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Toyin Agbetu feature on Resident Advisor

 

Back in the late 1980’s, a new DIY style of 'Street Soul' music emerged, influenced by Sound Systems, Lovers Rock & Loose Ends. One name that kept popping up on many of those releases was ‘Master (The Beatcreator) Tee’, one of the many pseudonyms of Toyin Agbetu. Theo Fabunmi-Stone tracked him down for this brilliant, in depth article for Resident Advisor. Even though I obsessively collected his releases at the time, this article fills in a ton of gaps, and covers his activism & community work too.

David Olusoga
‘Black and British: A Forgotten History'

Historian David Olusoga has been popping up a lot recently, both with his ‘Black and British’ series & ‘Africa Turns The Page’ for the BBC. The ‘Black and British’ book is an essential read too, and traces the presence of African people in the UK from the 3rd century onwards. He tells the story of why he got into history here.

 

Here is are some useful lists of Black-Owned UK & US bookshops. Failing that, support your local independent bookstore. My local one is great, and usually gets books in for me within 24 hours.

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Ethical Consumer Magazine:
Check your bank!

Manchester-based Magazine Ethical Consumer has been running for 30 years now. Over the years I have found it a really useful guide for making sure that my money goes to companies that are doing good. The latest issue has a feature on Banks who are often the worst offenders when it comes to investing in companies that profit from Fossil Fuels, Tax Evasion, Conflict & Human Rights abuses. It costs £30 a year to subscribe, and that includes six physical & online issues, plus access to all their guides and reports, which are invaluable for making sure that your money is working for good. For the record, I use Triodos bank & they are ace.

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Trouser Jazz Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition 2LP on Red/Blue Vinyl

To celebrate 20 years of my Trouser Jazz album, these brightly coloured musical pants get a red & blue double vinyl reissue. You can pre-order it now via the button below.

Listening back all these years later, I can feel the fun and energy from those studio sessions, getting my fingers stuck into all kinds of musical pies alongside collaborators Seaming, Niko, Sneaky, Andy Kingslow, Bernard Moss and more. Some very fond memories of this project!
Thanks to Ninja Tune and everyone involved!

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