Idjut Boys

They are idjuts in more ways than one. Born under a crossfire hurricane (force eight), they were spewed out of a shattered meteorite and exploded into disco based fragments just south of the mean streets of Cherry Hinton in 1988. They took on the human life form of a West Ham supporting Londoner (Dan Tyler) and a Rabelaisian Mackem with a fine line in worrying facial furniture (Conrad McDonnell). The pair of them together now known as The Idjut Boys for their methods, their disorganisation, their merrymaking and their innate idjutness.

They forged a reputation firstly for U-Star parties in the glittering metropolis of Kings Cross which gave them the name of their label and a series of releases, some brilliant, many comical but always interesting and diverting. They also had the best song titles since Funkadelic and Lonnie Donegan our particular favourite being Girth Soup.

Inspired as much by Lennie Bennett as Larry Levan, using disco and 1970 cabaret comedians as a starting point, they have modernised the sound using dread amounts of echo and reverb, cotuscating guitars of the type not seen since axemen with 20 inch pony tails were de rigueur and liberally aided by velvet dickie bows and a roistering mother-in-law gag or two.

Remix work has followed them like a lost puppy, including major label work for the likes of Lighthouse Family, Scissor Sisters, Sound 5, Len as well as regular cohorts such as A Man Called Adam, with the Scissor Sisters being transformed from glittery knickers disco into a minor psych-pop masterpiece.

Their DJ sets are notable for their unpredictability: what the hell is this they're playing? How did they get away with that? In a world tightly (corporately) marketed DJs there a re very few of whom you can say you have no idea what they will do for the next two hours, but the Idjut Boys are in that camp. As happy sneaking Scots heavy metal band Nazareth into their sets as they are Frankie Knuckles, expect the unexpected; something that is also reflected in the compilations they have done for Nuphonic and Tirk, which have also featured their legendary edits, much coveted among DJs in the know, and occasionally slipping out cheeky white labels.

If you like to know what you’re getting for tea every night the idjuts might not be for you. But if you fancy a spot of Girth Soup now and again, there’s only one duo that will provide it. And it ain’t Peters and Lee.