Photo: Press
In one of the boldest bookings of the festive season, tonight Sheffield's Toddla T is going to be soundtracking the Somerset House's ice rink.
To mark the occasion (and Chimpo's new mixtape Monkey Teef), Toddla chatted to Gigwise about his own ice skating memories, the Kanye track he can't stop playing and what British hip-hop that will rule 2015.
If Torvill and Dean came out of retirement, what song would you use to soundtrack their return?
Wiley's 'Ice Rink' - obviously! The name explains why. But not only is the name ideal, it's a seminal instrumental in UK music and Wiley is one of the type of people that makes me proud to be British. What he has done for UK music is outstanding. He's the type of person that mixes and blends UK style and culture into his music. That, on top of Torvill and Dean? Man: that is the ice rink special!
What's the thing you're most looking forward to about to about DJing at Skate at Someset House?
The potential to see Big Narstie in a pair of ice skates. That's right: If he gets in the ice skates and goes on the rink my year will be made. It'll be classic. Chimpo is going to hopefully bring him down to spit a couple bars in his set so I'm hoping we can persuade him to get on the ice that would be absolutely brilliant.
Describe your earliest memory of ice skating.
There was an ice rink that we used to go to when I was in year five and year six, when I was in primary school on Queen's Road in Sheffield. Even if you didn't skate you'd go there, buy sweets, talk to girls for the first time, play on the slot machines. It was a proper centre of social vibes for everyone's life for a good two years when you were growing up in Sheffield
What track hasn't left your DJ set all year?
Kanye West's 'New Slaves'. I love that record man, I think it's so brave. The minimalism of the rhythm, what he said on it is brilliant. It works in the rave which is important for me. So it ticks all the boxes of it being forward, progressive, quite experimental, sounding good in the club, people can get their head round it and the message in it is good.
What's been your album of 2014?
I really like Arca's Xen album. I think it's very out there, it's very experimental, it's very interesting but it has a sound palette that is uniquely his. He's not trying to do anything but himself but it still sounds very progressive. You can tell every tune is his and I think that's really important and quite hard to do - especially with an album that hasn't necessarily got vocals or anything.
Which British rapper should we look out for next year?
In 2015 I think Stormzy and Novelist are going to be big - two young guys who've grown up in the grime! It feels like those two kids there have got the right attitude, obviously the talent, but they were born into a scene and a sound and you can't really fake that natural approach when you're born into a scene rather than grow into it. I feel like it's just part of you - and then when you perform it or when you do it, it's so natural that it will just ooze out of you. You can't fake the funk! I also think Little Simz will do really well - she's a great British rapper. She's really clever with her lyrics, really smart, her beats are interesting. She's different. I think Little Simz, Stormzy and Novellist are going to bust up 2015.
What musical trend needs to die out?
Fucking top line house crap! Major labels grabbing house records that are doing well in the club and whacking a crap top line on it and ruining the whole vibe. UK club culture and underground culture is something that is natural and progressive and then major labels get a tune that's popular and try and cross it over... when it's not meant to cross over! The whole point of the record is it's organic, underground British music. As soon as a major signs it, throw loads of money at a producer, gets some crap vocal on it, it completely fucks up where that records come from and how long it's took to build up a sound and a scene. That bullshit needs to stop because it's fucking up the underground and it's not about that. That's way more valuable than a quick buck.
Who is the best live act you've seen recently?
The best live act I've seen and heard this year is a very new artist Lapsley. She's really talented man and I think again she's going to be massive next year. She self produces, writes her own stuff, self performs it with her electronic kit... and she's brilliant.
Is there a little known festival we should really check out?
I played at a really cool little festival that I knew nothing about last year called In The Woods. It was a booking that I got last minute and I just got my driver to take me down. It took us ages to find - it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. It was about an hour from London but the scenery was unbelievable man. You went in and it was through all these amazing archways of trees and things. The stage was in a massive cul-de-sac with trees everywhere with the stage at the end. It felt really warm and special. There were loads of families - little kids'n'that as well as ravers and teens. I was really impressed with the atmosphere and the surroundings - then I played and it was really good fun. Afterwards they had a massive bomfire and they were doing roast hog and all that. It felt like the type of festival you go to to rave and go mental or you could go with your kids or you just go and watch live music or whatever. It was somewhere that I'd probably go again in the future, maybe even with my son and my girl and just treat it like that. But also if I wanted to go and have a fun DJ experience or party, it's there. I really really thought it was quite a special little hideaway that I found there.
Toddla T & Girls Music present: Chimpo On Ice takes place on 28 November 2014 at Somerset House, London. somersethouse.org.uk
The full lineup for Skate at Somerset House with Fortunum and Mason includes
3 December - Deep Sh*t On Ice (Foals' Edwin Congreave/Jack Savidge Friendly Fires)
4 December - Snowbombing
5 December - Greco Roman Winter Olympics
10 December - Ninja's On Ice (Nina Tune)
11 December - Work It X Don't Watch That
12 December - Lovebox Winter Party
17 December - An Ice Skating Jam Named Saturdays
18 December - Spacestation
19 December - NTS Radio
7 January - Ministry Of Sound Presents The Gallery
8 January - Closing Night
Listen to the Monkey Teef Mixtape Below
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