Mr. C
Encyclopedia
Richard West is a British
DJ, musician, actor and rapper, who uses the monikers Mr. C and Sycophant Slags. He is best known as the frontman for The Shamen
during their most commercially successful era. West is also a house music DJ and co-owner/co-founder of London
's The End
nightclub with Layo from Layo and Bushwacka!. He is considered a leading proponent of tech house
, a fusion of house
and techno music.
In 1995 his DJing talents came to the attention of UK rave promoter/record company Fantazia who asked him to mix their new album Fantazia DJ Collection 3 - Back to the Old Skool. He's also mixed CDs Psycotrance vol 1, X-Mix 6 on Studio K7, Sunterrain 100% Unreleased on his End recordings imprint & most recently Superfreq Express on his Superfreq label.
In December 1995 Mr.C opened The End Club in London with Partner Layo Paskin which eventually closed just over 13 years later, on January 24, 2009.
Mr.C is best known as front man of the pop group The Shamen
with whom he notched up a string of top 10 hits including Move Any Mountain
& the group's most famous single, Ebeneezer Goode
.
The Shamen also won a highly coveted Ivor Novello
for "Songwriters of the Year" in 1992
.
He took a hiatus for about 5 years doing regular gigs in many clubs around London
.
Mr.C also runs & promotes Superfreq events, which is now in its 8th year & ran monthly at Mr.C's club, The End until it closed down in January 2009. Superfreq now has monthly residencies at the brand new Cable Club in London Bridge, London, starting June 13, 2009 & as runs bi-monthly events at Junk Club in Southampton & various locations in Calais.
Superfreq has accomplished 5 successful seasons in Ibiza, 3 at Club Underground & the last 2 seasons at DC10. Superfreq took a summer off last year in protest at the way the authorities were treating the good people that were bringing the commerce to the island, but is back this coming season with Superfreq, every Thursday night from June 11 until October 1 at the brand new spot BoHo.
Superfreq has also completed its 5th annual tour of South America as well as doing regular events with Made Events in NYC & at WMC Miami & regular events at Avaland in L.A. Superfreq has also done one-off shows the world over including U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, China, England, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Lithuania, France, Croatia, Greece, Latvia & Russia to name but a few places.
, Funk
, Dub
, Disco
, House
, Electro, Techno
.
and he performed his Shamen song, "Universal Nation".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
DJ, musician, actor and rapper, who uses the monikers Mr. C and Sycophant Slags. He is best known as the frontman for The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
during their most commercially successful era. West is also a house music DJ and co-owner/co-founder of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's The End
The End (club)
The End was a nightclub in the West End of London, England. Started in December 1995 by DJs Layo Paskin and Mr C, The End was world-renowned. It was also responsible for the label End Recordings....
nightclub with Layo from Layo and Bushwacka!. He is considered a leading proponent of tech house
Tech house
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that mixes elements of minimal techno into simple, 4-to-4 beats found in soulful deep house. The genre came to prominence in the late-1990s atmosphere of American clubs as soul influenced Detroit-style techno that also borrowed elements from house before...
, a fusion of house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and techno music.
In 1995 his DJing talents came to the attention of UK rave promoter/record company Fantazia who asked him to mix their new album Fantazia DJ Collection 3 - Back to the Old Skool. He's also mixed CDs Psycotrance vol 1, X-Mix 6 on Studio K7, Sunterrain 100% Unreleased on his End recordings imprint & most recently Superfreq Express on his Superfreq label.
