From his early days breaking on the mean streets of Hertfordshire, through
his introduction to house music in the late 80s and his involvement with UK
nu-house pioneers Akwaaba, Paul has always lived and breathed music.
Growing up in St.Albans, Paul was initially enthused, like so many of his
generation, by the twin delights of the early hip hop sounds emanating from
New York and the reckless pleasure of BMX. Joining him in these youthful
pursuits were good friends Tom Lee & Steve 'Fela' Kotey. As the 80s drew to
a close Paul & friends were naturally drawn to the emerging acid house scene
and all the hedonistic pleasure it had to offer. Nights were spent dodging
Yardies at Labyrinth and indulging in underage hardcore delights at raves
such as Telepathy. Around this time Mudd's DJ career started to take off and
he had the dubious pleasure of spinning at the Tudor Oaks, a rather dodgy
Hertfordshire club where he and old mucker Tom made an all too brief
appearance on the famed late night TV show 'The Hitman & Her'!!
The early 90s brought a maturing in taste for Paul and a renewal of his love
for the house sounds of New York & Chicago. Trips to clubs such as Release
The Pressure, Bang The Party and the sounds of DJs such as Kid Batchelor,
Linden C & Rhythm Doctor eventually led Mudd and compadres to the Cross and
the Idjut Boys legendary Phreek nights. Paul felt he had at last found his
home and immersed himself in the new homegrown house scene that was growing
at a steady pace in London. It wasn't long before Paul and old friends Tom &
Steve had fallen in with the Idjuts and with their encouragement and guiding
hand Akwaaba was born. Putting their own dubbed out spin on the traditional
house sound the boys' music went down a storm and it wasn't long before NYC
legend Francois Kevorkian had beaten a path to their door, licensing the
track 'Jus' Pilau' for his Essential Mix compilation. High praise indeed. 2
albums and numerous 12s and remixes for labels such as Nuphonic, Tummy
Touch, Strutt & Discfunction followed alongside DJ dates at clubs UK &
worldwide.
At the turn of the century the three Akwaaba musketeers decided to go their
separate ways and explore pastures new and Paul knuckled down in the studio
to develop his unique style. Edits on Noid & Big Bear followed until the
Mudd we know today was ready to be unleashed on the world. With backing from
good chum Ben Cook, head honcho of Rong records in California, Paul released
'Adventures In Bricket Wood' to great acclaim amongst the cognescenti. More
releases for Rong followed and a dream chance to work with Latin legend
Chico Hamilton soon appeared. The resulting track 'Kerry's Caravan' has gone
down a storm in many a varied circle of musical quarters. His recent album for rong, entitled 'Claremont 56' was described as 'just perfect' by IDJ and has received great reviews around the globe. Paul has also started his own label, Claremont 56.
Paul's DJ work has not taken a back seat during this time and his take on
the house & disco sound can be heard in many a club worldwide and not forgetting Paul's involvement with Silver Bob's Disco Meltdown, a
random drunken pub disco he organises with good friends Trent Longbridge &
Andre Tous Les Jours.
Latest news here:
mudds blog or
www.muddsworld.com
Mudd Discography:
Releases:
mmm, zaga zaga (12") Big Bear 2000
Mudd - Garden Love Fat (12") Noid 2001
Ninja Stroll Big Bear 2001
Mudd - Dougs Video Shop (12") Bear 2002
Mudd - Adventures In Bricket Wood (12") Rong 2004
Mudd - Adventures In Bricket Wood #2 (12") Rong 2004
Mudd - Rong All Stars (12") Time Tunnel Rong 2004
Dirteebuttz (12")10 Minutes Big Bear 2004
Mudd & Chico Hamilton - Kerry's Caravan Rong 2005
Mudd - 54B (12") Rong Music 2006
Mudd - DUDM (12") Rong Music 2006
Mudd - Flytoget (12") Outergaze 2006
Smith&Mudd - Blue River - Cottage 2006
Mudd - C40/mimpi manis (12”) Rong music 2007
Mudd - Claremont 56 CD/CLP Rong music 2007
Mudd - Spielplatz/Plot of land (12”) Rong 2007
Mudd&Pollard - Villa Stavros (12") Claremont 56 2007
Smith&Mudd - Shulme (12") Claremont 56 2007
Smith&Mudd - Vegetable Square (12”) Claremont 56 2007
Smith&Mudd - Blue River (CD) Claremont 56 2008
Smith&Mudd - Tanglewood/The Start (12") Claremont 56 2008
Smith&Mudd - 24/7 + Recloose mix (12") Claremont 56 2008
Mudd&Pollard - Scaffold/Tako Yaki (12") Claremont 56 2008
Remixes:
Apt EP - Revisited (12") Apt 1B (Mudd Remix) Tu Rong 2006
Cass fox - Army of one (mudds Claremont 56 mix) Island 2006
Panorama (12") Hairy Claw 2004
Unatural High (12")(Mudd Remix) Vertige Productions 2005
You + Me (12") (Mudd Remix) Stranger Music 2005
Sirocco (12") (Mudd Remix) Bear Funk 2006
Quincy Jones.
Quincy Jones, Nick Drake, Manuel Gottsching, John Martyn, Deodato, Larry Heard, Roy Budd, Azymuth, Vincent Montana, Cerrone, Minnie Ripperton, Eric B and Rakim, Nunk, Ashra, Chaka Khan, Idjut Boys, Terry Callier, Underground Resistance, Konk, Walter Gibbons, ESG, Liquid Liquid, Talking Heads, De La Soul, Rolling Stones, Rheji Burrell, Don Carlos, Sergio Mendes, Can, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Tom Tom Club, Ian Dury, Jade Warrior, Steve Reich, Barbara Mason, Jean Luc Ponty, Barry White, A Tribe Called Quest, Maurice Fulton, Ane Brun, Brian Auger, Santana, Tito Puente, Tee Scott, Stevie Wonder, The Love Unlimited Orchestra, Carl Craig, Prince, Ron Trent, Francois K, Nina Simone, Steely Dan, Weather Report, Kraftwerk, Mandrill, Arthur Russell, Jaco Pastorius, Pink Floyd, Chico Hamilton, Holger Czukay, Herbie Hancock...
La Haine, Big lebowski, Style Wars, Napoleon Dynamite, Riding Giants, Dogtown and Z Boys, The Straight Story, The Goonies.
Sopranos, Sponge Bob and Square Pants.
Louis De Bernieres trilogy, Stone Junction, Fup, One hundred Years of Solitude, Papillon.
Neil Kitchen and Quincy Jones.
