Needlework records, and the associated open decks night in central london, have recently started making waves in the tablist and music scene with their first release, 2tall's "The Rise EP". The night is the only one of its genre in the capital offering a welcoming and chilled atmosphere to anyone who wants to listen to some good music, cut it up or see the cream of the UK DJs getting loose. We caught up with the guys behind the night and the label by email last month, check it out!

Firstly, for the people who don't know can you tell us who you guys are, where you are from and how long you been DJing, involved with this scene?

Trick - I am Mr Trick, from London, UK. As well as running Needlework/Needlework Records I also present Turntable Radio and write for Tablist magazine and Grand Slam magazine. I've been proactively involved with the UK scene for about 2 years now. As for DJing - well that's something I don't do much these days, but I started about 11 years ago. Now my time is spent more on the label, the radio show, the club night and the magazines I write for! 

Monk-A: I'm Monk-A, also from London. I've been scratching and dj'ing for about 15-16 years off and on. I co-promote the Needlework night with Trick and co-run Needlework records. Like Trick I've been proactive in the scene for about 18 months, give or take a month.

What were you guys doing before Needlework was set up?

Trick - I was running an online forum community called Snatchcon, and I had also just started doing the Turntable Radio show on Resonance 104.4FM.

Monk-A: I was dj'ing regularly, pretty much once or twice a week. I also ran a night in Islington at the Embassy on Essex Road called "They do play records don't they?". it ran for about 3 years and was pretty popular. We took it to Glastonbury in 2002, and ran it as a tent there. About that time I got a bit fed up and tired with being a promoter/dj and dropped out of it all to take a break. Through listening to Turntable Radio and posting on Snatchcon I realised Trick was thinking like myself and we started talking about setting up Needlework the night and how it could benefit what we were doing, in and away from the Turntablist scene, 16 months later here we are.

As you know we normally always ask people we speak to for their definition of turntablism. What would be yours?

Trick - Most people involved in this scene balk at the term "turntablism", and I'm no exception. It was a cool term when Babu thought it up all those years ago, but now its more like an albatross around people's neck. Kid Koala said something on this which I agree with 100%: you don't call the music made by guitarists "guitarism", you don't call the music made by trumpet players "trumpetism". Its just music. If there is any key point to grasp here, it's the notion that the turntable is a musical instrument - simple as that.

Monk-A: Yeah I pretty much agree with Trick on this one. Labels are fine, but it's such a young scene to have that label so embedded in people psyche is a bit restricting. As soon as someone is a "Tablist" people have a set opinion of what these guys do before they've even left their house. Having said that, if I hear the word Turntablist/Turntablism, I think pretty much along the lines of Babu's definition.

What was it that made you want to set up a night like Needlework, and also how did you come to setting up a label following this? 

Trick - Needlework was Gray's idea. He thought up the name and the concept, and contacted me to see if I wanted to get involved. Basically he felt that with me running Snatchcon and presenting Turntable Radio at the time there was a lot of scope to work together for the common good - and he was right. We both felt that London was missing a night run for scratch DJs, not just having some night where a tablist pitches up to play for 10 minutes to a hip hop crowd. Needlework is where people hang out, cut together, Q&A with people they wouldn't normally hook up with etc. It sounds tragic, but its like the local social club for the DJs in the area! The label came about more via Snatchcon and Turntable Radio in some respects. Basically I felt there was music out there that should be getting released, and nobody was doing it. So, when I talked about this with Gray we decided that we'd do it. Initially we were going to do a compilation CD, but when we heard that 2tall's music hadn't been picked for the Return of the DJ 5 album, and was instead being relegated to the "companion CD" (a web-only thing available from the Bomb website), we were so annoyed that we offered 2tall an EP release if he'd pull the track from the CD. He did, and things went from there!

