aaamusic | On 16, Jun 2011

Toddla T

‘Watch Me Dance’
(Ninja Tune)

New Album Released August 22nd

In 2007 Toddla T (aka Tom Bell) was working in a shoe shop in his hometown of Sheffield, then just 19 and living at home with his parents, he DJ’ed at weekends and was producing beats and tracks with his friend Scott as Small Arms Fiya.

Now it’s 2011 Toddla T is about to release his second artist album on the legendary Ninja Tune label, has a regular slot on BBC Radio 1 and has produced tracks for some of the UK urban scenes biggest stars (hands up Tinchy, Jammer, Bashy, Roots Manuva and Ms Dynamite).

He DJ’s around the globe, has a slew of remixes under his belt, (Hot Chip, Gyptian, Gorillaz, Major Lazer for starters) is a star of his own Toddla TV channel online and has worked in studios from Kingston Jamaica to Kingston upon Hull. Not to mention the recent launch of his Girls Music Label which, after only a handful of releases has already featured productions by British dance music heroes Sticky, Seiji and Roska.

Much of this impressive career trajectory can be attributed to Toddla’s phenomenal talent, drive and ambition. He has good taste and keen eyes and ears in all elements of British youth culture. However, the man himself modestly explains that it has just as much to do with the sea change which has taken place in British Pop music in the last few years.

His debut album Skanky Skanky was released in January 2009, this was followed by a Fabric live mix album and a lot of requests for his production skills with everyone from Major Lazer to Grandmaster Flash getting in touch.  As Toddla reflects on the last couple of “pretty crazy years”, the current UK scene and embarks what promises to be a very busy and successful 2011, he explains:

“When I was first signed (to 1965 Records) every kid wanted to be in a band. The Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and all that were really popular, me and my mates who were into Notorious B.I.G and dancehall were really in the minority. Nowadays kids want to be Skream and Benga, or Tinchy or N-Dubz and because of that all their points of musical reference have changed”

As a backdrop to Dizzee, Tinie, Tinchy et al storming the charts, the explosion of dubstep and subsequent re-evaluation of bass-driven, UK club music has seen a major shift in what people aged 15 – 25 are raving to. Where Soulwax and SMD and their like were ruling the clubs 2002 – 2006 nowadays seasoned campaigners like Shy FX and David Rodigan are championed by kids who weren’t born when they were first spinning records.

His second album ‘Watch Me Dance’ is a bold step forward for Toddla T. Fans of Skanky Skanky will find plenty that will please them but for the countless thousands of clubbers who know Toddla T the DJ but haven’t heard his productions this second album may come as a surprise.

“I’ve been busiest in the last two years as a DJ, so of course this album has a big dose of the sounds and production techniques that I’m out there representing in the clubs every weekend, but if you’re looking for tops-off jungle or 4×4 bassline tearouts you won’t find them here. This is definitely still a record for clubbers, but it’s the one they’ll listen to at home with their mates or every day on the way to work”

In ‘Watch Me Dance’ Toddla has created a dubwise, street-soul masterpiece. In a typically precocious reference to records that were made when he was 4 and 10 years old respectively Toddla sums it up. “A bit of the Soul from Soul II Soul Club Classics and a bit of the Left-field from Leftism, I’ve been listening to those now and again, they took in a whole load of club music and made an album that summed something up and were great to listen to at the same time.”

In ensuring ‘Watch Me Dance’ was everything Toddla envisaged it could be he’s carefully selected an impressive line up of friends, peers and musical icons to guest vocal, co-produce, remix, co-write with him on the album. Names including previous collaborator Roots Manuva, fellow DJ, producer and remixer Skream, Ms Dynamite, Ross Orton, Wayne Marshall, Donaeo, Roisin Murphy and of course Shola Ama.

‘Watch Me Dance’ is release on Ninja Tune on August 22.

01. Watch Me Dance (with Roots Manuva)
02. Take It Back
03. Cruise Control
04. Cherry Picking
05. Streets So Warm
06. Badman Flu
07. Body Good
08. How Beautiful It Would Be
09. Lovely Girl
10. Do It Your Way
11. Fly

Listen to ‘Watch Me Dance (with Roots Manuva)’ here:

Toddla T – ‘Watch Me Dance’ (Radio Edit) with Roots Manuva by toddla_t