Ewen Spencer Playlist
- Text by Shelley Jones
- Photography by Ewen Spencer
British subculture photographer Ewen Spencer naturally gravitated towards shooting garage and grime scenes after growing up a northern soul boy in Newcastle.
Here, the committed documentarian reveals his favourite tracks from his time spent with East London’s finest DJs and MCs.
“I’m not a huge listener to grime. It’s not for me really, is it? It is made by and for youth. However what drew me to grime was the new unlistenable sounds being created around East London and the energy and excitement it generated throughout the rest of the UK. It had a naive quality. There was no theory involved here. It was similar to punk rock in this way, your mate shows you three chords and you start a band.
Here are a few tracks from early grime sounds starting with Dizzee. Homemade tunes from Ruff Sqwad probably made on a home PC using Fruity Loops through to a “stone cold” garage anthem in Ramsey and Fenn’s ‘Love Bug’. Ten years of the British underground.”
