Not only has Tjinder Singh made an appearance in this week’s Quietus Reissues, Compilations & Mixes Of 2012 So Far with the Cornershop Singhles Club compilation Urban Turban but he is bristling with other musical ideas and plans as well.
After the massively underrated Handcream For A Generation in 2002, the band disappeared from view for seven years (bar the excellent Rough Trade single and John Peel favourite ‘Top Knot’) only returning with Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast in 2009 on their newly formed Ample Play label. They’ve been busy since, releasing not only this year’s comp but the fantastic Bubley Kaur collaboration, The Double O-Groove.
On top of this they’ve started signing numerous other artists to the label including Billy Childish associate Sexton Ming, Nashville youngsters The Paperhead, Japanese outsider artist Matsuki Ayumu, New York folk singer Rachel Lipson and London garage rockers The Toes. And that’s before we get to the reissue of Tjinder and Ben Ayers’ funk side project Clinton’s Hip Hop Bricks.
The Quietus meets Tjinder in our local public space Clissold Park. Another citizen of Hackney who used to enjoy its ponds and animal enclosures was non-other than Marc Bolan. “When I walk through, I like to think that maybe Marc got the idea for ‘Ride A White Swan’ from this park.”
Over several brews we talk about his love for music that has gospel roots, the lost art of spoken word interludes on albums and the kind of fresh talk that could get you killed depending on where you come from.
And I’ve said it before but it beats repeating that the best of these features always have us coming away wanting to go hunting for a stack of vinyl and this is no exception with some deep cuts from Tapper Zukie, AS Kang, Doris Duke and Francois de Roubaix.
Click the picture of Tjinder below to begin the countdown.