Scott Garcia

Scott Garcia

Scott Garcia is a UK garage and speed garage DJ and producer from the United Kingdom, and is described as one of the pioneers of the UK garage scene. He begins as a record shop owner and later moves into DJing and production, becoming closely associated with the London garage movement.

Early record shop and DJ work

In 1994, Garcia opens Ruff Trax, a record shop that stocks UK-made house and garage records. At the time, Sunday club culture is dominated by dub versions of US garage tracks, and the shop becomes part of the local scene. Through the shop he connects with promoters running Sunday parties and starts DJing at venues including The Arches, The Frog And Nightgown and Adrenalin Village, as well as invite-only boat parties.

He later meets producer Gee Smoove at one of these events and begins working in Smoove’s small studio in Wandsworth, which is close to Garcia’s family home. This marks his shift from DJ to DJ-producer.

Early releases and breakthrough

Garcia’s first 12-inch appears in 1996 as a two-track EP called Enter the Darkness. The following year he releases Music Takes You on the Buzz Bomb label, which becomes his first underground anthem and brings positive attention from music journalists.

He then makes It’s a London Thing with his friend Lee, also known as MC Styles. The track is originally intended as a dub plate for DJ use, but strong demand leads to a full release on Garcia’s own Underground Connection label. It sells more than 8,000 copies on that label, is then taken up by BMG Records, sells another 30,000-plus units and reaches number 24 in the UK singles chart. A video is filmed at the first live performance of the track on the Diesel stage at Notting Hill Carnival. After this, Garcia is widely identified with the title “Mr London Thing”.

Remixes, aliases and production work

After the success of It’s a London Thing, Garcia undertakes a busy period of promotion and remixing. His remix work includes tracks for Another Level, Deni Hines, The Ruff Driverz, Rachel Wallace and JD Braithwaite.

He also forms The Dub Monsters with DJ Ray Hurley. Under that name, they release the Monster Cuts EPs, volumes 1 and 2, on Fifty First Records. Garcia later works with production partner Mike Kenny under the pseudonym Corrupted Cru, releasing 13 tracks on Kronik Records. Tracks such as G.A.R.A.G.E., featuring MC Neat, and Poison appear on major-selling compilation albums.

Label work and later projects

In 1999 Garcia sets up another label and signs artists including Oxide and Neutrino, DJ Luck and MC Neat, Shy Cookie and The Genius Cru, all of whom go on to have success in UK garage. He also produces We The Gals Want for ragga artist Top Cat, released on Public Demand Records.

By 2007 he is working on his first album and preparing a new version of It’s a London Thing featuring MC Creed and Jo B. Across these projects, Garcia remains a key figure in UK garage, especially in its London and underground forms.