Statik - Grindie Vol.1 Launch Party Review (22/03/06)

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Originally uploaded by Danny Walker 1.

As soon as Statik passed a freshly pressed copy of Grindie Vol.1 into the RWD office, you know it was (black 30GB) iPod (video) playlist business straaaaight away. With a crack merchant’s best friend Pete Doherty on the intro and Statik remixed grindie riddims woven throughout, any mention of not going to the launch party was instantly rubbished by my overactive mind.
Arriving late (coming straight from a Roll Deep studio session), I was annoyed to have missed the first shower hour (well, 20 odd mins). Colleagues later informed me of its bigness – the Cold Blooded Scorcher’s name coming up on a few occasions.
After saying hello to host surrounded by indie lolitas and Shoreditch-folk alike, I made my way up to the first and somewhat louder floor. The classic Queen Vic style carpeting was no match for my imported K-Swiss and there it was - The perfect blend of indie and grime lovers in one room. Ok, mainly ‘troubled’ indie kids were in attendance but they were skanking to the same beats the RWD team were. Dizzee Rascal’s I Luv U was blaring from the ‘I cannie do it Captain’ speakers as Statik made his way to the decks.
With my empty pockets lighter than MC Ultra’s bars, it was all about the FREE booze in the (Vice Magazine owned) public house, Old Blue Last. Tracks were chopped swiftly in-between affable indie and gritty grime, later finding out no headphones the reason for the rough sea-like mixing.
During Statik’s set he dropped some big street anthems which including Jon E Cash’s Hood’s Up, DaVinChe classics and some one-away Ruff Sqwad crowd quaking commerce – big. Joined by Knuckles, Ears and D Dark & S-Kid of Aftershock Recordings the set got going. The Jah Mek The World two interchanged with Knuckles unleashing, “I’ll buss your head with Alizé, leave your body dumped in an alleyway,” and Ears lending, “you might see me in my adidas hoodie, can’t chat sh*t to me I rep fully, three stripes down to my feet. If it ain’t exclus’ then it ain’t for me.”
A few odd dubplate interchanges later and Scorcher was on the mic, with “Man draw for the big metal like Guns & Roses, I’ll open your chest like it was the Red Sea and my butterfly knife was Moses”, standard reload-worthy lyrical content. The night then faded as the clock had ticked on but not before Statik rained-down some more shower inspired tracks - a very decent and a very free night.

Words by Danny Walker

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