Mr Scruff

Mr Scruff / Andrew Carthy is a DJ, illustrator, animator and self made Tea Connoisseur. Most famous for his djing he has been on the scene since 1994-5. Starting on a small Manchester based label; Robs Records with his first 12” 'Hocus Pocus'. Moving to a larger label 'Ninja Tune', he subsequently released his wider known albums 'Keep it Unreal' and 'Trouser Jazz'.

I found this Interview on the Independent Website:

The 5-minute Interview: Mr Scruff, DJ and producer
'I introduced tea tents at my DJ gigs because I'm obsessed by tea'
Thursday, 26 June 2008

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...
On my way to the studio. I've been recording a new album for about three years – just slowly getting my arse in gear.

A phrase I use far too often...
"Morning" in a West Country accent – at any time of day.

I wish people would take more notice of...
The way British lifestyle and culture affects other people's lives. By-products of our comfort cause poverty overseas.

The most surprising thing to happen to me was...
Getting asked to make a record for the first time in 1994, after a mate sent a demo to a label. I was 22, working in Kwik-Save, spending my £30 a week on records and making mix tapes.

A common misperception of me is...
Everybody thinks I'm really scruffy – that was how I got the name – but in the past 15 years I've learnt to iron and got married.

I am not a politician but...
I can waffle for hours and never get to the point.

I'm good at...
Making records and making good tea. I introduced a tea tent at my gigs because I thought "If I'm that obsessed about it, then maybe other people are too". It's gone down really well. If you're at a club and not drinking alcohol, the alternatives are pretty disgusting. I've got my own tea company. It's one of those odd things that just happened. It's brilliant because now I get loads of free tea.

I'm very bad at...
Tidying up after making a brew. I'm 36 but I have the tidying-up sensibilities of a 14-year-old.

The ideal night out is...
Good company, good food in a relaxed environment then off to the pub for some good ale.

In weak moments I...
Get the kettle on. It's my reaction to everything.

You know me as a DJ but in truer life I'd have been...
In another human existence I would have definitely been a tea-taster.

The best age to be is...
Whatever age you are, make the most of it. Relish the moment.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is...
Believe in yourself and be nice to other people. Just keep it simple, really.

Interviewer: Ben Naylor.

The thing I like most about Mr Scruff is the animations he creates for his gigs, I found this out first hand by going to see him at the Warehouse Project in Manchester a couple of years ago. Upon entering his set I was approached by an extremely deep pumping bass line tickling my stomach, moving round to the stage I immediately looked up at the screens surrounding and witnessed these magnificent little cartoons that were accompanying his music. These drawings were extremely playful and clever, synchronised perfectly in time to the music. He uses these cartoons for singles and album cover art, music videos and merchandising also.
The thing I like most about Mr Scruff is the animations he creates for his gigs, I found this out first hand by going to see him at the Warehouse Project in Manchester a couple of years ago. Upon entering his set I was approached by an extremely deep pumping bass line tickling my stomach, moving round to the stage I immediately looked up at the screens surrounding and witnessed these magnificent little cartoons that were accompanying his music. These drawings were extremely playful and clever, synchronised perfectly in time to the music. He uses these cartoons for singles and album cover art, music videos and merchandising also.

"Art was the one academic subject I enjoyed whereas music was something I did from a DJ perspective - I never did music lessons. When I left school I did A Levels, a foundation course and a degree that were all art-based. I've been drawing longer than I've been making music but I've never quite taken it seriously."


Scruff's illustration technique may appear simple but, it's not as straightforward as it appears.
"People try and copy my style thinking it's just a five year old's drawing with some sloppy writing," says Andy, "I've seen some ridiculous copies on flyers for club nights. It looks really terrible, like someone wearing oven gloves trying to forge your signature. That's the serious aspect of it for me - trying to maintain my signature through my images. It's odd, I never get asked in-depth questions about my art - I suppose because I don't really consider myself an artist..."

"It's an instrumental tune which meant I could go anywhere with the video. We ended up working with Cosgrove/Hall who are the legends involved with cartoons like Dangermouse. They're a mile or two from where I live so it was very convenient as well as an opportunity to work with people at the highest level of animation. There were six or seven cartoon boffins working on my video which is basically about people running around after pies. My humour is quite British and eccentric - tea and pies are very British things which pretty much everyone likes so I can't really go wrong there. People bring pies to my gigs. Cosgrove/Hall were quite excited about it as they'd never done a music video before. It was a real dream to work on and a learning experience."



I like the mellow music teamed with the simple and elegant animation, the cool slightly muted colours fit perfectly to create a somber element relaxing the viewer. I enjoyed this video and would find it hard to find someone else who didn't, this is Mr Scruff all over.