Dif Juz
Encyclopedia
Dif Juz was a British instrumental band, strongly influenced by dub, who were active in the early to mid 1980s. Retroactively they can be seen to be most strongly allied with the Post-rock
movement.
band Duran Duran
. He apparently disappeared and missed a particularly volatile gig after the band hired the owners of the Birmingham Rum Runner
nightclub as managers. In a 2003 interview John Taylor
(bassist for Duran Duran) said "straight away Alan Curtis skipped town, thinking getting involved with two nightclub owners meant he would end up in pieces down a city alleyway."
Following Alan Curtis' return to London he resumed his collaboration with his brother Dave and Richard Thomas (all of whom played in London Pride) and was joined by Gary Bromley. They determined to create something new and different. The name Dif Juz was adopted as a play on Different Jazz.
Dave Curtis was a trained classical guitarist, Alan Curtis's guitar play was self taught and innovative, Richard Thomas was the Jack of all Trades with a thirst for mastering wind instruments and production values and Gary Bromley's bass play whilst honed in West London could have easily found home in Kingston JA. The resulting soundscape was dense, atmospheric and spacious, driven by pounding bass lines and rhythm.
The band signed to label 4AD
and a demo was played by John Peel
. The band performed a number of inspiring gigs in the London area in 1981, most notably at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead and at the Ealing Town Hall.
Fellow label mates the Cocteau Twins became great colleagues, collaborated closely and on occasion toured and played with Dif Juz amongst other venues at the Saddlers Wells Theatre.
Dif Juz is associated with their more famous contemporaries Cocteau Twins
for several reasons:
Although the band was mainly instrumental, they also occasionally worked with a vocalist from North London, Hollis Chambers.
At one point they served as a backing band for Reggae
/Dub
luminary Lee Scratch Perry for a few live dates. A studio album of this collaboration was recorded with Robin Guthrie as producer but this album was never released and sits unheard in the 4AD vaults. There is currently some debate as to why. 4AD's current stance is that the Curtis brothers never really appreciated the results. However, Dave Curtis has stated that he believes it's "the best thing Dif Juz ever did".
.
4AD manager Ivo Watts-Russell said that he "expected these most individual of individuals to work together again at some point", but this never happened.
Richard Thomas has also worked with Butterfly Child, Moose
, Cocteau Twins, The Wolfgang Press
, and April March
; Gary Bromley is currently performing in a band called "The Children"; Dave Curtis spent some time collaborating with the Wolfgang Press, This Mortal Coil
and Tranquil Trucking Company.
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
movement.
History
The members of the group were Dave Curtis (guitar), Alan Curtis (guitar), Gary Bromley (bass), and Richard Thomas (percussion, saxophone). The band developed out of the punk band London Pride that was formed by the Curtis brothers. In late 1979, Alan Curtis was involved with New WaveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
. He apparently disappeared and missed a particularly volatile gig after the band hired the owners of the Birmingham Rum Runner
Rum Runner (nightclub)
The Rum Runner nightclub was opened on Broad Street, Birmingham in the city centre in 1964. It was demolished in 1987 to make way for the Hyatt Hotel....
nightclub as managers. In a 2003 interview John Taylor
Nigel John Taylor
John Taylor is an English musician who is best known as the bass guitarist and co-founder of pop rock band Duran Duran....
(bassist for Duran Duran) said "straight away Alan Curtis skipped town, thinking getting involved with two nightclub owners meant he would end up in pieces down a city alleyway."
Following Alan Curtis' return to London he resumed his collaboration with his brother Dave and Richard Thomas (all of whom played in London Pride) and was joined by Gary Bromley. They determined to create something new and different. The name Dif Juz was adopted as a play on Different Jazz.
Dave Curtis was a trained classical guitarist, Alan Curtis's guitar play was self taught and innovative, Richard Thomas was the Jack of all Trades with a thirst for mastering wind instruments and production values and Gary Bromley's bass play whilst honed in West London could have easily found home in Kingston JA. The resulting soundscape was dense, atmospheric and spacious, driven by pounding bass lines and rhythm.
The band signed to label 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
and a demo was played by John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
. The band performed a number of inspiring gigs in the London area in 1981, most notably at the Moonlight Club in West Hampstead and at the Ealing Town Hall.
Fellow label mates the Cocteau Twins became great colleagues, collaborated closely and on occasion toured and played with Dif Juz amongst other venues at the Saddlers Wells Theatre.
