For those in the know, Marcia Carr has been in and around the scene for more years than most. Coming up through the ranks in South London, honing her skills on the decks, and became a highly knowledgeable selector. Part of the LadyBugz collective back in the 90s – the female Bugz in The Attic – she plays alongside Luke Una and Hunee at the Wild Wood Festival in June. Here we have the pleasure of talking to this formidable female force and much-respected DJ ahead of the event.
Thanks for talking to us. Where are you at this moment and how are you spending the day?
Today, I am at home in London, sort of relaxing but trying to get some promo work done ahead of our next Girlz B Like party in May – this year is our tenth anniversary, and I am doing a bit of radio press in connection to my first ever record compilation. It is called Soul Damn Funky Vol. 2 – a joint venture with the Brighton-based DJ Russell Ruckman.
Where were you born? What was it like growing up there?
I am London born and bred – raised in south London, from a working-class background where most people around me were of a similar disposition. Life was relatively simpler at times, testing as well because my family weren’t well off. All of London, I vaguely recall, was experiencing an air of despair with the state of the economy: poverty, the Government and unemployment levels, which were at a peak high in the mid to late Seventies.
My parents did their best to provide for me and my brother. However, we managed the odd family holidays to Spain, the US during school breaks. My dad died at the age of 36 on the 15th of August 1977, the day before Elvis Presley – it’s how I always remember his untimely passing.
Those first few years were especially hard for my Mum and my brother. Overnight, I suddenly had to become a lot more of a responsible person, I had to look after my brother a lot more and do things at home for the family because my Mum had to work more hours and take on extra shifts.
As a teenager, my development in personality kicked in strongly. This is where I really began to come out of my shell much more: being creative through music. Arts and crafts took up my time briefly, after the desire for ballet classes no longer held my interest, my cycling passion grew, as did becoming a bit rebellious with some pent-up angst in there giving my Mum grief!
Where are you these days… What do you love most about where you are living, what keeps you where you are today?
Apart from a couple of years when I was a child, I have remained living in different parts of South London. Witnessing the topography evolve in various areas over the years, the intrusion of gentrification changing the demographics has created a lot of shifting and movement of people with some cultural impact on some areas, but one thing that has not diminished is how immensely more multicultural London has become overall. On the whole, I think a major bonus for London, like any of the major cities throughout the UK – we are better for it as a nation.
Was there someone or something that inspired you to become a DJ Marcia?
There were probably a few things that inspired me along the way to the point where I felt a more vested interest in what I was passionate about. I cannot name one person specifically, but I did think that what I heard on the radio and saw at the parties made me think that I was also capable of doing what they were enjoying.
Is there an album that sticks in your mind from being a kid?
Absolutely – the album that had me hooked from the moment my Mum brought it home is ‘Masterpiece’ by The Temptations which was on import release through Gordy Records in 1973, of course, I later realised that it was the parent label Berry Gordy’s Motown Inc. What I found intriguing about the title track was how long it actually was – to my ears as a minor it sounded like a continuous loop – I didn’t want it to end, and I would listen to the song repeatedly on my parents gram – an all in one music system. The stylised furniture item was important, centred in our family home, in the living room, it played stacked up seven-inch records that my Mum quite often selected on weekends – my occasional interruptions with my choices she didn’t really mind because they were her records anyway.
What kind of artists, DJs, and genres were you into growing up?
Growing up I have come to appreciate a lot of different artists across the spectrum of Black music – both seasoned and emerging talent. Even though it was mainly Reggae and Soul music that I was hearing a lot of at home, it was definitely as a prepubescent teenager I locked into the sounds of jazz funk, Disco and the emerging UK sounds that stood out from 1978/9 onwards. I loved the vibes man Roy Ayers (RIP), Earth, Wind and Fire, The BarKays, James Brown, Bob Marley, The Abyssinians – the music I’d hear my school friends brothers play at house/family parties, my older cousins and the records of my Auntie (my Mum’s sister) – her collection was strong from what I remember.
