Back in '96, when you weren't a club unless you were using Hoxton's Blue Note, Rob Mac and Matt Smooth were negotiating a little known venue in the not as cool King's Cross. June saw the launch of Scratch at the CrossBar. Once a month it was to define Thursdays for anyone into breaks, beats, battles, b-boys, b-gals and beer…

Six years on and Scratch has gone from strength to strength, moving to dominate venues like Scala, Subterania and Jazz Cafe. While Rob and Matt have DJ'd, written about and taken pictures of their favourite subject - Music

Steal-Life - When you started Scratch did you ever envisage you'd be where you are today?
Scratch - We're proud of what we've achieved both with the club and our musical voyages through acts like Speeka and Clean but fundamentally we are still a couple of 10-year-olds trapped in adult bodies

SL - What does Hip-Hop mean to you?
Scratch - The essence of hip-hop is expression and creativity for everyone

SL - Is it the only music you listen to?
Scratch - No far from it. We both listen to, buy and produce a wide range of musical styles.

SL - Very eclectic. But was the breakdancing in the original master plan?
Scratch - Yeah of course, we were running a full on Hip-Hop night and the Breaking is as important as the music.

SL - We've never seen you throw down boys, so is it just a spectator sport for you?
Scratch - Yeah I'm afraid so, the closest we get is when we've had touch too much of Gramp's medicine and the whole room starts spinning.

SL - So fill us in on the label? It's all gone a little quiet.
Scratch - We do have our own record label called Salvage Records which has been a little quiet of late but we are just about to release an EP by an amazing crew called The How. They're kinda dope funky folksy soul. One to watch. Most of our own music comes out on Ultimate Dilemma Records under the name Speeka. We released an album called 'Bespoke' in 2001 and we're most of the way through that difficult 2nd LP.

SL - Tell me the story of the photo's you've submitted?
Scratch - Well, they tell the tale of what we do at Scratch through the hands of a genius photographer with a well smart camera.

SL - You two?
Scratch - Yes!

SL - And the track to go with it?
Scratch - I'm not sure which one you've gone with but both cuts are on a new limited run 7" we've done for Ultimate Dilemma Records. They're just a little taster of what's instore on the next Speeka LP

So sit down and scratch your back to the sounds of Speeka and some of the best of Hip-Hop people to have visited our shores, including X-Ecutioners, DEF TEX, Cash Back and Fallacy

enjoy...

SL - Where do Rob and Matt go now?
Scratch - Well we've just had lunch so maybe a coffee and a sneaky cheroot.

Speeka studio work - releasing Scratch Vol 2 compilation - deejay residency at Fabriclive - live Scratch events @ Scala / Subterania / Jazz Cafe - writing for Straight No Chaser magazine - taking lovely pictures

www.scratch-web.com