Dif Juz is associated with their more famous contemporaries Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
for several reasons:
- Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin GuthrieRobin GuthrieRobin Guthrie is a musician best known as co-founder of the Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing...
produced several of their recordings. - Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth FraserElizabeth FraserElizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer best known as the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins...
sang on "Love Insane" from the album Extractions. - They were (4AD Records) label-mates and toured with the Cocteau Twins.
- Cocteau Twins bass player Simon RaymondeSimon RaymondeSimon Philip Raymonde is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer, Ivor Raymonde.-Career:...
was quoted as saying Dif Juz were the "Best live band I've ever seen". - The two bands shared some superficial similarities in production style, notably a love of delay and reverb effects.
- Member Richard Thomas played saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and tablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
on Cocteau Twins' 1985 VictorialandVictorialandVictorialand is the fourth album by Scottish band Cocteau Twins. Working without member Simon Raymonde, who had been enlisted to work on This Mortal Coil's Filigree & Shadow album, vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist/producer Robin Guthrie produced a record almost completely devoid of...
LP.
Although the band was mainly instrumental, they also occasionally worked with a vocalist from North London, Hollis Chambers.
At one point they served as a backing band for Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
/Dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
luminary Lee Scratch Perry for a few live dates. A studio album of this collaboration was recorded with Robin Guthrie as producer but this album was never released and sits unheard in the 4AD vaults. There is currently some debate as to why. 4AD's current stance is that the Curtis brothers never really appreciated the results. However, Dave Curtis has stated that he believes it's "the best thing Dif Juz ever did".
The Present
The band never officially disbanded. However, due to health issues neither Dave Curtis nor Gary Bromley were able to devote the time needed to the band and this led to a "slow dissolve." For a time the band continued with bass player Scott Rodger who performed recorded with the band on "Out of The Trees" and subsequent touring but the spark seemed to be diminishing. The final step to dissolution occurred when Richard Thomas became a touring drummer for The Jesus and Mary ChainThe Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
.
4AD manager Ivo Watts-Russell said that he "expected these most individual of individuals to work together again at some point", but this never happened.
Richard Thomas has also worked with Butterfly Child, Moose
Moose (band)
Moose were a British indie rock band who formed in London in 1990. The original line-up included Russell Yates , K.J. “Moose” McKillop , Damien Warburton , and Jeremy Tishler . After Warburton and Tishler left the band they were replaced with Lincoln Fong , his brother Russell , and Richard Thomas...
, Cocteau Twins, The Wolfgang Press
The Wolfgang Press
The Wolfgang Press was an English post-punk band, active from 1983 until 1995, recording for the 4AD label. The core of the band was Michael Allen , Mark Cox , and Andrew Gray , with many guest musicians....
, and April March
April March
April March is an American indie pop singer/songwriter who sings in English and French...
; Gary Bromley is currently performing in a band called "The Children"; Dave Curtis spent some time collaborating with the Wolfgang Press, This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil was a gothic dream pop supergroup led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were technically the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom...
and Tranquil Trucking Company.
Albums
- Extractions (1 July 1985) (reached #11 on the UK Indie ChartUK Indie ChartThe UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
)- 12" vinyl LP (CAD505), 9 tracks
- CD (CAD505CD), 13 tracks; adds 2 tracks each from the 1981 EPs
Singles & EPs
- 1981: Huremics 12" vinyl EP (BAD109), 4 tracks track order,1,hu.2,re,3,mi,4,cs.
- 1981: Vibrating Air 12" vinyl EP (BAD116), 4 tracks
Compilations
When reissued on the following compilations the Vibrating Air tracks were remixed. There are other anthology appearances but these collect all the extant songs.- 1982: Time Clock Turn Back cassette with Pleasantly Surprised magazine (NONDJ1), 12 tracks
- 1983: Who Says So? 12" vinyl LP on Red Flame (RFM24), 8 tracks
- 10 November 1986: Out of the Trees 12" vinyl compilation of 1981 EPs (MAD612), 8 tracks
- 5 April 1999: Soundpool compilation CD (GAD109), includes 1981 EPs plus anthology track "No Motion," which was previously released on the 4AD sampler Lonely Is an EyesoreLonely Is an EyesoreLonely Is an Eyesore is a compilation of music by artists on the 4AD label released in June 1987. The album was produced by Ivo Watts-Russell and recorded at Blackwing Studios, London. The album was engineered and mixed by John Fryer...
.