Music career
West started MCing in the London clubs aged only 16 and soon earned a reputation as a fast talking vivacious rapper working with LWR radio’s Ron Tom, Jasper the Vinyl Junkie & Jazzy M. Mr.C then hooked up with Colin Faver & Evil Eddie Richards to became resident rapper at Camden Palace going on to MC for Colin Faver on the then illegal Kiss FM.Myster-E
Mr.C went into the studio to record his 1st house track with Eddie Richards as Myster-E , as a reference to ecstasy, in 1987. This inspired Mr.C to become a DJ to learn more about house & techno music and in late ‘87 Richard took to the decks.DJ Work
Mr.C has since organized, promoted & been resident DJ at: Fantasy (1988), Base (Dungeons 1989), Release (1991), Harmony (1992), Drop (1993), Cyclone (1994), Vapourspace (1994 & 1995), Flavour (The End 1995 & 1996), Subterrain (The End (1995 - 2002) & Superfreq (The End/Junk Club/Worldwide 2002–Present).In December 1995 Mr.C opened The End Club in London with Partner Layo Paskin which eventually closed just over 13 years later, on January 24, 2009.
Plink Plonk Records
Mr.C is founder & owner of Plink Plonk records, cofounder of End Recordings & cofounder & owner of Superfreq Records. Mr.C has recorded under the names, Myster-E, Nu Jacks, Bass Bureau, The Shamen, Mantrac, Somnambulist, Animus Amour, Killer Loop, Mr.C & Tom Parris & Mr.C & 16B.Mr.C is best known as front man of the pop group The Shamen
The Shamen
The Shamen were an experimental electronic music band, from 1985–1999, initially formed in Aberdeen, Scotland, as a psychedelic-influenced indie rock act. The founding members are Colin Angus , Derek McKenzie and Keith McKenzie...
with whom he notched up a string of top 10 hits including Move Any Mountain
Move Any Mountain
"Move Any Mountain" was a single performed by The Shamen. With a new radio remix by The Beatmasters, the song was released in the UK during the summer of 1991 and was their first top-ten single, reaching number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It was the band's only top-40 hit in the U.S., where the song...
& the group's most famous single, Ebeneezer Goode
Ebeneezer Goode
"Ebeneezer Goode" is a song by Scottish electronic music group The Shamen, which, after being heavily remixed by The Beatmasters, became their biggest hit when released as a single in September 1992. The band's original version also featured on the vinyl edition of their album Boss Drum...
.
The Shamen also won a highly coveted Ivor Novello
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
for "Songwriters of the Year" in 1992
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
.
He took a hiatus for about 5 years doing regular gigs in many clubs around London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
2004 to Present
Richard's currently recording solo as Mr.C or as the Sycophant Slags with his production partner Adultnapper with releases on Sexonwax, End Rec, Hallucination Ltd, Superfreq records, Bombis Records & Poker Flat Records & has EP’s due later in the year under both monikers.Mr.C also runs & promotes Superfreq events, which is now in its 8th year & ran monthly at Mr.C's club, The End until it closed down in January 2009. Superfreq now has monthly residencies at the brand new Cable Club in London Bridge, London, starting June 13, 2009 & as runs bi-monthly events at Junk Club in Southampton & various locations in Calais.
Superfreq has accomplished 5 successful seasons in Ibiza, 3 at Club Underground & the last 2 seasons at DC10. Superfreq took a summer off last year in protest at the way the authorities were treating the good people that were bringing the commerce to the island, but is back this coming season with Superfreq, every Thursday night from June 11 until October 1 at the brand new spot BoHo.
Superfreq has also completed its 5th annual tour of South America as well as doing regular events with Made Events in NYC & at WMC Miami & regular events at Avaland in L.A. Superfreq has also done one-off shows the world over including U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, China, England, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Lithuania, France, Croatia, Greece, Latvia & Russia to name but a few places.
Influences
He states his influences as; SkaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, 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...
, Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, House
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, Electro, Techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
.
Guest appearances
In 1999 he was interviewed by Melinda MessengerMelinda Messenger
Melinda Jayne Messenger is an English ex-glamour model, Page 3 Girl and a former presenter on the magazine programme Live from Studio Five. She is currently co-broadcaster of the reality show Cowboy Builders.-Biography:...
and he performed his Shamen song, "Universal Nation".
External links
- Mr C at MySpace
- Mr C Profile at The End's website
- Interview with DJ Times, 2000
- Official Facebook Fan Page "Mr. C Info", 2009
- Mr.C on SoundCloud