Mr.Scruff – Keep It Unreal (2009)

1. Is He Ready…
2. Spandexman
3. Get A Move On
4. Midnight Feast
5. Honey Dew
6. Cheeky
7. So Long
8. Chipmunks
9. Do You Hear
10. Shanty
11. Jus Jus – Mr. Scruff & Roots Manuva
12. Blackpool Roll
13. Travelogue
14. Fish

bonus cd:

01. Vibraphone Boogie
02. Eardrops
03. Trollmarch
04. Sky Blue
05. Snack
06. Baisies
07. Happy Band
08. Ambiosound
09. Jusjus (Instrumental)

A product of post-Acid-House Manchester, Mr Scruff is a complete one-off; a cheeky innovator. His debut album is a bold statement, distinctive and confident. Keep It Unreal oscillates wildly between opposing styles–one moment Scruff’s in deep, down-tempo dinner jazz territory, the next he’s in Coldcut mode, chopping out superb big beat breaks with naughty hooklines to get you pogoing. At one extreme is the wacko humour of Spandex Man, bolshi Fatboy Slim breakbeat and a silly 1920s swing loop that’ll make you grin. And then there’s the even more ridiculous “Shanty Town”, with samples of a Jacknory story about a whale. At the other end of the scale, is Scruff’s accomplished acid jazz–like the serene, trip-hoppy “Midnight Feast” or the smoothie cocktail number “Honeydew”, with it’s loungey female vocals. This man is out there, the Salvador Dali of beats and breaks. –Sarah Champion