Hopefully bringing Toddla back to the prominence he deserves, news emerges today that T has signed to Ninja Tune. As I’m just back from work, here’s the press release… Since Groovement is of Sheffield origin too, he holds a ’special’ place in our hearts. Here’s a stunning shot you can print out and place above your bedside. Check a track from debut album SKANKY SKANKY on Groovement’s 2009 review here.
Click to embiggen
NINJA TUNE SIGN TODDLA T!!!
Ninja Tune are pleased and proud to announce that last week they signed producer, DJ, Radio 1 face and large-haired youthful Sheffield legend, Toddla T. Toddla has, in the last two years, established himself as one of the key players on the cusp between urban and dance music, with none of the attitude or po-faced seriousness associated with either scene.
As well as 2009’s critically acclaimed album on 1965/Sony, “Skanky Skanky,” Toddla has recently produced for Tinchy Stryder, Bashy and Jammer. He has a regular slot on Radio 1’s In DJs We Trust and DJs all over the world, as well as collaborating with the likes of Hervé, Ross Orton, Diplo and Switch.
Toddla himself says, “I’m so happy with signing with Ninja. Not only have they got a ridiculously good background but they’re such good people and so enthused by me joining. I’m really looking foward to getting stuck into the next album with them as well as working on my Girls Music label alongside them. Dutty!”
Ninja’s head man, Peter Quicke added, “We’re delighted to have added Toddla to our roster. As we approach our twentieth anniversary it’s great to find someone who was four when we started out and yet who shares our original ethos while updating it and making it new again.”
The label has signed Toddla for three albums and sister company Just Isn’t Music takes control of his publishing. As Toddla himself makes clear, Ninja Tune will also assist with distribution, manufacture and marketing for his own Girl’s Music imprint.
GROOVEMENT SPECTRORECTIVE 2009
Happy New Year etc! Twas beautiful round here (I write this 2 hours into 2010) with fireworks and lanterns filling the skies of Sheffield from all different directions. Good look.
It was with some trepidation that I started putting together a compilation to showcase some of the artists that have featured on the show this year: without the names below and a whole lot more, Groovement would not have grown the way it has. A humungous thank you to anyone and everyone who has uttered the magic word GROOVEMENT! in 2009 and helped us grow!
In the end I stopped worrying and just threw a load of ace tunes together. So it’s a look back at some of the artists that have crossed the drawbridge of Castle Groovement this year, with a hearty thanks to all!
TRACKLISTING TODDLA T Where Mi Key Deh? (ft Mr Versatile)
CROWHEAD Super 8-Bit Disco
KIDKANEVIL Megajoy
DAEDELUS LA Nocturn
PAUL WHITE Burnt by the Sun
BRACKLES Get A Job
ILLUM SPHERE Psycho
MR OIZO $tunt$ (Flying Lotus Remix)
GASLAMP KILLER Anything Worse
NOTORIOUS BIG Suicidal Thoughts (Danny Drive Thru Rework)
RAS G Come Down (2 Earth)
ONRA Come Closer (Kicks & Claps Edit)
ONRA/METHOD MAN/REDMAN (DAPPA DUBS EDIT)
GHOSTFACE/DOOM Chinatown Wars
SHAPE OF BROAD MINDS Let’s Go
MAYER HAWTHORNE Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)
DAM FUNK Sunset
CROWHEAD ECM
GIZELLE SMITH June (TM Juke Remix)
JAZZANOVA ft PAUL RANDOLPH Let Me Show You
>Toddla T / Where Mi Keh Deh (ft Mr Versatile) (1965)
Skanky Skanky, T’s debut album, was launched to glowing praise from blog and broadsheet alike. Toddla has continued to swell and he’s ending 2009 on a jolly: he saw in Christmas Day on Radio 1 and plays Fabric for New Year’s. If he keeps on saving up he should be able to fund Park Hill flats’ resurrection single handedly. Groovement chatted to Toddla when he played Futuresonic at Urbis with Daedelus and Hudson Mohawke. Will publish that one in the New Year, but Keaney was on photo duties below.
