Llwybr Llaethog

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Llwybr Llaethog (Welsh for Milky Way, although the Milky Way has several names in Welsh folklore) are an experimental Welsh language band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub, reggae, hip hop, and punk in their music.

Founded in the northern Welsh town of Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1985 by John Griffiths and Kevs Ford, the two teens had spent the seventies growing up in the decaying industrial surroundings of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales. The two were heavily influenced by reggae and the punk scene that was sweeping the UK. After several abortive attempts to start bands, the turning point came in 1984 when John Griffiths was on vacation in New York City and was impressed by a group of youths he saw at a nightclub breakdancing, and the sounds of MC Red Alert.

After returning to Wales, Griffiths fixed on the idea of marrying hip hop and far left politics with his native Welsh language. Llwybr Llaethog's debut album was an EP released in 1986 for the Welsh record label Anhrefn Records and entitled Dull Di Drais. The album combined Llwybr Llaethog's leftist political messages with what would become the band's trademark sound of turntable scratching, audio sampling, hip-hop, and cut-and-paste production. The band were also heavily promoted by British radio d-jay John Peel.

The band remains quite popular in their homeland and have garnered a cult following throughout Great Britain and as far afield as the USA, Canada, and Australia.