King Britt

King Britt is a Philadelphia-born DJ, producer, composer and music director whose work spans deep house, hip-hop, broken beat, nu-jazz, funk, afro-tech and related electronic styles. He begins his career under the name E-Culture, releasing the underground 12-inch Tribal Confusion on Strictly Rhythm in 1990. After touring European dance clubs, he becomes the DJ for the Grammy-winning group Digable Planets in 1992, working with Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Doodlebug and Ladybug as the group develops its blend of jazz and hip-hop. He also continues to DJ in house clubs internationally, building a career that ranges across club performance, production and composition.

Sylk 130 and Philadelphia work

As a bandleader and music director, Britt heads Sylk 130, a collective formed in 1994 that includes more than a dozen Philadelphia musicians and performers such as Ursula Rucker, Alma Horton, Doc Gibbs, Chuck Treece and Alison Crockette. The group releases the albums When the Funk Hits the Fan and Re-Members Only, and also maintains a long-running Monday night residency at Philadelphia’s Sylk City venue. The project reflects Britt’s interest in soul-based, rhythm-heavy music with a broad live ensemble approach.

Albums, aliases and remixes

As a producer and songwriter, Britt releases a series of albums under his own name, including Adventures in Lo-Fi on BBE’s Beat Generation series, Cosmo Afrique, King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan and The Nova Dream Sequence. Cosmo Afrique features vocals from Soul II Soul’s Wumni, Zap Mama and Diva Blue, while King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan reinterprets the work of the New Orleans gospel figure Sister Gertrude Morgan. He also works under the Scuba moniker, releasing Hidden Treasures, and later issues the compilation This Is...King Britt. His remix work includes versions for Macy Gray, Tori Amos, Yoko Ono, Femi Kuti, Curtis Mayfield, The O’Jays, Gamble and Huff, Ben Watt, Dizzie Gillespie, Everything but the Girl and Digable Planets. His remix of Josh One’s “Contemplation” is nominated for the Dancestar Remix of the Year award.

Film, media and other projects

Britt also composes for film and screen. His credits include underscore and interpretations for Miami Vice, the National Park Service civil rights film Never Lose Sight of Freedom and two Rolex television and film advertisements. He is chief executive of Five Six Media, a label and multimedia production house. He also releases King Britt Presents the Cosmic Lounge, a free jazz compilation.