Adam Scrimshire
(Interview by Nicolas Ragonneau, for Paris DJs - February 2012)

Maybe you're not familiar with the name of Scrimshire. No, it's not the name of a hidden british county (even if it could have been), but a new and young talented multi-instrumentalist from Rugby, England. Adam Scrimshire released a first and advisable record in 2009, Along Came The Devil One Night (Wah Wah 45s). A cliché says that a second album is dicey, but Scrimshire has transformed this so-called trap in a superb achievement with The Hollow. We can understand, at a glance to the gorgeous art cover and perfect typography, that he is a man of great taste, a craftsman who loves working detail in every aspect. The record starts with A Promise Is All It Was, a virtual one-man-band track where Scrimshire plays and sings every single note, and it ends without him: on the eponymous and final track, he's vanished and leaved harpist Rachael Gladwin (Matt Halsall and Nat Birchall's longtime collaborator) alone. She draws indeed a moving epilogue and makes us think that maybe The Hollow is a metaphor of disappearance and vanishing souvenir itself. This is one of the surprises of a subtile and mutiple record that welcomes folk, soul, spiritual jazz, afrobeat, malian splinters and fine electronica in one single flow, with a predilection for the female voices (Heidi Vogel and her Nina Simonesque tone, the warm gospel of Stac...). Fans of The Cinematic Orchestra, Nostalgia 77 or José James will love the exquisite fusion delicacy of The Hollow for sure. Adam tells us how he imagined it and, as one of the Wah Wah 45s' label owners, evokes the label's latest news and the music industry.

Adam Scrimshire
(Interview de Nicolas Ragonneau pour Paris DJs - Février 2012)

Peut-être que le nom de Scrimshire ne vous dit rien... Non, non, Scrimshire n'est pas le nom d'un comté anglais inconnu, mais celui d'un jeune multi-instrumentiste né il y a un peu plus de trente ans dans la ville de Rugby, Angleterre. Adam Scrimshire a sorti son premier disque en 2009 ('Along Came The Devil One Night, Wah Wah 45s) et Paris DJs avait salué à l'époque ses débuts prometteurs. Un cliché tenace dit qu'un second album est toujours casse-gueule, mais Scrimshire à contourné brillamment ce soi-disant obstacle avec son nouvel album The Hollow (toujours chez Wah Wah 45s). Dès la pochette, son illustration, sa typographie classieuse, on comprend qu'on a affaire à un homme soucieux de la qualité et du moindre détail, pour la fabrication de son disque comme pour sa musique. L'album s'ouvre avec A Promise Is All It Was, un titre où Scrimshire se transforme en one-man-band virtuel puisqu'il chante et joue de tous les instruments. A l'autre bout du disque et son morceau éponyme, il s'évapore littéralement puisqu'il laisse à la seule et géniale harpiste Rachael Gladwin (entendue souvent chez Matt Halsall et Nat Birchall) le soin de clore l'ensemble. Elle trace un émouvant et saisissant épilogue à The Hollow, dont le titre (le creux) sonne comme une métaphore de la disparition et du souvenir. C'est l'une des surprises de cette oeuvre subtile et multiple où se mêlent folk, jazz spirituel, afrobeat, musique malienne, soul et electronica rêveuse sans jamais perdre le fil ténu de son projet d'origine. Mi-instrumental, mi-chanté, le disque accueille les voix de Heidi Vogel (qui n'a jamais sonné aussi Nina Simone que sur son morceau), Stac et Faye Houston. Cette fusion délicate plaira forcément aux fans de The Cinematic Orchestra, Nostalgia 77 ou José James. Adam nous raconte comment il a conçu The Hollow et, en tant que co-dirigeant du label Wah Wah 45s, il évoque l'actualité de sa maison de disque et l'industrie de la musique dans dans son ensemble.

Scrimshire - Along Came The Devil One Night...
(CD/Digital) Wah Wah 45s WAHCD012, 2009-05-25

You would have thought that Rugby was famous for little, apart from, er, rugby, but no longer as the Rugby born Adam Scrimshire unleashes his musical wears upon an unsuspecting public! Its been a long journey for this young producer and mutli-instrumentalist, ever since his nan introduced him to an Errol Garner record when he was 14. Scrimshire's sound is steeped in jazz, soul and funk, but with a nod to contemporary sounds, and with strong popular song writing sensibilities. This man knows how to write a tune!! Scrimshire's debut album "Along Came The Devil One Night" is unleashed on May 25th!! Hold tight!!

Various - Underground Hits And Exclusive Bits 4
(CD/Digital) Wah Wah 45s WAHCD011, 2009-05-04

On this compilation, a celebration of all that's fresh out of the Wah Wah camp in 2009, we've got soul/jazz treats from Scrimshire, Ashley Thomas and Stac; twisted electronica and dope beats from Unforscene (remixing Part-Time Heroes), Red Astaire on the remix for Kendra Lou & The Miracles, and cutting edge Norwegian producer King Knut. Elsewhere there's stunning music out of Canada from Alister Johnson, Scrimshire on the bossa tip for his mix of PTH, dance floor funk from Jamie Finlay and Lack Of Afro (remixing Middlewood Sessions), brand new Colman Brothers latin jazz heat, and a killer jungle workout of "Step Forward" courtesy of the mysterious Chief!!