Monk-A: Yeah, exactly how Trick explained it. I was getting booked regularly at the Ruby Lounge in Kings Cross and Waterloo. I just didn't want to waste these bookings, and I was keen to start hooking up with the more scratch Dj's. So I spoke to Trick about Needlework then sat down with the guys from the Ruby Lounge and told them what I wanted to do and they were very supportive from the off. The main goal was to get people together, and give them that chance to just feel comfortable in public with what they were doing at home. As for the Label, yeah as Trick said it was pretty much a direct action to a situation we both felt was wrong.

What are your aspirations for the label, where do you want to take it and what can people expect from it? Have you got some sort of master plan or are you taking things as they come?

Trick - Right now I'd say our aspirations for the label are simply for it to succeed! While a master plan would be a great thing, the negative state of the music industry right now means that it is more prudent to do a few releases and then see if this can financially hold up. We don't have unlimited funds to pump into releases: whatever we release has to sell, otherwise the label goes under. What can people expect? Good music - simple as that. We agreed long ago that we were not going to run Needlework Records as some kind of label that ghetto'd off turntable music from any other kind. We very clear about the fact that if we hear great music, we'd sign it. To section music by turntable artists off from other music out there seems a little self-defeating, given the whole point is to try and prove that this stuff isn't some unlistenable mess.

Monk-A: As Trick said it's hard enough to make music in the first place; to get it signed and out there is beyond 99.9% of the population. So to then take that music and the bracket it off to everything else seems a bit pointless in my book. It's a horrible thing to realise but running a label is all about money; it's how you approach that and the ethics you use in running that label that makes it a good project or not. Both Trick and myself have done Needlework and Needlework Records out of our own money, everything that has been earned has gone straight back to the scene whether that's just in paying the DJ's expenses at Needlework, or getting the money back on the EP to release the next two, it's all been geared to helping develop this art form/scene. As Trick said our main goal is to just make this succeed, people can expect a consistent output of quality music, touching all aspects of the artists we are working with talents.

What kind of music do you want to release on the label? Your first two signings seem to be more orientated towards scratch music/turntable based music, do you want to also explore other genres?

Trick - I think our aim is just to sign good music. Naturally you have to be careful not to alienate people, and so I don't see us releasing some deconstructed minimal techno anytime soon. Neither of us are "scratch music snobs" or whatever though: if we hear something made by a scratch DJ that had no scratching in it, we'd still sign it up. Hell, if we heard dope music we'd sign it up; if someone like Sixtoo approached us asking if we'd be interested in releasing something, I'd be on that like a shot!

Monk-A: To be honest the way we approached this label and the first three ep's was "is it music we'd buy if someone else put it out?" And the answer was always "yes!". I think as you said the first two releases are Turntable based, but not in an anal "scratching for scratching's sake" way. For me both 2tall and Waxfactor use the Turntable as a means to the end rather than the end in itself; it's part of a bigger picture for them. I think all too often people are in a mindstate that everything must be like this or like that. And that's a pretty negative view to take in any form of music. At the end of the day I feel we'd be doing the people we worked with an injustice if we put out music that wouldn't sell, so to that end we are trying to focus on quality music over people's abilities at scratching. But to the same degree were not going to be scared to put out a scratch only track if it's of a high enough quality. Hence tracks like Rain being on 2talls Rise EP and Reggaenomics being on Waxfactor's Game Face EP. They are all or mostly
scratched tracks but they don't lose sight of the fact that first and foremost they are musical tracks.

What are your opinions, views and feelings on the turntablist scene right now? Where do you think things are going right and/or wrong?

Trick - I think right now things are in a state of flux. We're at a point where the battle scene isn't quite as exciting as it used to be, when the likes of the Piklz, Craze and those kinda guys were ruling. I think what we're seeing is a shift in emphasis from battles to the musical side - however, that musical side is still developing, and arguably has quite a way to go. A positive thing I am seeing is more people thinking for themselves: for too long people have kinda followed the guy in front, be that Q-Bert, D-Styles or even someone like Ricci Rucker. Its long overdue that people start developing their own styles and approaches to their music and they're artform. The most negative thing I am seeing is intolerance and small-mindedness. There's this weird attitude where if someone does something you don't like, its obviously shit. Its not shit - it just ain't your cup of tea! Live and let live people - it makes the world a much more interesting place.

