Folk, Ska, Hip Hop from South West England

Du Blues des années 20 au Hip Hop des années 90, il n’y avait qu’un pas à faire…
Scarecrow vous emmènera dans un monde où Son House côtoie Jurassic 5, où la liberté n’a de prix que la blessure de l’âme, qu’elle soit arrachée d’un dobro ou samplée d’un vieux vinyle!

A Hard Road To Travel 

- The Mikko Tapes

These recordings come, as far as we know, from two sources. Some were made by a European (Scandinavian?) admirer of Mikko's music who often came to record Mikko with his Walkman cassette recorder - at that time (probably in the mid-1990s) a piece of quite high-tech gear. He recorded Mikko on weekend busking pitches at London's Camden Lock market and apparently also at Portobello Market. Some recordings appear to have also been made on Underground pitches at London tube stations. 
The other source is recordings made on similar equipment by his friend Max in the small mid-Wales town of Llandrindod Wells when Mikko was visiting his daughter Sara and local friends. (Max also plays flute on one or two songs.) Mikko would busk pitches in the local shopping arcade. These recordings benefit from a much quieter, more laid back environment with none of the traffic noise heard on the London recordings. The subtleties of his music emerge more here with him not having to try to out-roar the city noise.
There are also one or two recordings here that may have been made indoors in someone's home. Possibly in the flat of Mikko's friend and periodic busking partner, the guy playing the hot lead guitar and singing harmony on many songs; I think his name  was  Chris? (If you're reading this, let us know...)
Busking was Mikko's trade - he'd sustained himself by it (with some breaks for other diversions) for 25 years or so and had taken his music over much of Europe; across the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain etc. But the busking was more a means to other ends. Many people will remember the pleasure of sitting round a fire somewhere - at a free festival or camped up somewhere on the road, in the kitchen of a squat or wherever - listening to Mikko play for hours for his own (and our) pleasure through his repertoire of hundreds of songs.
We are making this music freely available here (for listening and for download) as we know there are others who will be glad to access it. Mikko died in 2003 and is fondly remembered by many of us for the warmth and generosity of both his music and his personality. There were some great scenes, some good times and some fine music... 

Cheers Mikko, 

Pete

PS - thanks; to Max for the recording and encouragement, and to the other recorder(s) and musician(s) who contributed. And if anyone has more Mikko recordings let us know...

KNOW GOOD is the product of two kindred spirits bound by both blood and bass. Cousins Tanner and Sylas Morgan are the latest in a family legacy of musicians, crafting a genre-defying sound that’s as dark and dynamic as it is unexpected. Their music pulses with low frequencies woven through pop, rock, and rap elements. 

Both veterans in their own right, Sylas has spent the past decade DJing nightclubs and bars across the U.S., known for his taste in sample selection and sharp verses, while Tanner brings versatility as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, mastering over ten instruments.

Since joining forces in 2020, KNOW GOOD has created a fresh sound that’s quickly gaining traction. Their live performances blend the intensity of a DJ set with the richness of live instrumentation, incorporating drums, guitar, violin, and vocals. Set to tour nationally in 2025, KNOW GOOD is making waves with a style that’s as dynamic as it is innovative, captivating listeners and earning spins from the world’s top DJs.

To book Radical Dance Faction for an event or for press contact please email us at  -  radicaldancefaction@gmail.com

Radical Dance Faction (R.D.F) were founded by Chris Bowsher in Hungerford in 1986, and were originally known as MILITARY SURPLUS. R.D.F's music combines punk, dub, and ska and the're known for being the legends of the UK free festival scene from back in the day. In the early 1990's the band made a few tours of Germany, one tour was as the support act to the REBEL MC (A.K.A. CONGO NATTY), they also supported ZIGGY MARLEY at one point and appeared at the huge Summerjam Festival in July 1993. Chris Bowsher has been the lead singer from the early days of MILITARY SURPLUS. Steve Swann, (R.I.P. The Dub Warrior) also one of R.D.F's original line-up, co-founded the Revolutionary Dub Warriors and was a member of the reformed, dub, ska band Dub The Earth.
Phil & Ozzy left R.D.F. in 1995, and together with Dan & John (A.O.S.3), went on to form P.A.I.N.
Linda and Graham Spey went on to form the band DF118.
Mark McCarthey joined The Wonder Stuff in 2004.
Murph joined The Rhythmites. 
Past & present members of the band include - Mark McCarthy (Bass), Phil Astronaut (guitar), Mike Cooper (guitar), Steve Cruickshank (drums), Sarah Edwards (violin), Linda Goodman (vocals), Tim Hill (saxophone), Fred Johnson (bass), Paul McCabe (Keyboards), Murph (guitar), Brian Powell (guitar, bass), Style Scott (drums), Graham Spey (Keyboards), Steve Swann (Vocals), Chris Bowsher (Vocals), Matty Mann (Bass) Graham Usher (drums), Jim Warne (Guitar), Danny (Drums), Ozzy (bass), Chris Chescoe (Drums), Olly Thomas (Drums), Lewis Sykes (Bass), Jimmy Peters (Keyboards), Andy (from Newcastle) (drums), Karen Ricketts (Vocals). 

Nowadays R.D.F can been seen playing at many of the major festivals around the U.K. such as Glastonbury & Boomtown as well as the smaller festivals like Solfest, Alchemy, Rogues Picnic & Bearded Theory. They are also playing at music venues & pub gigs up and down the UK all year long so like us on Facebook for more information and links to upcoming events.

Pierian is following