Krash Slaughta

Known for his immense scratch skills, Paul Smith aka Krash Slaughta (Smiz) has been performing and producing quality hip hop since a young age. Originally inspired by the US turntablist legends Jazzy Jeff, DJ Cheese, Cash Money and Grandmixer DST and the general influx of hip hop culture into the UK in its early incantation, Krash developed his dj style initially through hours of pause button mixing prior to owning turntables. His first appearance on vinyl came with the very first release by Glasgow Based 23rd precinct records of the almighty II Tone Committee crew “Beings from a Wordstruck Surface / Hangman” displaying pioneering scratch skills and making Krash a respected name amongst underground djs worldwide.



Krash’s first solo release came about when Richard Norris (formerly of The Grid) who was on the lookout for new talent for a new record label at the time (X-Records) overheard a demo version of a track whilst he was on the other end of a phone speaking with the store manager and straight away asked what the tune was playing in the background. This led to a meeting with Richard with an agreement for Krash to produce two other tracks and release on vinyl. The result was the “Always Remain Hardcore” EP. This record is now a sought after rarity by hip hop collectors and general beat diggers all over.



During a support session for the Propellorheads during their first ever live gig at the Hub Club in Bath, Jon Carter was also playing and was so impressed with his skills that he asked Krash to become part of his new project, Monkey Mafia. This developed into a live collective, recruiting numerous talented musicians to the band including vocalist frontman Doug’e Reuben and went on to become one of the hottest underground acts of the 90s, playing gigs all over the World and supporting the likes of Roni Size on his Reprazent tour, and the Chemical Brothers. Krash produced the track “Crash the Decks, Slaughter the Vinyl” which features on the infamous “15 steps” EP. He also performed scratch duties on the “Shoot the Boss” album and co-produced “Work Mi Body" (Chicken Scratch mix) alongside Jon Carter and Keith Tenniswood.



Krash also gained notoriety for his block party style solo performances and dazzled crowds with his jaw-dropping turntablist sets. His legendary scratch skills have seen him battle as a UK DMC finalist and earned residencies at the massive ‘Scratch’ nights and at world famous super club Fabric. He has also had numerous appearances at the legendary Blue Note Club in Hoxton Square, Turnmills Club, Sunday Social events and exclusive sets for Radio 1’s Breezeblock with Mary Anne Hobbs and XFM, his name has become legend. He was once quoted in the press by Fatboy Slim as being the best underground scratch dj currently in the UK.



Krash has also toured world wide with Dope on Plastic label founder John Stapelton on the DOP tour and independently continues to play dj sets with numerous support slots under his belt around the globe including Mix Master Mike, Green Lantern, DJ Noize, Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Master Flash and Cash Money to name but a few.



Other releases of note include Filibusterz white labels: “Manana”, “Bounce”, “Formular”, “Cha Cha Cha”, “Children of the Ghetto” (also featured on Dope on Plastic Compilation Vol 8) and a remix of Howie B’s “Touch” alongside producer Azmi and Doug’e Reuben. Other releases have included the EPs “Scratching a Living” and “Plans for an Interplanetary Bust”. His release in 2009 for Smooves Wack records 7” series “The Posse is Large - remix” reached number 2 in the Fat City records chart and is already a sought after gem.



This year sees the release of “Battlescratch Galactica”, a 7 track ep of mixed up space funk, and hip hop breaks available on vinyl (limited edition for collectors) and digital download. It kicks off on the A-side with “Scratch Wars”, a Star Wars themed battle track telling the story of R2D2 on the decks and “Dr Ska”, a fast paced breakbeat / ska inspired version of the Doctors theme. This ep further reinforces Krash's reputation as a producer alongside his already legendary status as a scratch guru. Be sure to catch Krash Slaughta for a session of turntable terrorism and straight up party hip hop.



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