As for DJ’s, again, they’re a number of people I respect and for various reasons. I have been drawn to certain individuals on my journey. Radio jocks like Merlin Bobb (from WBLS, New York), Greg Edwards who presented Soul Spectrum -London’s Capital radio, Tony Humphries who was on New York’s Kiss FM, Peter Young (Capital radio), Robbie Vincent (Radio 1), and when the late Paul “Trouble” Anderson used to do his ad-free show on London’s Kiss FM station, I would tune in to his show regularly – everybody in the music industry I knew rated his show highly, it was that aspirational in terms of quality “advance Dance” as Paul would say.
Where were some of the first gigs you played?
As my passion for what I was hearing everywhere at house parties, attending concerts and going to all-dayers, listening to pirate stations like LWR, Radio Invictor. Me, hanging out in records shops was increasing, DJ’ing at the University of North London, which I attended I would say was one of the landmark moments for me playing in front of larger audiences outside of crowds of familiarity to me. I also did a slot at Busby’s which was connected to the Astoria building at the time – now gone – they turned the buildings into luxury flats or corporate businesses.
What kind of stuff were you playing in your early days DJing?
It the early days of my development as a DJ I would play a mixed bag of tunes – mostly Black music of 1980’s New York dance, Rare Groove, UK sounds of soul, jazz funk, very early hip hop and house music before it was being identified/labelled as House music. There was a point when some tracks were being called “rave” or shelved under “acid house” in record shops. I also had another side to me where I would be booked to just play house sets, which came about I think because in the 1990’s I had become known for doing music reviews and interviews – I would cover (written press) or handle reviews of soulful house, with a bit of disco r ’n’ b too. There was almost a parallel upward trajectory with me doing the odd stint on community and pirate radio of which I would lean more toward playing house sounds that grabbed my attention especially US-imported records that were hitting the independent shops. A few would come in from Italy, France – the Belgium sounds were far too hard in sound for my ears – and I deemed most of the output as without having any soul substance, hence me wanting only the good tracks from NY, New Jersey and those cuts that made the grade from the UK.
You are known for having real depth and knowledge of music. Where do you think you gathered most of that knowledge?
My depth of knowledge advanced and expanded naturally early on as I built up my vinyl collection due to a combination of things. Reading the small print on the back of record sleeves was something I was studious about for a long time. Being a music journalist as well, I had to know about the records I was reviewing – research to me was important because I knew that someone out there would at some time read my point of view about particular records – just as I would not have wanted to be misinformed I felt it was my duty to share my love as well as provide the right info to the consumers, i.e.. the record collector. There were moments when I instinctively gathered that knowledge was like a rite of passage among collectors and DJs. Essentially, knowing the music as best I could to hold the attention of my male peers; to have engaging conversations with them meant it was important for me to speak their language. In their world I realised that is how I would hold myself confidently amongst them both as a DJ and a music enthusiast.
Tell us about the LadyBugz. When did it start, who was involved, what did you guys do?
How I became involved with the second incarnation of The LadyBugz was down to an invitation from Orin “Afronaut” Waters around 2007/8. Orin was one the two founding protagonists of the original sound of Broken Beat, who spoke to me about his vision for this all-female crew, he wanted it to be an arm, an extension to the Bugz In The Attic, for us to come into the limelight and shine – the women of the scene had always been important, not just as dancers, but as vocalists, and or MCs on a lot of the music releases out there from the mid 1990’s onwards.
Katie Barber, Tayo Maronie, Sophie Callis and I thought that Orin’s idea had lots of potential, so between the four of us having numerous contacts and connections we were sure things could and would happen, especially as we were already avid vinyl aficionados – we loved broken beat which neatly slotted into our eclectic direction of how we would play the music. Around 2008 we lunged into doing some parties at various spaces including East Village now Trapeze (Shoreditch) – thanks to our lovely friend Stuart Patterson (FAITH) who managed the venue at the time – Stuart was friends with Phil Asher, as we were individually with him – Katie and myself had spun with Phlash at previous events. MC and DJ Marshmallo who was a member of the 2000’s original LadyBugz crew (Helen Asher, Katie Barber and Auntie Maureen [SisaMo]) – joined us at some point in 2009. We appeared at V3, Worldwide Festival, The Big Chill, venues like Plastic People, Hidden, an encompassing radio show at Ministry of Sound with a host of other opportunities came through – we had a decent run for a few years.
