Ragga Twins

Ragga Twins or "RTC" are a jungle group from Hackney, England, composed of London UNITY sound system veteran MCs Deman Rocker and Flinty Badman (real names David and Trevor Destouche).[1] They are regarded as pioneers of jungle.[2] In 2008, Soul Jazz Records issued a compilation album of their early 1990s recordings (notably their collaborations with production team/label Shut Up and Dance) entitled Ragga Twins Step Out.[3][4]

The Ragga Twins' longest musical relationship is with Aquasky, a partnership that was first cemented in 2001 when the tracks "All In Check ft. CoGee" and "Loko"[5] were written for Botchit & Scarper. Four months later the tracks "Coffee" and "Dem No No We" were recorded for drum and bass label Moving Shadow, and in 2002, the drum and bass track "Dirty Entertainers" was recorded with Aquasky on their now defunct Sonix label. The following year a remix was created and white labels distributed but the single was never released due to Aquasky leaving their distribution deal with ST Holdings and moving to SRD.

A series of 12" singles have been released with Aquasky on their Passenger label since 2002, including new tracks for the 601 album "We Do Bass" and a forthcoming Ragga Twins 2002-2013 compilation album. In 2004 Aquasky were approached by HBO for the usage of the tracks 'Loko' or Dem No No We' to be used in the Ali G series "Ali G in Da USA". HBO finally settled on "Dem No No We" which took the Ragga Twins' new breakbeat output to America. A video was shot for the "Superbad" single in 2011.

In 2008 the Twins lent their vocals to the Backdraft single, "Rock the Mic".[6] In 2010 they were featured on Mason and the Fraudster's track "U Appear". Flinty Badman & Deman Rocker appeared in the Plan B crime film Ill Manors in 2012. In 2014, they featured on "All is Fair in Love and Brostep" and "Ragga Bomb" from Skrillex's debut album Recess.,[7] and "Zipper" from MUST DIE!'s album Death & Magic.

Ragga Twins play regularly on Kool FM, now Kool London.

Discography

Albums

Singles

† Ragga Twins featuring Junior Reid[8]

See also

References

  1. Dorian Lynskey. "CD: Ragga Twins, Ragga Twins Step Out | Music". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  2. "Ragga Twins on jungle's year zero | Dazed". Dazeddigital.com. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  3. "Ragga Twins: Ragga Twins Step Out | Album Reviews". Pitchfork.com. 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  4. "RA Reviews: Aquasky vs Masterblaster feat. The Ragga Twins - Loko on Botchit & Scarper (Single)". Residentadvisor.net. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  5. "Skrillex releases video for "Ragga Bomb" featuring jungle legends Ragga Twins". News.beatport.com. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  6. 8.0 8.1 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 448. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.