Interview: Scroobius Pip > <

Wed, Jan 27 2010

Getting Better

Interview: Scroobius Pip - Getting Better

Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip (Daniel Stephens; production, programming, keyboards, guitars and backing vocals. And David Peter Meads; vocals/rapper) first caught the attention of the mainstream with their 'Thou Shalt Always Kill' track back in 2008 - a modern, beat-tastic remix of the ten commandments. Their first single, in fact. The lead single from their Top 40 debut, 'Angels'.

Now, over two years on, the Essex duo are ready to release their sophomore effort, 'Logic of Chance' - led by 'Get Better', a rolling electro house groove with the catchy chorus appealing for renewed positivity, responsibility and self-education.

Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip, 'Get Better'

Their new album, 'Logic of Chance' - out under Rob da Bank's Sunday Best label on March 15 - sees the duo take on much more than their usual hip hop-influenced sounds. The spoken word style is still apparent, but Pip's flow seems to have become more important. And those all-encompassing hard-hitting themes get yet another bashing - this time looking at crime stats ('Great Britain'); democracy ('Stake A Claim') and late night rail travel ('Last train Home').

With "conscious hip hop" getting more and more of an airing, Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip are the comedic anti-Christ to such serious preacher-like pomp. Just as 'Logic of Chance' is an ironic label in itself, the album's content is at once serious and danceable, vital yet comedic and perfectly contradictory in its own right. This is plain, straight forward chatter on the state of the nation, accompanied by the type of production that's eclectic enough to suit any taste.

Rivmixx: It's been two years since the Scroobius Pip Vs. Dan le Sac debut, 'Angles', came out - what have you been doing in that time?

Scroobius Pip: "We've pretty much been touring solidly. There wasn't a chance at them points to stop and work on anything. My advantage is I can kind of write on the road. Dan needs to be home in his studio with all his equipment and inspiration together."

R: When you're writing the lyrics, do you like to follow a certain pattern - in terms of syllables per sentence, or whatever - or is it more about the flow?

S.P: "It's really tough to say because I'm writing constantly. On my phone, in the saved messages, it's really just a lyric book. And when I get a chance just to sit down and focus on one subject I start taking lyrics from there and pieces from others and then turning it into a full track. This is the first album, really, where I've paid attention to flow. Previously, because I come from more of a spoken word background, my focus has always been getting the subject matter across - and not being too aware or conscious of the flow of things; just cramming everything in. But then I was listening to a lot of Q-Tip's album 'The Renaissance', his last one out, and realising that things like that he's got such an amazing flow and an easy on the ear flow. But then he has got the content in there as well."

scroobius pip, rivmixx

R: You're known for looking at topical social issues. What stands out for you on this latest album?

S.P: "It's really tough. I listen through and there's always a different favourite each time. The one I'm really enjoying at the moment is 'Cowboi', which is at the end. And it's a really odd one, it is a really uplifting track but it happens to be a true story of an attempted rape basically. Which sounds like the darkest, most horrible, miserable track you could ever imagine. But, hopefully, in the way it's been written and constructed, it is actually - when you get to the end - uplifting and positive."

R: Is that the sort of thing you try to achieve through your music - positivity?

S.P: "I've not necessarily set out to try and achieve or change anything, cos that sounds too grandiose for music - it's supposed to be enjoyable. But I do try and pick unusual subject matters and tell stories in an unusual way and get the good out of the bad. It's about trying to find the beauty in everything - rather than just the happy, cheery love songs - seeing that there is art and poetry in all sorts of emotions."

R: Was writing or music something that helped you to release your own emotions?

S.P: "It was a gradual one. It wasn't the reason I got into it though. I started doing poetry because all my mates were unreliable. I got tired of being in bands and having to rely on a drummer and things like that and decided that if I did spoken word it's all on my own back."

R: Throughout your music you've had a few digs at other artists or sounds. Have you created any enemies, that you know of?

S.P: "I think a lot of things are misconstrued. People think that 'Fixed' on the last album was having a go at Dizzee Rascal, which it wasn't. Dizzee come through doing something amazing - it's dissing everyone who just got in line behind him and did exactly the same.

"When we supported RZA from Wu Tang in London we were doing 'Fixed', which was slagging off UK hip hop, Klashnekoff and all these were in the crowd, probably really annoyed thinking why the hell do they get to support RZA, but, yeah, if we've offended some people, hopefully it'll inspire people to come back."

R: You've worked with some huge acts in the past. De La Soul featured on 'Thou Shalt Always Kill'. And you've just announced a one-off collaboration with jazz trumpeter Christian Scott, called 'Love Sic'. Can we expect any more collaborative work?

S.P: "Who knows really. The guests that are on this album are Kid A and Kid Carpet and we had spoken to, I mean we did have things in the works with Adele and numerous other people along the way, but the ones that happened more naturally were with artists who we're big fans of but who aren't necessarily big names.

"The Christian Scott thing was great cos it was a vocal I'd been working on and had and I was approached to work with him and I thought 'I'm up for it but, obviously it's Universal, it's a big label and I write quite dark'. So they sent me the track and I sent them back the vocal and just said, 'you know, if you wanna walk away from this now I'll understand'. It is very dark, it's about heroin addiction and, yeah, it's a dark subject matter, But, thankfully, Christian really liked it and the label and, you know, everyone was on board so.

R: So for your tour, coming in March - what can we expect? Your last tour was presented as motivational seminars, can we expect anything similar for these?

S.P: "The most exciting thing for us is there's gonna be a hell of a lot of new songs. Set up and production wise we're looking to ramp our set up slightly but not with big flashing lights and smoke machines. In keeping with our recession and credit-crunch, we're going for a very hand made stage set - building things and making our own little world. Dan's got a lot more instruments to play with so he's gonna be doing even more on stage. He's got a new big ableton controller, one or two synths and a drum machine - so basically he doesn't have to go to his laptop at all.

"Dan's been trying to convince me to play bass on a few tracks too. I've got a side project that I play bass in. It's called Meet Here Every Tuesday and it's kind of a hardcore, punky, metaly thing. At The Drive In meets Glass Jaw meets a lad from Essex. But, yeah, I don't think I'll be doing it for this tour."