Were you into the broken genre massively in the LadyBugz days? Tell us about your peers at that time like Phil Asher?
I had always been into Broken Beat from the start so various tracks being played in my sets was just something I did anyway. Additionally, I had written a few record reviews of some of the singles releases for magazines like Touch, Mixmag 5 Update, On magazine, Blues & Soul, along with other publications – I still have a number of the old test pressings that were sent to me routinely by Goya Music, Bettina Constanzo aka Bougie Soliterre, Far Out Recordings amongst other indie labels. An old friend Sam Davis (Mamma Sam) from Lokotomotion and I happened to have met IG Culture from his days as a producer for Dodge City Productions with his then studio partner Roger Drakes. In the early Nineties they were honing their craft within the UK hip-hop arena, and I much appreciated and supported their productions. I don’t know if they went their separate ways, but a few years down the line I noticed Ian’s name pop up again on records I would receive from Main Squeeze, therefore I made the connection that Ian was IG Culture.
By the time IG and Orin had come together with their underground movement bubbling and growing with other guys working with them like Mark Force, Kaidi Tatham, Phil Asher and other names, I was quite preoccupied, playing at various one-off events around London – I loved being on the dance floors too. When I wasn’t behind the turntables, I really was that “girl about town” partying hard – without alcohol – at all sorts of places meeting people across many scenes.
There were events that I would attend such as Different Strokes, The Satellite Club, Co Op, Twice As Nice. I personally already knew people like Daz I Kue (Basil Buckley from Twelvehandz connected us) who did engineering work on a lot of the scenes tracks – he played upstairs at Spring’s Wine Bar. If I remember correctly before Orin even knew me in person, I was working on his PR promo with Nikki Trax (Future Trax) – records releases that he and Phil Asher produced. Also, Phil Asher was our guest DJ at See The Light around 1995 and ’96, a party which I co-promoted with Johnny Reckless and Michael “Miggs” Morley in Vauxhall.
Are your sets concentrated on a genre these days or are you playing a wide array of sounds?
Two sides to me have always co-existed. Primarily, I have always bounced between different genres even when agents have had conversations with me in the past to convince me that it would be more to my benefit to stick with one sound, I never did. Although I do have a different approach when I am booked for solely house gigs, what you hear from me would not ever be just one sound of house music – which has many cousins, and all are rooted to the same family tree.
Luke Una reckons you’re a female Theo Parish. How do you feel about that?
Oh wow. Did Luke really say that? I am not offended as I have been called worse names. LOL. Of course, I am just being me though – that is an amazing compliment to receive… I have been called the DJ’s DJ in the past as well because the guys, my DJ peers, have often said that I am to them what they consider “a proper selector” should be. Equally, there are lots of people I admire out there who have phenomenal taste in music too.
Do you feel that the industry is fairer to women now than in your early years, or do you think that there’s still a long way to go?
In short, my experience leads me to believe that we have a long way before we see a balance of permanent change that will be fair to include women entertainers. During the last four decades, I have witnessed a lot of changes here and there. I, myself have been caught up in things that I thought were for the good of representation for change in the Underground music industry, but a lot of things have turned out to be merely fleeting gestures, not anything substantial that I think is easily seen by the layperson in the street i.e.. those who aren’t industry insiders.
Sometimes change is fashionable; a few people saying all the “right things” like you would do in a PR exercise, then things more or less revert back to the status quo. I don’t want to appear pessimistic, as I am only speaking as I find. Small shifts have benefitted some women I am sure there are those that say differently and that is to be expected. However, ageism, racism, and colourism which I have had to deal with are the other mountains that are still in my way – thankfully my faith in God has truly helped me to overcome many situations.
What are your thoughts on being a DJ and having to have an online profile? Do you play the game?
First, I am a woman who happens to be a mother who has held this longtime passion for records and music which has evolved into many blessed things – great opportunities, having wonderful relationships with friends and through my journey of dealing with ups and downs my faith in God, which I take seriously, has steered me to things in better ways than I could imagine.
