IG Culture has been a fixture of London’s music underground for a quarter of a century. While the sounds of British capital have continually shifted, spouting new incarnations at the expense of old ones, IG has remained, deeply involved in the city’s burgeoning hip-hop, soul, funk, rare groove, and broken beat movements. Beyond this, IG is a key protagonist in “London Bruk Boogie,” shortened for “Bruk” or sometimes “Brok,” essentially a strain of jazz-infused broken beat cultivated within west London’s deepest musical pockets.

Growing up in Acton, in London’s west, IG connected with reggae and soundsystem culture before moving onto electro, soul, and even pop. He made a name for himself in 1991 as one half of hip-hop and acid jazz duo Dodge City Productions alongside DJ Dodge, real name Roger Drakes. The group arose largely by accident, but within six months they had signed a recording deal with Island Records, before going their separate ways.

In the wake of the group’s success, IG, originally an MC, sought to reinvent himself as a producer, digging deeper into fusion, jazz, reggae, and soul before acquiring his first studio setup. These beats have since formed the basis for a wealth of material as IG Culture, but also as NameBrandSound with Alex Phountzi and Likwid Biskit with Kaidi Tatham, among others.

Of all IG’s projects, his New Sector Movements is the most recognizable, formed in 1997, and also serving as a collective of likeminded musicians centered on broken grooves. In 2001, IG signed the project to Virgin Music with Download This, and labeled the sound “broken beat.” This opened the door to Co-Op in London, where IG and his crew would play out, introducing a growing fanbase to their newest music discoveries. The party has since evolved into a label, focusing on the rich pool of talent that exists within the London bruk movement.

Fast forward to today, and IG is making music again, having taken some time out. In 2019, he returned to the studio to complete work on a soundtrack to a theatre dance show called “EarthBound,” and last year he signed to Dutch label Super-Sonic Jazz Records with EP1, introducing the world to the afro-futuristic and forward-thinking jazz of his new LCSM “Likwid Continual Space Motion” alias. He’s since turned his theatre score into an album all of its own, available now, and he’s marking it with an XLR8R podcast.

As for what to expect, IG says: “dubplates…current bruk, house, and jazz heat, and few classic dancefloor tunes thrown in.” He recorded it this past week in his London apartment, located in Clapton, London, picking out records that he’s been enjoying lately. It’s groovy and soulful, full of tracks you’ve likely never heard, presented to us by a lesser-known living legend of UK music.

01. What have you been up to recently?

I have been working away on remixes and flips, dropping radio shows, and just staying focussed.

02. What music have you been listening to throughout this period?

I’ve been listening to Public Enemy, Marvin Gaye, Selectors Assemble, Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango, Funkadelic, Helter Skelter, The Specials, Seal, Cousin Cockroach, Candido, Eek A Mouse, Eddie Palmieri.

03. You just released a new album as LCSM “Likwid Continual Space Motion.” What’s the story behind this alias?

I originally had a project called Likwid Biskit, which morphed into LCSM when I was asked to do a cover of the Sun Ra classic Space is the Place, featuring a batch of UK jazz artists. The LCSM moniker gave me the freedom to stretch out and experiment. This new album is pretty much the same ethos, only years later with a new batch of UK jazz artists.

04. Where and when did you record the album?

The album came together in the last couple of years. It was recorded at a place called Total Refreshment Centre. I locked myself in the studio and demoed until I had stuff that I knew could translate to live musicians playing.

05. What can we expect with your XLR8R podcast?

Expect dubplates. Current bruk, house, and jazz heat and few classic dance floor tunes thrown in.

06. Where and when did you record the mix?

I recorded mix at home yesterday. I selected from bits I have bought online, and stuff people have sent.

07. What’s up next on your agenda?

I will be releasing my first compilation on my CoOp Presents label imprint, with my label partner Alex Phountzi, and I am just about to do an online event in conjunction with Summer Dance Forever Amsterdam, which will feature LCSM live.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to the podcast offline you will need to subscribe to our Select channel, or subscribe to XLR8R+ to download the file. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.

Tracklisting

01. Nicolette “Waking Up” (Shut Up and Dance Records)
02. LCSM “Entek Remix” (Dubplate)
03. Pavel Kostiul “Pirates of Penzance” (2000 Black)
04. Stringed to Death “Karizma” (Self-Release)
05. KMB “I Say” (Self-Release)
06. Cengiz “Not Easy Listening” (Dance Regular)
07. Universal People “Viper Squad” (Far Out Recordings)
08. Karma Sound “Atrapado” (Nomada Recordings)
09. James Rudie “Music is the Answer” (Dance Regular)
10. Lounge Lizards “We Need You” (Self-Release)
11. Pepe Braddock x Carl Craig “Angola” (Silicone Chop Version) (Lusafrica)
12. Sean Maccabe “I Know Someone” (IG Culture Remix) (Good Vibration Music)
13. LCSM “Annunaki” (Supersonic Jazz)
14. Pass the Bruk “Ice Cream Riddim” (Self-Release)
15. Nuff Pedals “Only Afterwards” (Gutter Funk)
16. Nuff Pedals “Drive-By” (Gutter Funk)
17. LCSM “Piece of Mind” (Supersonic Jazz)
18. XTRA BRUX “Wanna Move” (Dance Regular)
19. Neill Janke “DAY AND NIGHT” (bOOGIE Cafe)
20. Regent Street “Lawwwd 2020” (Sure Shot Trax)
21. Hollaway “Turn Up” (Instinct)
22. New Sector Movements “The Return” (Jock Club Remix) (Dubplate)
23. El Sull “Shift” (GD4YA)
24. Haze City “Bass Lines” (Supersonic Jazz)
25. Nuff Pedals “Abstract” (Gutter Funk)
26. Kush Jones “Ari Dub” (Future Times)
27. IZCO “Stack and Grind” (Silicone Chop edit) (Self-Release)
28. Zed Bias “Is It The Future Yet?” (Self-Release)