Some people curate, some people mix, some people produce. thatmanmonkz does all 3.

Scott Moncrieff is a Sheffield based recording artist, DJ, and label boss at his own Shadeleaf Music. He manages to tread that fine line of simultaneously picking up props from all angles and wrecking dance floors the world over, whilst remaining resolutely underground and focused on the more interesting corners of dance music. He releases on Delusions of Grandeur, Kolour LTD, and Classic and his recent debut album “Columbusing” was a fine document that touched on authentic deep house, funk and soul with plenty of proper song structures and real vocalists amidst the underground club heaters.

We’ve been a big fan of his music for a few years so thought it was time to learn more about him, and we scored a house masterclass in the form of a mix that covers the Detroit sounds of Moodymann and Leron Carson, the edits of Popular Peoples Front and Jamie 326, and the disco sounds of The Jacksons.

Whats been happening in your world recently?

So, I’ve been on my grind as usual really.. After releasing my debut album earlier this year (“Columbusing” on Delusions Of Grandeur) I thought I might get to chill back a little, but, that definitely hasn’t been the case! I’ve had remixes out for the likes of Diz and Inkswel amongst others, an original track on Kon’s BBE compilation, and also have remixes due for Amp Fiddler, Kraak and Smaak, and J Kriv all slated for this year. I’ve also been producing a hip hop album with my man Malik Ameer (under our Madison Washington moniker), and have just started writing some new thatmanmonkz material recently too. Between all of that, gigging more frequently, and running Shadeleaf Music, it’s all go over here, and i’m very thankful for that!

Tell us about this mix…where was it recorded and how?

I recorded it in my studio room, on my dj set up, the typical way y’know? As it was for you guys, and because i’m a fan of the site, I picked out 20 or so tracks I wanted to use in the mix (in a variety of formats), and just deejayed as I would in a club environment. Sometimes with podcasts or radio shows or whatever it can be all about exposing new music, and other times you just want to catch a vibe and be more representative of what you do when out on the road…. this is one of those ones. I won’t lie, I had to work pretty hard a couple of the mix transitions, but, again that’s more of an honest representation of me playing out, so i’m all for not masking a little bit of human error. I just recorded it into a DAW and did a little bit of post-mix processing , nothing more complicated than that. A handful of tunes, two channels and a mixer, no frills.

How and why did your start your label, Shadeleaf?

Just as a personal thing, I’d always wanted to self curate have my own label, initially as a way of a&r’ing my own music and getting out there at my own speed, and, I also very quickly realised that I knew a lot of people that I felt were making great music that needed to be heard… After Tone Control were kind enough to put out my first couple of solo artist releases (i’d been involved in a project called Small Arms Fiya about 10 years ago, then had a break from the music game) I met with my good friend and, well, mentor really, Chris Duckenfield (Swag,Popular Peoples Front) and showed him the demo’s I was working on, and he schooled me in how to set up on my own from there. Anything he doesn’t know about the vinyl game isn’t really worth knowing! Most of my heroes and inspirations have their own imprints, and also, having a label also adds a little leverage when releasing music on other labels. I’d highly recommend it to all up and coming artists, it’s a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, and very rewarding. We’ve been lucky enough for Shadeleaf to work with a lot of people I’m genuinely a fan of, and i’ve developed some great friendships from working on projects or remixes for the label. I’m really proud of our back catalogue, and that it quickly turned into something that isn’t really focussed just on me as an artist, and we’ve some really exciting projects in the pipeline!

Have you ever seen House royalty, and fellow Sheffield resident, Maurice Fulton at your local supermarket?

Hehhehheh, I have seen Maurice around occasionally, though maybe not yet at the supermarket! I don’t really know him personally other than to say ‘hi’, but, he seems like a really nice guy, and, you’re right, he’s definitely house royalty! I did once see him play at a small house party, doing two copy business with disco records and busted up walkman headphones, and can confirm that he’s as brilliant a deejay, as you already know he is….

You’re asked to book your favourite DJs and live acts for a night at your favourite club. Who plays, and which club?

Awwww man, that’s nearly impossible to pin down! There are so many great deejays and live acts, and, a whole lot of amazing clubs and venues around the world, some of which i’ve been lucky enough to see…. For today I’ll go with Chris Duckenfield, Recloose, Byron The Aquarius, and Larry Heard on the decks, with live sets from Henry Wu’s jazz project and D’angelo, at Flammable (Re Bar) in Seattle. My heart always holds a special place for those smaller ‘red light basement’ style spots with a big sound and a knowledgable crowd, and Re Bar definitely fits the bill for that! My answer to this question would probably change on a daily basis though… Also, just let me thank you guys for having me in, I’m a big fan of the site, as you know, and had a lot of fun doing this for you. Much appreciated!

If you want thatmanmonkz to play your party then get in touch with [email protected] , and make it happen?

Want to find more great house and techno records? Head over to Sound Shelter where we combine expert curation with a clever algorithm that offers insightful personalised recommendations, based on your favourite records labels and producers.

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