Mike Ladd

This one brings back memories. I think this must've been at the XEN: 10 Years of Ninja Tune party at Scala, 2000. Mike Ladd is one of the few musicians who was one of my very favourites then and still is now. This was in his crazier days (obviously,) but to give him his credit his live show hasn't lost an iota of its energy since then. For me he's always made raw, literate, black punk music. He constantly seems capable of being visceral and cerebral all at once, which is no easy feat. Great poet too, as in actually great, rather than the 'great' people normally use about musicians writing poetry. We're finally putting his new record out in May, and it's really fucking good.