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Feb
14
2004
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Karl Tuff Enuff Brown Interview |
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Friday, 13 February 2004 |
UKMusic.com meets the legendary KARL ‘TUFF ENUFF' BROWN...
Disclaimer: This is an interview made up of questions from TuffJam fans, in what Karl Brown sees as his most candid and honest interview to date in setting matters straight.
You used to run reggae sound systems, does reggae still play a big part in your music?
I think so. Some of the bass lines I produce have a reggae/Soca/Brazillian touch somewhere.
What led to your preference for garage music?
I've always been into uplifting vocal garage with a certain element to it. I can't pin it down to say why - it's just a love. At the moment I'm selling some of my record collection and I even dug out a rare George Harrison box set All Things Must Pass.
Before you formed Tuff Jam you'd done a lot of solo projects. What did you learn from them and then take into the partnership?
I learnt a lot about engineering from Mike ‘Spike' Spencer, I used to have a partnership with him, and another guy named Mark Cyrus we did a tracks together as Tuff and Cyrus. It's more engineering skills, but even before that I was doing things by myself and it's all about listening to sounds. Everyone has their sounds and I have mine.
And what made you and Matt ‘Jam' Lamont decide to team up?
Matt was doing stuff with his ex-partner Justin Cantor, but when I was at college Matts cousin was in the same class as myself. He kept saying to me ‘have you heard of Matt Jam?' and I said ‘who?'. His cousin was saying the same to Matt about me ...this got irritating for both of us so we met up. Our first artist collaboration with the three of us was called True To Life, and that's the rarest collaboration out there.
So how does it work in the studio - who bought what to the table?
I think everybody knows the truth. I taught Matt how to use Cubase and how to programme a sampler and some of the basic cutting up skills, but I can say that I did the majority of the engineering, vocal arrangement and programming work from beginning to end.
What, is there a beef going on?
No. It's just the way things were. I stand by that cause I know what I had to do. I had more technical ability in the studio, while Matt had more of the DJ'ing element, and brought other ideas to the productions. The TuffJam sound built up from there.
If you feel you were doing most of the work, why did you stay together so long?
Because I thought it was important to keep TuffJam going, it didn't bother me too much. But at other times it did get to me, nobody wants to do it all the time, but it's just one of those things.
What was the highlight of TuffJam for you?
I think it's when you look back to all the TuffJam tracks they're all classics, no down ones, and they all have a meaning. And I think that's important that every track has a feel and a different vibe.
Do you have a favourite production or remix you've done?
I think it's En Vogue - Whatever, or Rosie Gaines - I Want You. The DIY dub of that never came out though.
Why did your mix of Baby D - Let Me Be Your Fantasy never come out?
I love that track, it's always a big track. I asked them to let me do a mix, did it but they didn't put it out. I have a few mixes of tracks that have never come out and people haven't heard. I did Rosie Gaines ‘I Want You', and Ce Ce Peniston - Somebody Else's Guy' that's a classic. I used the name TuffJam DIY Dub for some extra mixes that I did. I also used the name SOS Dub. There is a reason behind SOS and DIY but I'm not going to go into what they are.
Are they self-explanatory?
Yes.
What about the track Y.O.U you made with Todd?
It's never come out, I'm not sure if it will. It depends on Todd's manager. Some of the unreleased stuff is coming out but I'm not going to tell you which ones - It's going to be a surprise...if the scene goes well, and goes back to how it was!
You and Matt parted company in 2000, why was that then?
It's like if you don't drive a car you depend on a friend to take you places then after a while you think ‘well I want to drive so I can go when I want to go and leave when I want to leave.' And that's what it was like.
How does it feel, given how timeless your work is?
To Matt and me it feels great to have been part of such an amazing scene that we've managed to have an input into, and we did a lot for Todd Edwards by promoting his name. If you think, people still play TuffJam today, it always comes back to this sound we created that did so much for the scene - it had melodies, bass lines, a hook. Even at the 4/4 night when Matt dropped TJR - Just Get's Better, they were singing! And it was truly amazing.
Do you ever listen to your music and not like it?
I am so finicky about sounds. When I create a track, if you can picture the computer screen, I make the beats first when that feels right I confirm it, then I make a chorus section of that beat then I make a verse section. Then I make it loop around until it sounds right. Sometimes I might sit in front of that computer screen make about five different beats or tracks but I leave it to ferment so to speak, then I come back and listen again to see what grabs me. I try and listen like it's someone else's track. So now when I hear my tracks I think ‘wow! That is so brilliant, what made me do that?' And I always mix in headphones...wait for it...they're Sennheiser HD25. I use them all the time.
Why HD25's?
