DJ Rob Swift @ Trade Union Mon 19th Feb
Trade Union and Urbanscot events are proud to present the only Scottish date of Rob Swift European tour ``As the Tables Turn`. Rob will be joined by DJ Gudtyme & DJ J Marks aka The Officials (NYC)...
Rob Swift (formerly of The X-ecutioners, NYC)
Opening Djs: DJ Gudtyme & DJ J Marks aka The Officials (NYC)
+ DJ BEEFY & WOLFJAZZ (ROOM 2)
Monday 19th February
Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
Door 10pm - 3am
Tickets £5 (+ Booking Fee) Advance - £7 Door
www.ticketweb.co.uk Tickets also available from usual outlets
Rob Swift knows all about evolution and its conceptual cousin, revolution—whether it’s the spontaneous kind that sparks radical change, or the vinyl-based kind that occurs at 33-1/3 revolutions-per-minute (and variations thereof). And for a cat like Swift—who has worked with everyone from Linkin Park to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Mike Patton to Herbie Hancock—truly forward-thinking, revolutionary music just seems to come naturally, and on some occasions, at a cost. DJs must adapt, and in this high-speed information era, that means expanding your scope of vision from beyond your instrument to new expressive vehicles `by any means necessary.` …….
Here’s where we drop the needle on some history: after years of honing his cuts on the wheels of steel under the tutelage of his older brother and father, Robert Aguilar aka Rob Swift was tapped, in 1991, by a Harlem-based DJ crew called the X-Men to join their ranks. Turntablism was still in it`s infancy, but Swift quickly established himself; within a year he won the coveted DMC East Coast title, and became known among DJs worldwide as a masterful beat juggler and a force to be reckoned with in any battle atmosphere.
Even when, to avoid the obvious beef with Marvel Comics, the X-Men were compelled to change their name to the X-ecutioners, Swift (and his compatriots Roc Raida, Mista Sinista and Total Eclipse) still retained a superhero’s afterglow. Their 1997 debut album X-Pressions (Ashpodel) served notice, with dirt-funky tracks like “Word Play” making it clear that Swift the recording artist was on the rise. Five years later, the group’s first major-label debut Built From Scratch (Loud/Columbia) generated the huge hit “It’s Goin’ Down” featuring Linkin Park.
However, the freshly acquired mainstream success brought on new challenges. `After the success of It`s Goin Down, our label reps tried turning us into a rap-rock group. They didn`t realize the true goal of the X-ecutioners was to keep testing and pushing the boundaries of music using the turntable as our tool.`
The pressures of compromising there creativity for the sake of living up to previous record sales, brought about artistic tension amongst the X-ecutioners. Unwilling to sacrifice his creativeness, Rob was inspired to establish himself as a soloist and break through with a series of genre-busting albums of his own (the first being 1998’s The Ablist). Sound Event (2002), his second solo effort, set the tone for his ascendant multi-faceted production style, mapping dark jeep beats (“Hip-Hop on Wax,” with Large Professor), Latin Jazz (“Salsa Scratch,” with Bob James) and ambient-electronic funk (the psychedelic “Interview with Colored Man,” with Supernatural) with the deft touch of a seasoned studio hand.
“Venturing off into my solo career helped me realize I was just beginning to scratch the surface of my true potential. ” Swift says, `the worst thing one can do to an artist is limit them and I started to feel stifled creatively. So, my departure from the X-ecutioners was a necessary one cause It freed me from all constraints.` Swift’s post-9/11 beat collage War Games (2005), his third solo album, (featuring guest shots from The Large Professor and Akinyele) accentuate that adventurous spirit.
Today, Rob Swift continues his relentless pursuit of fresh directions, expanding his palette into the stratosphere. His latest project, `As the Tables Turn,` is a full length documentary which takes a penetrating look at Rob Swift the artist. `When I tour the globe fans approach me and ask, How did you get your start? Why did you leave the X-ecutioners? What did it take for you to reach the levels of success you have as a DJ?`
Hence, `As the Tables Turn,` Rob`s answers to all your questions about his past, present and future!
www.djrobswift.com
www.eccf.co.uk
www.urbanscot.com
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