Low End Activist Q&A: “While I look back at those years with fond nostalgia, I’m also glad that I left Oxford when I did”
Hostile Utopia album evokes memories of riots and larks on Oxford’s Blackbird Leys estate
If you’re out and about clubbing, listening to pirate radio or even just checking the latest reviews on the Juno Daily pages, then you’ve almost certainly heard a record touched by the hand of Low End Activist.
As well as a string of genre-defying smashers combining the minimal brutalism of grime with smoking jungle-style breakbeat power at all speeds as Low End Activist he also records as Patrick Conway, and Trinity Carbon with Appleblim, and runs the labels Sneaker Social Club, Hypercolour and BRUK.
For his new album Hostile Utopia he’s assembled an impressive guestlist – Killa P, Mez, Emz and Cadence Weapon – but has delved back into his past growing up on the Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford, home to the Cowley car plant and a joy riding epidemic in the 90s. We hot wired the nearest Ford and set off to track the man down…
Hostile Utopia conjures nostalgia for ‘bleak’ music styles like grime and garage. This must be a very mixed sort of emotion, feeling that sense of nostalgia even though some of its origins are rooted in community tension. Is it a conflicted sort of nostalgia for you?
Definitely. I have very fond memories growing up where I did, despite it not being easy. You rely heavily on your friends and extended family when home life is difficult and that breeds some incredible relationships. Sadly many friends ended up with drug addictions, some even passed away as a result, others ended up in prison. While I look back at those years with fond nostalgia, I’m also glad that I left Oxford when I did. I think a lot of people who have experienced a similar thing growing up can probably relate.
How would you describe your early experiences of living in Blackbird Leys? For example, when did you discover UK styles of music such as jungle, garage and grime, and how do you see those styles as tied to your experience in Oxford?
Like most kids, I was mad into football and that was my ticket out for sometime. It took me all over the country, and it placed some positive role models in my life. Music was always escapism, my gran must’ve been one of the first households I knew of that had cable TV, I was obsessed with MTV and catching those early dance music videos. Rave tapes were being passed around the school playground. I was fascinated by this alien music and knew from older kids that these raves were taking place in fields, some close to Oxford as I would later find out (Cassington/ Forest Hill), but I was too young to go. I rekindled a relationship with my wayward father in my teens purely on the fact that I heard he was going to raves, and I would swipe his flyers and tapes or whatever rave paraphernalia I could get my hands on. My bedroom wall was littered in flyers.
I remember the first time hearing real heavy sub bass, the type that hit you in the chest. It was at my mate Kidge’s house. He was the only kid I knew with a 10k turbo rig in his bedroom! We used to repeatedly bounce this lol Eastenders tune.
There was a local soundsystem crew called Street Level who used to play in the pub my dad worked at and I would hang out at the back of the bar and watch them bring in this massive rig and then play records all day. Mostly street soul stuff like Soul II Soul and Massive Attack…some ragga, but more commercial stuff like Shabba Ranks, and then they would end the night on hardcore/ jungle stuff. I was so blown away by hearing ‘Charly’ by the Prodigy for the first time that Timmy (the DJ) pretty much had no choice but to give me his 7” copy of that tune! And of course that meant my mum had to buy me a hi-fi so I could play it and the various other records that I would start to collect.
Oxford wasn’t blessed with clubs but still managed to put on some wicked jungle nights, including The Source at The Zodiac where Total Science were resident DJs, they both lived on the estate, Quiff/ Q Project lived around the corner from where I grew up. Spinback on the other side of the wreck. You’d see both those guys driving around in Porsches in the mid to late 90s. Aspirational stuff!! haha
Skateboard Dougie aka Soundsystem Dougie also ran a dope little party in the backroom of the Bullingdon Arms called Depth Charge. I saw some great DJs in that space, Randall, Hype, DJ SS, DJ Ron. Dougie wasn’t messing with the sound either.
UKG came later of course, around the same time I was trying to get into clubs such as The Coven and Park End in Oxford. They wouldn’t let you in unless you were wearing ‘shoes’ – lol.
