LU42, Blunted Stuntman

10. Feb, 2010 Comments

Born in England, 1973, settled in Johannesburg, 1981 – Leyton Smith AKA Blunted Stuntman was working in a record shop during the introduction of the compact disc and saw the House music/Rave culture explode onto the scene. With a great collection of music that was not 4/4 beats, he started publicly playing music at The Wings Beat Bar in Braamfontein and switched from playing just Indie Brit bands to Trip Hop and Breakbeat.

He is the originator of the club night “HEDPHUNK” and was resident at 206live, a landmark in South African breakbeat culture. With their support, he played at two I.C.E. raves to audiences numbering over 3000. He has complimented sets by The Runaways, Aphrodite, Derek Dehlarge, Jon Carter, Cut la Roc and played at the Ninja Tune party. Since then he has shared the stage with Wagonchrist, Gavin Hardkiss, DJ Craze, Dieselboy, Freq Nasty, Stanton Warriors, Mr. Scruff, General Midi, Baobinga, Krafty Kuts, and Matt Cantor of The Freestylers.

With fellow beat freak and 206live partner, DJ Bob, he has toured nationally numerous times, including appearances at the Oppikoppi, Grahamstown, Up the Creek, Rustlers and Flux festivals. In 1999 the two opened District 206, a more intimate venue in Cape Town. Blunted Stuntman has been known to take over the Mother City, rocking Long Street, playing The Lounge, Joburg, Marvel, Waiting Room and Julep Lounge. He was also the turntablist in 8-piece funk band, Golliwog. “Matress Mambo” and “Nasty” have been released on magazine cover mounted CDs and the band played every festival in South Africa including the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town.

Back in Gauteng, Blunted Stuntman is a DJ to watch out for with performances at venues like Cool Runnings, Aldo’s lounge, Kitcheners Carvery, The Woods and had a lengthy spot at Gin. He continues to appear alongside kick-ass acts like Kid Fonque, Zubz, Evoloxion Allstars, Boogieman, DJ Kenzhero, Wilson Fury and The Milk Bar Kid. His itchy feet send him to festivals around the country and 2009 marked his 13th consecutive performance at Oppikoppi. In his free time he is the Production and Distributed Labels Manager for the SC Media Group.

Blunted Stuntman plays a party mix of Big Beat, Nu-Skool Breaks, Acid Funk, Jump Up Jungle and Chunky Funk House for the dancefloor and some Hi-Fi lounge/dub, Ninja Tune/Grand Central Hip Hop, Jazzanova, Kruder & Dorfmeister style coffee shop beats (“but Leyton can play anything”, ed.). From a festival to cafes, he has played South Africa. He plans to take his ‘Elektrik ZA’ set international.

www.mixcloud.com/bluntedstuntman
www.reverbnation.com/bluntedstuntman
www.myspace.com/bluntedstuntman
www.facebook.com leyton smith

Can you describe your personal sound in a bit more detail?
It’s fun and funky Breakbeats. I walked into Bar Rhumba in London in ’98 to hear Rennie Pilgrem, Freq Nasty, Tayo and Jay Stewart and said to myself, “this is the sound I want to follow”, and it’s 12 years on. I have always loved the broken beat, since the early days of Ninja Tune, Jedi Knights and even 4Hero and Bugz In The Attic, until the Nu Skool Breaks sound appeared and then we bounced. As with all new genres they eventually get a bit hard and dark and I have tried my best to keep it fun for the ladies. It’s so horrid playing for a ‘floor full of boys!!!

What/who have been Influences in your life?
My Mom is the biggest party animal on the planet and their dress-up parties is where I really started DJing; switching between the CD and turntable functions on the amp with no mixer. I am a record collector before I’m a DJ and it is my collection that got me my first paying job supporting the band that has now become Wonderboom. I went to the early Blu House Raves and ICE and MOTHER with no intentions of DJing, but a mate bought one of those all-in-one CD players and I gave it a bash to see if I could get my ear in. The DJs at the House music parties that impressed me were G-Force and Nicky Life, they were just playing different House and even dropped Goldie and The Charlatans tracks in the Cold Turkey sets.

