23 Skidoo

23 Skidoo

23 Skidoo are an experimental group from London, formed in North London in 1979. Their work combines industrial, punk, hip hop, funk, jazz and tribal elements, and their interests include martial arts, Burundi and Kodo drumming, Fela Kuti, The Last Poets and William S. Burroughs, alongside the wider meeting point between industrial music, post-punk and funk.

Line-up and early releases

The group begins as a post-punk trio and becomes a quartet by 1980, with Fritz Catlin, Johnny Turnbull, Sam Mills and Patrick Griffiths. In that line-up they record their first single, Ethics, in February 1981. The single is later seen as unrepresentative of the band. Soon afterwards they expand to a sextet with the addition of Johnny Turnbull’s brother Alex Turnbull and Tom Heslop, before Patrick Griffiths leaves to live in Paris.

Fetish Records period

In spring 1981, 23 Skidoo sign to Fetish Records. For the label they record Last Words and the album Seven Songs, released in February 1982. The band then dismisses Sam Mills and Tom Heslop in June 1982 and plays an experimental, noisy WOMAD concert using scrap-metal instruments. David Tibet of Current 93 joins them for that performance, and a recording of it forms the first side of The Culling Is Coming, released in February 1983. Fetish Records drops the group after this change in direction.

Later work and related projects

The second side of The Culling Is Coming explores a more meditative approach, using gamelan instruments including gongs and Indonesian drums. This direction continues on Urban Gamelan, released in August 1984. By then bass player Sketch, also known as Peter Martin and formerly of the britfunk duo Linx, loosely joins the group. With Sketch, 23 Skidoo move back towards a more accessible funk sound on the singles Coup and Language.

After Urban Gamelan, the members focus on other projects, and the group releases only the hip-hop single Assassin in 1986. During the late 1980s and 1990s they concentrate on behind-the-scenes production work and their own label, Ronin. In 2000 they issue a self-titled album featuring saxophone work from Pharaoh Sanders and guest vocals by Roots Manuva. The group disbands in 2003.

Legacy

23 Skidoo’s recordings are widely sampled by other artists. Coup is sampled by the Chemical Brothers on Block Rockin’ Beats, and the bass line of Fire is used by Meat Beat Manifesto on Radio Babylon. The group’s members include Sam Mills, John Balance, Fritz Catlin, Chanan Hanspal, Tom Heslop, David Tibet, Alex Turnbull and Johnny Turnbull.