. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  16. ^ "Desert Island Discs: Victoria Wood". Radio show. BBC.co.uk (Radio 4). Retrieved 15 December 2009.

Official

Interviews

Other

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