Mr. Scruff's breakbeat noodlings have been some of the more playful and summery of the British trip-hop lot, with ultra-clean production and an economic approach to sampling distinguishing his music from spliff-tokers and bombasts alike. <br /><br />The authorial nickname of Manchester native Andy Carthy (his neatly trimmed beard being the source), <br /><br /> Mr. Scruff attracted the buzz of DJs and critics alike with the 1995 Rob's Records release, "Sea Mammal" (a semi-veiled tribute to Boogie Down Productions' seminal "My Philosophy"), which combined the dime-store aesthetic of a Luke Vibert or Howie B. with more tempered, straight-ahead rhythms and subtle funk, soul, and electro references.