Groovement Interview: Toddla T forthcoming
>Crowhead / 8-Bit Disco (Atic)
The first of two tracks from Christian Wood AKA Woody AKA The Nudge AKA CROWHEAD on this compilation: Born With Teeth was the album, released on ATIC records out of the ashes of Grand Central, so to speak. Download the two glorious podcast below and be subject to an education in music and warmth from the man himself.
>Kidkanevil / Megajoy (First Word)
Title sums it all up really (as opposed to Master System Joy, which could have been an alt title for Mr Wood’s venture) – a blissful ode to video gaming of the old skool. Basho Basho, LP number three, is out imminently.
Thanks to Hoya Hoya links Daedelus has become somewhat of a Groovement regular. Check the links below – I don’t think I need to say how much he fulfills your image of a true gentleman. Always humble, always polite, always ready to entertain with his magician’s box of tricks.
Speaking of blissful, the gently spoken Paul White rode ashore to visit Hoya Hoya (Illum Sphere and Jonny Dub’s club night in Manchester) and played a rare northern DJ set. The Strange Dreams of Paul White came out in a pillowcase, unfortunately sans any personal dribble from the man himself.
>Brackles / Get A Job (Apple Pips)
Sir Brackles of Hertfordshire skydived into Unity Towers for a midmonth Hoya one-off, showcasing his pioneering tunage in a show with Kidkanevil and Illum Sphere providing cover fire.
This seems to be the breakthrough tune from the Sphere, with the second EP it hails from not even physically released at time of writing. It’s been played on Radio 1 by underground Wonder Woman Mary Ann Hobbes and some other bloke and has a bassline to blow dry your cat with, sprinkled caringly with a most beautiful ice-cavey style melody and ending with a bloody phaser. Ace. Illum’s support of Groovement has been out of this world: half the guests I’ve had on just wouldn’t have come anywhere near without his help.
An interview where we talked about comics and animation, and I found out Fly Lo wasn’t too keen on Spider-Man. The Mint Lounge survived the aural assault on this night from his performance, but I’ve heard its structural integrity has been called into question owing to the PHATNESS of it.
Non-compromising yet polite, deep yet manic, the GLK honoured Groovement with a big friendly chat about Manchester’s digging scene (Finders Keepers) and some insight into LA’s Low End Theory fallout.
>Notorious BIG / Suicidal Thoughts (Drive Thru Rework) (Unreleased)
A really dear friend of Groovement’s, DDThru is about to drop his Virtua version of Ante Up on Fat City’s PRODUCERS #2 album. Constantly at work on new beatage and pushing himself further, look out for more from Drive Thru in the coming months
A lot of heads picked up on this interview (ok, tweeted about) as revealing some of the origins of the LA beat scene. Ras is pretty forthcoming, pulling us into his own cosmos (especially impressive as we were in Illum Sphere’s very tidy bedroom). A nice accompaniment to the Fly Lo and GLK missives.
The Mouse Outfit, 8-headed funk monster with a hip hop tinge in the form of rappers Ragman and D Dot X, are spiralling towards wider recognition in 2009. Combining spiffing musicianship with lyrical dexterity, the Mice recently performed three songs live on Groovement and acted a selectas for the Christmas show.
>Onra / Come Closer (Favourite Recordings) >Onra Vs Method Man/Redman (Dappa Dubs Remix)
Humble and reserved, Parisian powerhouse Onra has a lot coming up in 2010, most soonish a dub project which you can preview on his Soundcloud (from whence you can also hear the above Meth mash up by Dappa Dubs). Read more below! Massive big ups to MIND ON FIRE for getting him over. Good move. This track’s one of my favourite from 1.0.8.
