Dual format
DJ Format tells Mark Edmundson why his new found appreciation of funk and jazz won't threaten his enduring love of hip hop
hree years since the last album and haying
apparently denounced hip hop while throwing
himsell' headlong into I)Jing and re-editing duties you might be surprised to lind that DJ Format. aka Southampton—born Brightonian Matt Ford. has been quietly plugging away at what has been proy‘ing art ambitious and at times dil‘ticult third album.
‘l‘ye been experimenting a bit.‘ explains the unassuming and plain-talking producer ol‘ singularly cheeky hip hop l'unk albums .llusic For A Mature B- li’oy' and If You ('tm'l .lorn ‘lz’m . . . Butt ‘lz'm. ‘l‘ye been getting a little hit bored ol‘ the old l'unky hip hop and hay e been trying out some l'unk and ja/./ with liy'e bands. l‘ye been enjoying doing that. but some ot' the stul'l‘ has worked and some ol‘ it Fm not sure about.'
Playing bandleader is a la mode jtist now. the likes
of Mark Ronson cleaning tip with the assistance of
The Haggis Horns and The Dap-Kings. The difficulty for Ford has been distancing himself from the processes of hip hop production while maintaining a signature Format sound. ‘ln my search for a slightly more interesting direction for the third album I think I was trying to be a little too clever and perhaps being a little too hardcore. I want to do something different because I don‘t want to repeat myself. I loye what he done with .-\bdomina| and all the people He worked with. I‘m happy and proud that I did it but I tell it‘s definitely time to expand and branch out a little.‘
To this end the amiable Ford has become quite the jobbing DJ. leaving his party-starting wingmen .-\bdominal and D—Sisiye to their own mic dey'ices‘ and
‘YOU CAN'T GO AROUND WITH A BAG ON YOUR HEAD'
sharing his appreciation ol~ the wider world of soul
with dancel'loors at home and abroad. ‘l‘y'e kind ol‘
embraced the I)Jing side ot‘ things again. because I’m not really the kind ol‘ guy that likes being on the stage. the guy in the spotlight: I jtist wanted to make records and hopefully enough people would buy them so that I could make some more records: bttt you can‘t go around with a bag on your head.‘
He continues: ‘With me coming trom a hip hop background I do still get the occasional chin-stroker who wants to see me doing a rey‘erse lilare or something with my elbow or arse—cheek. bill that kind of stul‘l‘ is not really great to dance to.' His sets now mix up hip hop with his wider appreciation ot' ja/l. Latin. funk and dancel'loor oddities as exhibited on last year's shot at the Fabric mix canon. And. like Archimedes haying his ‘liurekal‘ moment in the bathtub. Format now feels that his side projects tsuch as the James Brown cut and paste 12in and some remixes tor t‘riends-in-l‘unk Speedometer) have helped him see the light in the studio.
‘I think I was almost going too far bel‘ore.‘ he concedes. ‘Doing those remixes haye kind ol' helped me realise that this is probably what Fm good at and I should embrace it.‘ So. while he lirms out that Format stamp on a straighter jazz and lunk sound for later in the year. rest assured that in the studio or on the decks DJ Format remains 33‘} B-Boy.
DJ Format plays at the Arches, Glasgow, Fri 22 Feb; Headspln, the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 23 Feb.
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TH‘E‘BEST DANCEFLOOR ACTION
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L1: The GRV lie-Launch One of Edinburgh's newest venues secures a 3am license. so take advantage of those extra hours. The GFlV, Edinburgh, Fri 75 Feb.
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:37 Volume One of the true pioneers of the dubstep movement. Benga. guests for a set of future beats. Ego. Edinburgh, Sat 76 Feb.
Cuba Ald With house legend Joey Negro manning the decks, charity events don‘t come much more exciting than this. Sub Club, Glasgow, Fri 22 Feb.
“.2 DJ Format The cut and paste master returns to Scotland to give us another hip hop-based. genre-mashing. funk master class. Arches, Glasgow, Fri 22 Feb; Headsp/n at the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 23 Feb.
:2: Kaput! It‘s a first birthday special for possibly Glasgow's finest small night. and the Admiral upstairs will be taken over for an explosion of top- drawer electronica and rock'n'roll. The Hold, Glasgow, Sat 23 Feb.
:21 Southern Comfort Presents The presence of A- Skillz and DFA’s Maurice Fulton makes this night well worthy of your time and attention. The Ivy, Glasgow, Sun 24 Feb.
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