Robert Luis (Tru Thoughts/Unfold) - In Conversation, Ep 5: The Sindecut (Part 1)

London hip-hop collective The Sindecut are credited as one of the pioneers of the UK hip-hop scene; they spent their early days performing at the Swiss Cottage Community Centre, before releasing an eponymous debut single in 1986 and releasing the acclaimed ‘Changing The Scenery’ album in 1990. Robert Luis (Tru Thoughts/Unfold) chats to The Sindecut's DJ Fingers - Part 1 of interview with DJ Fingers covers 1988 onwards.
The Sindecut & Ijeoma's "Stand Tall" is out everywhere now: truthoughts.ffm.to/standtall.OYD
Part 1
0.00 Intro
1.00 Bad Meaning Good 1987 Hip Hop documentary, Spats Hip Hop night in the 1980’s
4.00 DJ roots in UK Sound System culture
8.30 How DJ Fingers ended up cutting up Tom Jones on the Bad Meaning Good documentary.
13.30 Influences for becoming a cutting and scratching DJ whilst at school
15.00 DJing in Paris every week after being on the documentary and going to Soul II Soul events. Interest in The Sindecut from other labels
22.30 The journey before signing to Virgin records. Getting on public transport with turntables in the 80”s! Influences of UK Reggae scene.
29.30 Crazy Noddy from The Sindecut was a postman delivering records to John Peel at the BBC
31.00 Living in the recording studio in 1989
32.00 Getting on John Peels’ show at Radio 1via Jonathan Ross after appearing live at a T La Rock gig in London around 1986 / 1987
34.00 Performing on Radio 1 with T La Rock over the classic “it’s Yours’ (first ever release on Def Jam).
36.00 How the initial songs that were created that ended up on the first album
37.00 Pirate Radio and studio in the local community in Tottenham helping DJ Fingers
39.00 Linking up with Louise Francis who sang on The Sindeut tunes
41.30 Interest from Jazzie B, Eddie Richards, Mick Clark (who signed Soul II Soul to 10 / Virgin) and many other labels in signing The Sindecut.
45.00 The influence of Bristol’s Smith & Mighty on new artists making music in the UK Soul scene.
48.30 An important time for British Black music in creating a new style in music.
51.30 The culture of striving to be original within Hip Hop.
53.30 “Fast” Rap
55.00 The Sindecut drums being sampled by The Prodigy
55.50 Soul II Soul, Massive Attack and The Sindecut all being signed to Virgin at the same time
58.00 Hanging around with Digital Underground / 2Pac in Cannes, France
1.01.30 Signing to Virgin with an album already made and recorded and supporting Soul II Soul on their UK tour.
1.04.00 The influence of The Blues and the classic Simple Jealousy record
1.06.00 Living together in the early 90’s
1.09.30 Missing performing on UK TV show The Word in 1990 due to a chipped tooth.
1.11.30 The next phase after leaving Virgin records.
1.13.30 Getting The Jazz Warriors and UB40 horns on Simple Jealousy
1.15.00 Recording for UK independent Conscious records turning down a chance to work with PM Dawn
1.16.30 Listening to Westside Gunn
1.18.30 The new album by The Sindecut on Tru Thoughts
1.19.30 The jigsaw puzzle of being a producer
Follow The Sindecut and DJ Fingers online:
/ the_sindecut_ijeoma
/ fingersdj
Tru Thoughts Online:
/ truthoughts
/ tru_thoughts
/ tru-thoughts
/ tru_thoughts

[@Tone46]

Great conversation. Sindecut highly underrated to this day.

[@sigma4455]

Big up all Sindecut fam , nuff love to all crew , will check the interview asap 🧡💛💚