Scritti Politti

The project of writer and musician Green Gartside, Scritti Politti has evolved from a bedsit post-punk project into a showcase for his piercing intellect and lifelong appreciation of pop music. Formed in 1977 when Gartside was a student at the University of Leeds, Scritti Politti debuted with a 7-inch record, the jagged “Skank Bloc Bologna” on the A-side. Tastemaking label Rough Trade and BBC DJ John Peel took note, and Scritti Politti released two EPs, one of which captured an in-studio performance on Peel’s radio show, in 1979. “The ‘Sweetest Girl’”, a dreamy track inspired by Gartside’s increased interest in funk and soul, followed, and Songs to Remember, Scritti’s first proper full-length, came out in 1982. The band then signed to Virgin and released Cupid & Psyche ’85, which embraced synth-pop and robo-funk and included “Perfect Way”, a high-concept, high-gloss fusion of New Wave and soul that would be Scritti’s biggest hit. Provision, which included cameos from Miles Davis and Roger Troutman, followed in 1988. In the ensuing years Scritti released a few singles, then returned in full with 1999’s hip-hop-leaning Anomie & Bonhomie, which included contributions from Meshell Ndegeocello and Mos Def. The post-punk revival of the early 2000s led to Scritti’s Rough Trade releases being collected on the 2005 compilation Early; Gartside followed that up with White Bread Black Beer, a showcase for his encyclopaedic knowledge of music and theory.