>Ghostface Killah and DOOM / Chinatown Wars
I think this joint (produced by Oh No) is from a GTA game of the same name, correct me if I’m wrong? Whatever, Ghost was personable and polite, willing to have a natter despite the pizza and groupies calling his name. My only concern was the lack of knowledge of the El Michels Affair, who Ghost had sampled for Musings to Myself and Shakey Dog featuring Lolita.
>Shape Of Broad Minds: Let’s Go (Lex Records) What was meant to be a speedy transatlantic phone interview turned into an hour of viberian experience with the multi-talented and multi-faceted prince of his area, Jneiro Jarel aka Shape Of Broad Minds. This is an older track from the Broad Minds album rather than from the more recent Willie Isz LP, but it’s a monster.
>Mayer Hawthorne /Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix) / Stones Throw
The new boy when on tour early in March, Mayer was taking a break from band performances to spin some 45s at the Deaf Institute in Manchester. As lovely as you’d expect him to be. Last seen shaking his booty in that Snoop/Soulja Boy video. This is a sublime remix of the final track on his debut album, released as a B side to the single.
One for those that bought Toeachizown and are unsure where to go next, Sunset does it for me everytime. It oozes a number of things, not least the sun going down over the city as I drive along a warm windy road into nothingness… and I don’t even drive. If this was a drink, it would be a very expensive cocktail, ya dig? Dam’s been chosen as number 3 album of the year by Piccadilly Records, a great coup and good payback for masses of work he’s put into his music.
One of Rob Luis’ (Tru Thoughts) top tunes of the year, continuing the sublime tip and taking it to another level. Woody shines through in a bout of melancholia.
>Gizelle Smith / June (TM Juke remix) (Record Kicks)
And for dessert… a 45 released by Italian label record kicks, independent of Gizelle’s own debut album release proper on Mocambo/Legere Records where she is backed up by the Mighty Mocambos. Gizelle appeared on one of the first editions of Groovement back in December 2007 and will certainly be jumping back on board upon their debut performances in early 2010. Classic funk with sassy attitude, June’s an emotive jumper-upper with a killer hook.
Groovement Podcast forthcoming
>Jazzanova ft Paul Randolph / Let Me Show You (Sonar Kollektiv)
Band on the Wall was graced with a two-night residency of the SOUL incarnation of Jazzanova, with Detroit songbird (in a blokey sense) Paul Randolph layering on the lushness. This was one of the highlights of a set which really made me hear the power behind BOTW’s new sound system. Spine tingling.
Download by clicking on the pic or stream by listening on the player below…
A special Groovement this time around, with host Agent J…
Join Tom & Stu Ferret for a tour of what awaits at the MAD FERRET festival in FALLOWFIELD, MANCHESTER this coming June 12th and 13th…
Live in the studio: THE MOUSE OUTFIT, Manchester’s flamiest up-and-coming live hip hop act, and MIND ON FIRE drop a few tracks and lyrical pitter patter about their role in the madness.
Featuring tracks from festival artists including SONIC BOOM SIX, BOX KID, RIZ MC, FILTHY DUKES, TODDLA T, ROOTS MANUVA, THE STREETS and many more.
First broadcast Sunday June 9th on www.UnityRadio.fm
Holy god! Groovement ain’t ready for the return of the Colonel!!! One of Toddla T’s fave producers (this is according to Marek, T…) the Colonel is rolling up from the underground, straight from the seven hills, scaling the walls of Unity Towers and unnecessarily parachuting through the window onto the decks.
Reet good tunes, this coming Sunday on Groovement – Unity Radio, 2-4pm GMT.
Just thought I’d remind y’all of the Daedelus podcast kindly contributed by Illum Sphere and Jonny Dub – Daedelus’ set from Hoya Hoya last year. Daedelus blew Manny apart last night together with Toddla T (interview up soon) and Hudson Mohawke.
There’ll be a 45 minute interview with the big D up on Groovement up soon in which we discuss kung fu, British influences, Victoriana and love. Big tings.
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