Coldcut (AV Set)
The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis calls them “dance producers at the top of their game”, quite a feat when you consider they’ve been at it for twenty years. The Times reckons their most recent release “recalls Massive Attack at their distant peak”, but Coldcut represent something considerably more eclectic. Matt Black and Jonathan More, in collaboration with a host of artistes across the years, have made and continue to make music which is deep, funky and clever, music for your head and your feet in equal measure.
It began for Coldcut back in 1987. The guys were both DJing at warehouse parties and Jon was working at London’s Reckless Records. They met over a love of US scratch records, and together helped pioneer a UK version, starting with “Say Kids, What Time Is It”, the first UK single to be built primarily out of samples. The same year they produced a remix of Eric B and Rakim’s “Paid in Full”, famously splicing in vocals from Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Their debut album went silver.
Sound Mirrors released last year was their fourth album, which might not sound like a high number in two decades, but the boys have not exactly been idle. They’ve set up three record labels, released sampling software, produced a play for BBC Radio 3, produced art installations across a range of galleries, and run award-winning club nights. Their seminal Journeys by DJ mix is rated as the best mix cd ever.
This new gob-smacking live show takes the JDJ style of mixing they defined to another dimension in which what you see is what you hear. 4 decks are used as the instruments to slice, cut, dice, layer, mash, process and chop a cast of 1000s, from B-Boy breaks, hipster film references, cartoons, Coldcut, Ninjatunes and Party classics - into the ultimate audio visual mixdown. Call it ReTurntablism...the Return of Turntable tricknology supreme in the hands of the guys who started it for the UK and who this year celebrate 21 years at the cutting edge of electronic entertainment. This is a Journey..
www.coldcut.net