I had always followed what my good mate Ricky (Trends) was doing, and as I was getting into dubstep (Horsepower, Skull Disco etc) it was easy to connect with grime, despite not being into it from the start. Over the last 10 years I think I have developed more of an appreciation for the minimalism of grime music and how singular it was compared to other genres of music that were also rooted in UK soundsystem culture.
What led you to work with some of the featuring / collaborating artists on the album? Do they also have ties to Blackbird Leys?
I just reached out to artists who I’m really digging. I was watching some of the vids Sam Binga shared with Emz (shouts to Binga for the link).. Mez is in a lane of his own, and I was always bowled over by his music, especially his sets with Grandmixxer. Killa P… what to say really… an absolute icon (#Skeng!) I’ve been following Rollie/ Cadence Weapon’s music for a while and I especially love his track ‘Lisa’s Spider’. I also wanted to work with artists outside of the UK.
Sneaker Social Club are a label that have really pushed the boundaries of experimental UK bass music lately, being one of the few UK imprints to do so. How did you first link up with them and why are they good a home for ‘Hostile Utopia’?
Ha, well it’s my label so I didn’t have to think too hard about that one… thanks for the props though 🙂
‘Get Get’ is a hustle culture anthem if we’ve ever heard one. Is there a strong hustle culture where you’re from, and does it relate to the ‘flash’ car culture of Blackbird Leys in any way?
The hustle culture definitely existed. There were plenty of drug dealers driving around in convertible Golf GTi’s which I would gawp at in amazement. As a young person I thought people driving those flash cars were wealthy and free. Of course as an adult I know that wasn’t the case.
But the car on the sleeve of the LP was actually a reference to cars that were manufactured at the local Rover (now BMW) car factory, that both my grandfather and dad used to work at. I also worked there polishing cars for a brief period after I finished school. The MG turbo versions of both the Maestro and Montego were manufactured there and ironically were stolen from off the estate only to be brought back onto the Leys where joyriders would drive them around the estate until the Police gave chase. It made for good entertainment!
What is your current attitude towards the students of Oxford? Has there been enough initiative to raise awareness of the social context / history of Blackbird Leys amongst them?
It’s important to keep in mind that for the longest time Oxford has been a city whose culture is dominated by the University. Every decision affecting how the city operates, is run past the Universities, who unofficially control the city councils.
Clubs closing at 2am means absolute mayhem at Carfax tower every weekend, as drunk punters wait to get their buses home. And of course the students tend to stay well clear of the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights. Over the years, various students and affiliates of Oxford University have written about the rougher parts of Oxford and their estates. I can’t say I’ve read all of them, but what I have read has been pretty irritating. Basically the same old story of elite folk who are completely out of touch with the reality of the masses, having a go at commenting on their lives.
If you want to dig a bit deeper, you can read Frances Reynolds’ Book The Problem Housing Estate: An Account Of Omega And Its People (Omega was the name Reynolds gave the estate to preserve its anonymity.) – this quote says a lot eh?
“unlit building sites, inadequate police supervision, parental apathy and the provision of a public house catering mainly for young people, has provided the perfect setting for the idle, the mischievous, and the more sinister night people.”
Why gravitate towards the 130bpm range?
Yes, I regularly write tracks in the 130-140bpm range. It’s the banger range innit? It seems comfortable for me and an easy go-to. That said, I’ve been dabbling with different tempos of late and I’ve made a load of 90-100bpm stuff since the start of this year. Currently I’ve been writing loads at 150bpm and upwards. I like to churn out as many tunes as possible rather than working on one project for many weeks or months at a time. It means that most of what I make in the studio is pretty whack (as my wife will attest to) but it suits my personality to be creating regularly. I’ve been sat on this album for over 2 years now, and I’ll be glad to see it finally released. Once the dust has settled I’ll figure out what’s next. I think there’s about 40 demos at 90% sat on my hard drive!
Jude Iago James