Who are some of your favourite producers & djs?
Stanton Warriors are the kings of Breakbeat and have been for years. Have you heard their bootleg of “Good Vibrations”? Roger Goode opened his show with it last week! The underground is coming to get ya!

Plump DJs, Stone Roses, Soul of Man, Coldcut, Slyde, James Brown, Drummatic Twins, The Kinks, The Rogue Element, Deekline & Wizard, The Small Faces, The Freestylers, The Jam, Roots Manuva, Krafty Kuts, The Smiths, Bonobo, TRG, The Herbaliser Band, Happy Mondays, Quantic, Zed Bias, Mark Pritchard, Zinc, Elite Force, Fink, Meat Katie, Shut Up & Dance, A-Skills, Tayo, The Charlatans, The Chemical Brothers, Atomic Hooligan, The Streets, Aquasky, Rennie Pilgrem, Inspiral Carpets, NAPT and go on then, from “Caravan of Love” to “Everybody Loves a 303”, Fatboy Slim.

I could name drop until the end of this page for artistic inspiration, so let’s keep it Mom, G-Force and Merle the Techno Tannie!

Best memories as a DJ?
Christ, you’re asking a Blunted Stuntman about memories, I can’t remember where I played last weekend?! All the international support slots. The letter Scruff wrote and left on my mixer, the after-party with Aphrodite at Mr. Freeman’s house, kicking Ali B’s ass last year. Getting the Stanton Warriors out here twice, playing one-on-one with Justin Robertson. The 12 killer years at Oppikoppi’s Sipho Gumede Stage. The 30 day license with the radio station broadcasting the Red Bull Music Academy in Cape Town. The 18 month residency at Die Mystic Boer in Stellenbosch as they opened. Challenging Shaun Duvet to a DJ battle and knocking him down by playing Jungle Brothers (Urban Takeover Mix). The 12 hour throbbing dance set at Club 177 in Randburg (3am – 3pm). So many more are lingering on the edges of my brain!

What equipment do you use?
M-Audio’s Torq DJing software and the Xponent controller all endorsed to me by M-Audio and T.O.M.M.S.. I have done showcases at the Convention Centre’s and it truly has revolutionized my sound. I went straight from vinyl to MP3 and totally skipped the CD phase when a turntable was stolen out the back of my van and I discovered the M-Audio Connectiv (their take on Final Scratch). The main difference is the ability to play in “amputate mode”, i.e. you only need 1 turntable. 6 months later the Xponent was released and I haven’t look back. It’s a flippin’ monster and not just a mixer. 2 Decks, 3 buttons to assign a batch of built in effects as well as 1 choice of fave VST plug-in, 16 bay sampler, 5 quick starts. 2 Quick Scratch™ starts (load your favourite scratch sample with a click), MIDI Learn (so Xponent is wikkid with Ableton). It’s got all the cheat buttons the 4/4 kids are abusing, but I mix an MP3 like I would a 12”. It’s far more than a mixer.

What can listeners/dance floors expect from a typical set of yours?
Half an hour of everything!!! Depending on the total length of my set (I love a good 5-6 hour set), but Friday night I played at the new Cool Runnings in Victory Park (killer space!); I started the night with 30 minutes Dubstep (but the real steppaz mix, the evolution of 2-Step Garage, none of this 2nd gear head crunch shit), 30 minutes of the biggest Breaks on the HDD and since I was opening up for a Drum ‘n’ Bass party, I closed my set with 30 minutes of Urban Takeover and Congo Natty Jungle.

I can play lounge, trip hop, Ninja Tune, reggae, swing jazz, a great 80’s set, killer Indie Brit-Pop and all the inbetweenies!

Tracklisting for your mix?