Keep It Unreal

Mr. Scruff’s DJ sets are so knowledgeably diverse, smartly paced, and packed with gems that you could stick with their polygenre cartoon-disco joyousness as your sole exposure to his musical sensibilities and come away satisfied. But hey, his own beats aren’t half bad, and his first big statement for Ninja Tune is filled with a good-natured silliness that doesn’t entirely overwhelm his idea-factory eclecticism. The skittery “Get A Move On!” is the breakout, which practically invented and perfected electro swing over a decade before it became a phenomenon subgenre. Roots Manuva feature “Jusjus” is a bit closer to classic/trad hip-hop, though the Pete Rock-isms of Scruff’s horn loops have this intangible thrift shop jank to them. And the chirpy weirdness that permeates the record — organ-burbling, jelly-kneed lurch-funk on “Spandex Man”, seaside-resort schlager-jazz on “Blackpool Roll,” deeply goofy piscine music-hall breakbeat on “Fish” — is bolstered by Scruff’s supreme confidence in his ability to build an absolutely filthy drum track.