NiceUp talks to Adham from the Riddim Tuffa crew in Edinburgh, Scotland.
First up, can you introduce yourself and give us a bit of background about the Riddim Tuffa crew?
Greetings! We are Riddim Tuffa Sound from Edinburgh in Scotland and we consist of two DJs and producers, myself, Adham and Frontline Selecta.
Frontline and I had seen each other DJ around local bars and clubs over the years and several years ago we linked up and began to gather up some of Edinburgh’s local reggae and jungle DJs to start a new and fresh monthly event.
We began to host some killer nights, bringing up some of the hottest artists in the UK like Congo Natty, Tenor Fly, Daddy Freddy and Kenny Knots to name just a few. And we really tried to nice up the reggae/dancehall scene in Edinburgh.
Our nights quickly became a success and we have never looked back since.
How would you describe the Riddim Tuffa sound?
I would say we have been heavily influenced by the early digital era of Jamaican dancehall and you can hear it in our music.
In our production we love using vintage analogue equipment. Combining this with some of the modern recording equipment and techniques used nowadays, we feel you can really get that thumping riddim we all love but while still holding on to an authentic Jamaican vibe.
When we DJ we can play all styles, sometimes roots sometimes dub, we have even been known to blast a few dubstep tracks occasionally.
Can you tell us a bit about the Scottish reggae scene and how it is developing?
In my opinion the Scottish reggae scene was invented by Stevie who is known as Messenger Sound System. He has been holding down a night in Edinburgh for over 20 years now and is well regarded all over the world. He has always kept a really conscious vibe and as a strong rasta he keeps the true spirit of the dance alive here in freezing cold Scotland!
Apart from Messenger there are quite a few DJs and sound sytems around but the most exciting crew at the moment have to be the mighty Mungo’s Hi Fi who we love and know well. They have been around a long time now and consistently bring out some of the toughest tunes in Europe.
The Scottish reggae scene is funny – loads of people love the music but it is still pretty hard to get them all under one roof, that’s why we feel we need to bring something new and exciting to the table.
You’re originally from Slovakia – what is the reggae scene like over there?
The reggae scene in Slovakia is wicked, just like all over Europe. It has taken a few years to get going but now it’s massive. There are loads of really good DJs and events, and even some huge reggae festivals like ‘Uprising’ which we have been lucky enough to play at twice already.
Who are some of the favourite artists you’ve toured and/or worked with?
Over the last six years we have been fortunate enough to work with some really amazing people, too many to mention. But at the moment we are working closely with UK digital champions Solo Banton & El Fata, Swedish raggamuffin Diegojah and UK hip-hop ragga star Deadly Hunta. We believe these guys are the future of reggae music and are totally irie bredren!
So what has Riddim Tuffa got coming up in 2011?
Well, 2011 will se our first release Tell Them Again featuring El Fata – we are really excited about this and we think the people are gonna like it!
Also we have just launched our website www.riddimtuffa.co.uk where you can find all the information about Riddim Tuffa, including various mix-tapes and even some killer tunes and riddims for free download.
We have also just moved our club night to the historical caves venue in Edinburgh and it certainly is a cave! It’s over 500 years old and literally has water running down the walls! We have our first night there in February and are joined by Big Toes Hi Fi who used to live in Edinburgh but are now based in Leeds. They will be bringing their enormous sound system which is going to sound amazing in the caves. Can’t wait!
We are also looking forward to playing at a some great gigs and festivals in and around Europe, like Outlook Festival 2011.
Apart from this we are just going to keep trucking on with our productions and hopefully have loads more releases throughout the year. Also we are working on some wicked remixes for a few other producers which we hope will be released at some point in 2011.
Any last words for the massive?
We just have to say thanks for giving us this opportunity and we hope everyone keeps an eye out for us – we will try to keep the fire blazing!
We are thankful for all the people who have booked us over the years and a big shout out is going out to every man and woman who loves and understands the same music as us and keeps the spirit of dancehall reggae alive. LIGHTAS UP, PEACE!
More info:
Riddim Tuffa website
Riddim Tuffa Facebook
Riddim Tuffa Soundcloud
Venus Hi Fi