Because they sound like a club. I don't want to disturb my neighbours but even in the studio it feels compact. Your bass drum is like a boulder in those headphones.
After the success of the 4/4 event could you see TuffJam reforming?
I've often said to Matt let's go and do some gigs but I don't know. I don't think he's ready for that yet. Obviously EZ asked us to do 4/4 an we thought it's an excellent idea.
How about production wise?
At this moment in time, I'm always open to ideas and things it's, just a case of whether Matt wants to talk about it. I'm reasonable. I'm interested in anything that will interest the scene and please the fans which I think is very important. I've even got a video of that 4/4 night and I still can't believe it. But I am not fussed. Because I created the elements of TuffJam with TuffBeat programming (which was my style) I used to use samplers and no mixing desk and that's how I created my jingle which everyone loves. I think its fantastic the effect, again on the 4/4 night. Even people who haven't grown up with my sound ask me to play the jingle.
Do you sing too?
I've sung on some of my tracks. If you listen to 500 Records, the remix I did, it say's ‘rewind and come again,' that was me.
So just to clarify this, what are all the different names you use?
Kool Drop, DIY, SOS, Fully Loaded (Todd Edwards & Karl Tuff Enuff Brown) and El-Tuff.
Which other producers do you like?
I love Todd Edwards as it's so different. He's very technical and nobody does it like Todd the way he cuts it samples etc...there is a lot going on there. MJ Cole's musical element, DND, Dem2. That's it.
How about new UKG sounds? What do you think of them?
I think some of it's really good, but some of it you can only take so much of it. I like chord changes, melody something for the girls and the boys, a different colouring to it and a breakdown. Like a house it needs foundations. Each to there own. I make 2-step too. The first one I did was the MJ Cole remix of I Need Your Love. And then I did my Hotpeppers revenge remix. I made it make sense to me.
What would you say influences your music?
I remember Dangerous, that track I sat in my bath and I just thought of it. I like positive messages you can hang onto not negatives and dark business. And that's my vibe.
Does religion play a big part in your music?
No not outwardly. But look back to the track Tumblin' Down that has a message. When you're feeling low the heavenly father is there for you but it's not an in your face message. It's subliminal enough to matter.
Have you ever made any tracks and not admitted to them?
Yes. I've got some techno tunes. One I did with Aston Harvey this producer and we called ourselves Change Of Tone. I still have the dats. Now I wonder what made me do it, it came out and didn't do anything but I think it sounds good.
What are your plans for 2003?
I treat everyday the same. I don't make resolutions I keep going. I just enjoy music. I've done my bit with Double Trouble and The Rebel MC, I've been on that ladder. You go up but you can also come down. I've learnt that. I've been flying 1st class but it doesn't make a different. I'm still making tracks under DIY and have a new group Sugar Beetz Boys they're are what I'm pushing at the moment, they're hot stuff to watch out for. The next releases will be El-Tuff - Work It Up and Cool Breeze and the DIY will be a four tracker. Then there's the unreleased TuffJam tune So Excited coming out this year hopefully, we're just waiting because of the way the scene is at the moment.
Do you have any vices?
No. I don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs. I teach people the bible that's one of my main things. I do that everyday. I'm actually a baptised minister and that's a priority in my life. I've been studying the Bible for about five years.
It says on your website you like Indian food, what would you order normally?
Why do you want to know that? I'm getting worried...I'd have a Kurma, keep it simple. But on the odd occasion I go to a restaurant I'd know how good it was by the creamy, sweet coconut taste of their Kurma.
You also don't like unauthorised rewinds?
See Creed and Kie know, but those MC's who don't know try and rewind every tune. If you have an hour set why do you want to keep rewinding tunes, give me a chance to play and don't distress the set. I give them a signal if it's a rewind or if the crowd roar.
Do you have a favourite pair of trainers?
I have too many trainers I have to give them a way sometimes. When I used to go America I'd bulk buy and store them so now I have decided to get rid of loads of stuff - records, trainers...I have a rare Strictly Rhythm Jacket too and other memrobilia I'm looking to get rid of as I have no use for it. All contributions are welcome to the save Karl Brown fund.
What piece of advice would you offer?
We've all got to work, eat and sleep so just enjoy making music. There is a scripture in the Bible that reads ‘be careful how you walk that you do not fall over.' You learn that when you fall from a position, so don't take it too seriously.
check [url]www.onetuff.com[/url] for full discography, biography and more.
Message from KARL BROWN:
"This is to clarify the nature of the interview. I'm just answering questions honestly that people continually ask me; it is easy to read a lot of negativity into the printed word that was not really there, and I would ask people to focus on the positive and keep enjoying the music -4/4 is coming back, so please support the good vibes"
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