Monk-A: HA!HA! Yeah he's hit the nail straight on the head there. It's odd, I think were at a stage were it's going to drift back underground and the hangers on are gonna go find something else to do and the really passionate people are gonna retire to their bedrooms/studios and break new ground. It's what happened in the late 80's and early/mid 90's. Scratch Dj'ing was perceived as a bit of a joke then by people who didn't understand it, and then all of a sudden you had the Piklz and X-men breaking out with new techniques and dj's appearing with a whole new approach to the all of this, and now look where it is. I think there is a tendency for people to be too personal about this whole scene, not everyone can be a ground breaker or the greatest out there, people just need to do it for the right reasons. That way the grass roots will be strong and the scene above it will be better for it. Strong grass roots was one of the things we really tried to achieve/help with Needlework.

What are your views/opinions of the battle scene recently? Do you think that maybe that aspect of the scene has reached a certain amount of saturation with the media coverage and attention drawn to it, as well as the ease with which kids can now learn the basics and enter these competitions? If so how do you think this can be turned around and battling can become more relevant to the tablist scene and the music in general?

Trick - Personally I feel the battle scene is perhaps not as vibrant as it used to be. I interviewed a load of DJs who'd battled this year and they were saying that maybe part of it is that nobody is standing out anymore: the DJs all have much the same skill levels. There's nobody coming out there and just killing it, as Craze did a few years back. I would question your statement about "the ease with which kids can learn the basics and enter these competitions" though (ed note: uh yeah, that was wrong, didn't mean it to come out like that. I'm sacking myself!). That makes it sound like any fool can do this, and that's just not the case. I have huge respect for the guys stepping up and battling, not least because it takes a lot of balls - especially when you get to the world finals and have a thousand people screaming. I think something that people forget about some of the battles (DMC being one) is that they simply make for a great networking tool for DJs. Most the UK guys I know hooked up with other people through the DMC regional heats etc. I also agree with something P-Love said about it being a place where kids learn their skills quicker: they see others and realise how much they have to learn, so they go practise harder. So, I guess I have a strange attitude towards the battles: I must admit the DMCs don't interest me as much as they used to by the time they get to World Final level, but on a local level they act as an excellent means for kids to hook up.

Monk-A: I think how the battle scene is perceived is a really personal thing. For me at the moment it doesn't hold that much interest. I follow it and enjoy it but some of the sparkle has gone. But that's just my view; some kids love it just as much now as I did in 98/99. As I said before I think it's more a case of people abilities have reached such an even keel, that there is no one making everyone's head turn in their direction at the moment. That'll change, things always go in circles, and somewhere out there is some kid who will come along and shake the scene up the way Craze did in 98.

Have you heard of scratch notation and what do you guys think of it? Do you believe it has potential to take hold and become an accepted practice within the tablist community?

Trick - I've seen it. It's a nice idea, but I'm not sure just how relevant it could become. I mean, it's a concept that has been around for about 4 or 5 years now, and in that period it's not caught on much. Its like playing the guitar and reading music: a handy tool, but by no means essential - especially when in both disciplines people play more by feel, and lead with their heads rather than reading off a script. It's a concept that it's a dope one, but ultimately I think even discussing it distracts a little from more fundamental concepts, such as learning to play the turntable as a musical instrument in the first place.

Monk-A: I think it's a pretty cool thing but by no means is it essential. I suppose in some ways from the outside it makes the scene more accepted by other musicians/musical genres. But I think that would happen anyway. I think if you use it and it works for you? Then cool. If not just a carry on with what your doing.

