About

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

'Keep It Unreal' is the album that heralded Mr Scruff as one of the great English musical eccentrics, tunes like 'Spandex Man', 'Fish' and 'Get A Move On' yell out like Eric Morecambe on the wheels of steel.

The most notable hit single from the album is "Get a Move On", which samples Moondog's "Bird's Lament (In Memory of Charlie Parker)" and the vocals are from T-Bone Walker's "Hypin' Woman Blues."The song also samples Shifty Henry's "Hyping Woman Blues" and led to a renewal of interest in Henry's compositions.

"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

"Keep It Unreal is yet another accomplished work by breakbeat maestro Mr. Scruff. The vibes definitely triumph over any progression on these tracks, but the album's diverse moods and tempos work magic." - AllMusic

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