Social media in recent years may have had some small part to play in terms of visibility. However, even before the Internet word of mouth from people who have seen what I could do in real time is something I treasure – people’s opinions do count for something. It is no lie when I say I have made plenty of stupid mistakes – being stubborn is not a character trait that is easy to navigate, but I am working on that. As in life, there are things in this business that play out like an episode of Game of Thrones or maybe, The Hunger Games – I don’t try to entangle myself in those kinds of “games”. People can choose to take me as I am, just as I would do my best to respect a person – we can all get along when we humble ourselves and genuinely show more love to each other. Superficial people end up falling away from what I have seen.
In all honesty, trusting individuals who have taken advantage of me in negative ways has on occasion brought me to my knees crying before God. Where my skillset and strengths shine, I believe that God has used me to be impactful on the path that I am on – it’s by his grace and mercy and the fruits of what I have witnessed, the evidence of seeing these things is equally fulfilling and inspiring – then I move on from past hurts.
Where do you find the most inspiration when it comes to discovering new music?
To discover new music, I search the net. I venture into record shops – doing a lot of mail order when I cannot physically get to shops due to lack of time.
Who do you think is making great music at the moment?
Newer names whom I think have long-term appeal from the UK and around the world are Ashley Henry, Moses Boyd, The Group Fire, Toribio, Sean McCabe, Lila Iké, Allysha Joy, Turbulance, Ego Ella May, Yasmin Lacey, Cleo Sol, Sekou, Yasmin Green – by the time someone has read this feature, I may have added someone else on my list of ‘One’s To Watch’, and I haven’t even started on über talented studio producers yet.
There is a vast array of fine music from many of the emerging talents out there to dive into if you are prepared to look hard enough. I am particular about playing tracks that don’t contain anything negative language such as explicit lyrics, no N-Words or B-words. I like songs that tell a story even if there is a bit of sadness about it, there should be a positive resolve of some sort, or the track must have a good moral ending, because I want the audiences I play for to have an uplifting time in my company; an experience that will be memorable. Depressing songs do nothing for one’s soul – ultimately, people want to be elevated and inspired.
What is the most recent record you purchased?
A full-length album by Kaidi Tatham ‘Miles Away’ on First Word Records is the most recent piece of vinyl I have purchased.
You are going to be playing at the Wild Wood Disco Festival in June. Is this your first time?
I am aware that the Wild Wood Festival is an intimate, boutique-sized, weekend event for those music lovers who appreciate less commercial dance music from a huge melting pot of sounds. I understand that the crowds who attend are loyal supporters, and, intergenerational which is perfect for me It so happens that back m February, I was fortunate to actually meet Vicky (Fenton) the promoter and owner who created this event in 2017. She was at the Dance, Dance, Dance gig in Margate where I was a guest DJ at. Thanks to the legend that is Luke Unabomber of È Soul Cultura, who’s hosting the Main Stage on Sunday, 22nd June, I am mega excited to make my debut with him, plus his esteemed guest Hunee, a Korean super selector. I am going to be in good company, dropping anything from rugged Disco, fiery funk, edifying gospel, Hi Life, Electronica riddims and more – party hard with us as well as keep the pace on the earth’s dance floor.
If you had to pick a track for peak-time festival fun what would that be?
Knowing me, that could be anything because as I connect with the crowd I often take chances and follow my gut instinct. I might hit ‘em with ‘Join His Kingdom’ by Roy Davis Jr. because it’s an underrated house meets a solid disco rhythm with Roy’s unmistakable vocals laced on top, or ‘Bolo’ by Leo Washington.
Have you got any tips for festival survival?
Festival survival tips are to stay hydrated with bottled water, pack an extra loo roll, suntan lotion for those need it, wear sensible footwear, always walk with some cash, don’t forget your mobile phone charger, and pack a poncho in case the heavens open. But we can still “get happy in the rain”.
You’ve been playing records for a long time Marcia. What advice would you give to young women coming up right now?
Whether male or Female, do not expect anything, but be sincere from your heart for the music that moves your heart and soul, to learn and grow with wherever it will positively take you.
Never compromise by doing anything for anyone if you do not feel comfortable – you need to be able to sleep at night. At any point you are not enjoying the music business – be it DJ’ing, radio presenter, a tour manager, a studio engineer, a songwriter, or whatever your vocation may be – reevaluate things and bow out altogether if this is the final option. You need to be able to handle the knock backs that you will get from time to time – but those things help to build character in you, anyway.
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