What are your views/opinions on digital technology and things like CD decks and Final Scratch? Do you agree that it can be seen as a natural progression for DJs/tablists to incorporate a certain amount of digital technology into their set-up both live and in the studio? (but not letting it takeover, instead reaching a balance between analogue and digital)

Trick - The only real benefit I see out of the CD units is in using them to scratch a sound you've created yourself - i.e. in a studio environment or whatever. In a time where custom-pressed vinyl is still really expensive it could gain a foothold that way... Past that though, I think its another distraction for kids who should concentrate on locking their turntable skills first. I'm not against CD units for DJing, and have used them in the past - but in an artform fundamentally built around control of an analogue sound I am cynical about how relevant CDs can become...

Monk-A: Well I'm feeling pretty positive about it, however I see them more as a production tool. I don't really see a place for them in the battle environment, but as Trick said if you have sound's you need to cut or a classic piece of vinyl you don't want to burn out, it's a possible route to go. I think it's like everything else, keep a positive mind and decide what's acceptable for you. If you're happy using digital formats and you don't feel like you're sacrificing anything else then go ahead. 

Do you guys still DJ and do you produce or have you got plans to do so in the future? Or are you happy to instead be in charge of the label, and your other projects (like TTR etc...)?

Trick - I do produce music, but it's nothing to do with turntables or any of that stuff; in fact it's something I do to get the hell away from all this! I've done some bits with 2tall before - the Blondie remix being one - and we're planning to work together on some stuff again, but right now time is scarce thanks to all the other things I do. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like to release something, but I've no intention of using Needlework to push that agenda. On that level I'm just another artist: if Gray thought my music was shit then it would never get a release on our label! I am quite happy running the label though: its something I think we both always fancied doing, and hence we're really enjoying it, even though we're still very much in the learner phase with it all.

Monk-A: Yup! I still Dj out quite regularly, at nights like Show Some Love, and other places around London. It's not my main priority but it is something I enjoy. Production? I've just started again, after stopping for a few years, but it's more of a hobby than everything else, I don't want to get side tracked into thinking I have to make music for a specific reason. It's like Dj'ing, I'm not sure I would ever want to do it full time, for some people that's their goal and if they achieve it that's great, but I have a 9-5 on top of all this, and music is a release for me as opposed to the one thing I want to do. The label has always been a goal of mine, so obviously I'd give that all my attention if I had to make a choice.

What are your thoughts and/or opinions on the recent turntablist productions that have come out, such as D-Styles' album, Sketchbook, The End? Do you agree that these are in a way leading the path towards musical acceptance for scratch/turntable music as well as helping to bridge the gap between turntable based music and the rest of the musical world?

Trick - Yes, definitely. As I said before, I think we're getting there, but then at the same time there's not one musical agenda here for turntable music. In the future you're gonna see more all-scratched albums (a la Phantasmagorea & Sketchbook), but you'll also see more production blended in, with things like 2tall's Shifting Tides EP for example. Its all good: I can listen to Shifting Tides or Phantasmagorea and enjoy them both, because to me they're simply good music and that's how it should be.

Monk-A: Again I think Trick has pretty much summed it all up in his statement.

Which artists/albums have you really been impressed by this year? Would you say this has been a good year for turntablism and scratch related music?

Trick - Well I don't think there's been many albums to comment on as very few have been released. It would be naïve to not mention Sketchbook, which I think has made a very bold, defining statement about things. If you were going to try and explain the validity of the turntable as a musical instrument, I think that would be where I'd start. DJ Giant and Hentsix's "Circadian Rhythmz" CD was a real favourite for me as well. That involved the tables to a great degree, but at all times remained the kind of album you could play to someone who was into, for example (and I hate this analogy) something by The Automator or DJ Shadow  and have them appreciate it. Mr Dibbs' "Random" series were sick as well; rock solid DJ skills blended with a pretty creative line in mashing various genres together. Has it been a good year for scratch-related music? Well, its not been a prolific year, but I think its been a significant one with the likes of Sketchbook finally touching down...

