The year is 2000 and Ninja Tune is a decade old. To celebrate, a new compilation of the Ninja Cuts series is in production, featuring tracks from artists past, present and future. Also in the planning is the first volume in a new mix CD series based around Coldcut’s Solid Steel show, to be included with the compilation as a 3rd disc. The original idea was to include several Ninja artists in the mix, all providing a section each, showcasing their particular skill and choice of music. Jason Swinscoe was going to participate, Ollie Teeba contributed, Mr Scruff was asked and Roots Manuva would be the compere. As time progressed and the deadline approached it quickly became apparent that this idea wasn’t going to happen in time and, dipping our toe into the world of licensing for the first time, we realised other labels didn’t necessarily move at the same pace as us.

Tracks were refused, throwing some mixes into disarray, there wasn’t the space to include everyone to their satisfaction on one disc and what we had was a mis-shapen mess. At this point the multi-artist idea was dropped and PC, DK and I were given the first shot so we pooled our resources with various different mixes, sections and routines. At one point there was a promo made with most of the first half of the final mix and a hastily compiled ending in the hope that it could be included in the Ninja Cuts package (now titled Xen Cuts) but this just didn’t reach the standard we had hoped for. The deadline passed and we went back to the drawing board, determined to make something worthy of a first release in a new mix series that would showcase our skills and taste.

What we finally turned out was head and shoulders above the original version and during the process we created twice as much material as we needed. Come the time of the eventual release – nearly a year to the day from the original Xen Cuts – we compiled a 2 hour ‘Director’s Cut’ of music that we had discarded, mixes that we liked but didn’t make the grade and tracks we couldn’t license. We included Ollie Teeba’s contribution (from Jazzy Jay to The Herbalier’s own Shocker Zulu) as it was originally integral to the mix and the original mix ending (from Steve miller to Starvue). For my money there are sections here that would have made the version we finally released even better, the Simon Says/Addams Family routine, the inclusion of Lorez Alexandra, 10cc and Vangelis but these were all refused or the licenses unobtainable.

Unfortunately the CD was released on Sept 22nd 2001, ten days after 9/11 and we had DJ Vadim’s ‘the Terrorist” acappella in the mix. Being that it would have been highly inappropriate to include it in a radio broadcast at the time, it was removed and a compilation of excerpts from various interviews we had given were inserted over ‘Ug’. PC had recorded lots of us doing simultaneous interviews over speaker phone only a few weeks earlier so I chopped them up and replaced the offending acappella at the 11th hour. There was also another Director’s Cut, again 2 hours long, that we prepared for the London Xpress show on XFM which was subtly different again with variations on some mixes. Also an online Groovetech session that DK and I did which was us performing the ‘live’ version of the mix that we toured later including much more music, parts of the this version and more, OK nerdfest over…

Strictly Kev

DJ Food & DK – “Now, Listen!” (The Director’s Cut) (1st Hour)
Podcast: Available via Solid Steel Podcast (05/12/2008 show)

1. Jeru the Damaja – Come Clean (Payday)
2. Cinematic Orchestra – Channel 1 Suite (Ninja Tune)
3. DJ Shadow – Changeling (Mo Wax)
4. Mr Scruff – Ug (Ninja Tune)
5. The Grooverobbers (Feat. DJ Shadow) – Hardcore Instrumental Hip Hop (Mo Wax)
6. Pharoahe Monch – Simon Says (instr) (Rawkus)
7. Sabu Martinez – Hotel Alyssa-Soussie, Tunisia (Vintage Class)
8. Boards of Canada – Happy Cycling (Warp)
9. Grandmaster Flash – The Message (Sugarhill)
10. Jazzy Jay – Cold Chillin’ In the Spot (Def Jam)
11. Wildstyle Breakbeats – Gangbusters (Mr Bongos)
12. The Creators – Hard Margin (Instrumental) (Bad Magic)
13. The Herbaliser (Feat. Bahamadia) – When I Shine (Acappella) (Ninja Tune)
14. The Creators – Hard Margin (Bad Magic)
15. The Nextmen – Mental Alchemy (Instrumental) (Scenario)
16. The Herbaliser (Feat. Latyrx) – 8 pt Agenda (Acappella) (Ninja Tune)
17. Slick Rick – It’s a Boy (Remix) (Instrumental) (Def Jam)
18. Common – Resurrection (Unknown)
19. The Herbaliser – Shocker Zulu (Ninja Tune)
20. Walt Kraemer – Pinball Number Count (Sesame Workshop/Ninja Tune)
21. Boards of Canada – Aquarius (Warp)
22. Blackalicous – Alphabet Aerobics (Mo Wax)
23. Four Tet – Glasshead (Output)
24. Camping Gaz & Digi Random – Circus World (Novaphonic)
25. Starship – Unknown (Unknown)
26. Four Tet – Glasshead (Output)
27. Herbie Hancock – Nobu (Sony Japan)

DJ Food & DK – “Now, Listen!” (The Director’s Cut) (2nd Hour)
Download: Now, Listen (The Director’s Cut) (2nd Hour) (1hr, 84MB)

1. Link – Arcadian (Evolution)
2. Lorez Alexandra – Baltimore Oriole (Discovery)
3. Art of Noise – Moments in Love (ZTT)
4. Boards of Canada – The Colour Of The Fire (Warp)
5. Vangelis – Let It Happen (Vertigo)
6. Air – Modular Mix (Scource)
7. Coldcut – Autumn Leaves (Accapella) (Arista)
8. 10cc – I’m Not In Love (Mercury)
9. Art of Noise – Moments In Love (ZTT)
10. Kung Fu Soundtrack – Ancient Warrior Theme (Warner Bros)
11. Bionic Booger Breaks – Unknown (Dirtstyle)
12. Esther Marrow – He Don’t Appreciate It (Polydor)
13. Bionic Booger Breaks – Unknown (Dirtstyle)
14. Furry Phreaks – Soothe (Prisoners Mix) (FSUK)
15. X-Men – Musica Negra (Acappella) (Asphodel)
16. Steve Miller – Fly Like An Eagle (Capitol)
17. Handsome Boy Modeling School – Holy Calamity (Tommy Boy)
18. Superlover Cee – I Got A Good Thing (Elektra)
19. DJ Food – Dark Lady (Ninja Tune)
20. Mandingo – Black Rite (Studio 2)
21. DJ Food – Spiral Dub (Ninja Tune)
22. Johnny & Orquestra Rodrigues – African Woman (Negram)
23. Starvue – Body Fusion (Midwest Int.)