Monk-A: I really rated Circadian Rhythms, it was a quite stunning CD, also Outreach 5 by Mr Dibbs is probably my favourite 12" of the last 12 months or so. Sketchbook is a brilliant move in the right direction, it's taken scratching to a whole new audience and many of those people don't even realise what they've actually got in their hands. Phantasmagorea is a really stunning piece of music as well. And I also love the Danny Breaks stuff that's been coming out over the last year. I suppose not many people look on it as Turntable music but, it's the way he approaches his production. If you listen that guy understands exactly what the Turntable brings to the production side of music.

What can we expect from Needlework and TTR in 2004, any major plans or things to look out for?

Trick - Well, as you may know Gray is moving to Belgium early-2004, and so things are gonna work on a "wait and see" basis. We're both confident about things working well still, but its best not to make bold statements at this juncture! The current plans are for the Needlework nights to switch to a quarterly format, with a bigger venue, a later license and just generally more going on. With the label we have Waxfactor's "Game Face EP" due for release late-Feb, early-March, and then after that will be "The Shifting Tides EP" from 2tall. For now at least, those are the only two projects we have going on. With Turntable Radio, its business as usual really. I'd like to try and get the show sponsored, simply because at present I get nothing for doing it, and have no budget to work with. It would be cool to get some kinda money in then, because it would mean I could travel about more to interview people and generally hang out. I've made firm friends in the US, Germany, France and god knows where else and I wanna go chill with these people!

Monk-A: Well as Trick said I'm supposed to be moving to Belgium in January or February with my day job, so it's all a bit up in the air. The one consistent is Needlework Records, we're gonna work our arses off to get the next two EP's out there. Needlework the night is going to go through some changes, but as for everything else we're just going to take it one step at a time.

Where do you see turntablism in 5-10 years?

Trick - Hopefully the term "turntablism" will have been forgotten, and people will simply accept that the turntable can be a musical instrument just like a guitar, bass, cello, harp, clarinet etc. On that basis I'd like to see more collaborations between recognised musicians - I think it would throw the whole thing wide open.

Monk-A: LOL!!! Yeah no more turntablism! No seriously I think we'll see people completely incorporate the turntable into musical set ups the same way a guitar or piano is. And I don't mean that in a Linkin Park/Limp Bizkit kinda way. Collaborations are one way to get acceptance but I think people should not lose sight of why we all loved this scene in the first place. I think we'll have a couple of quiet years while people regroup and identify their directions and then we'll see a much stronger healthier artform emerge.

Any last words?

Trick - Think for yourself, and get out there and be proactive. Don't become just another moaning kid on a website: start a label, make music, run a night! Oh, and of course: buy our records!  

Monk-A: Do what your heart tells you. If you think something is the right way to go don't afraid to take that risk and reach for it, even if you don't get there, you don't know how your actions will have affected those around you. Also i just want to quickly say thank you to all the people who have shown us such amazing support over the past year. Especially my wife Malin and Kathryn, who have both worked really hard on things with us. Neither Needlework or Needlework records would quite be there if not for them. John and Bruce at Iwantdesign, who created the flyers for the Needlework night and the artwork for 2tall's debut EP. PHD, JUNI, Two Tokes and Repeat Offenda from Show Some Love, Wayne Wonder and everyone at Undercover Magazine. Daryl, Rupert and the guys at the Ruby Lounge. All the Truesicians. Peter and Paul from Darkside Promotions, and Grace and Animal Cub from Medium, and of course Rawbeats and Spin Science!
Peace!

Trick -  The shoutouts... I always forget the damn shoutouts - good lookin' out Gray! Yup, thanks to all those people named above for everything they have done. I'd also like to thank Paul Morrissey at Vestax for showing interest and support when no other equipment company would, and also all those who showcased and travelled long distances to appear at Needlework. They did so out of love for the scene, and their actions confirmed to us that what we were doing was right. Be under no misapprehension that Needlework would not be anywhere near what it is now if it wasn't for all these people's assistance, input and support.