I loved Idjut Boys in the ’90s. Their music riffed on, sampled and celebrated the disco of the ’70s and ’80s and the records that were made classic by DJs like Larry Levan, Ron Hardy, Tee Scott and Tony Humphries, among others. Their tracks often featured Raj Gupta (aka Laj) on keyboards and he is swirling away on this EP.

The Idjuts used to send me tunes in the mail and I would write about them. Below is a review of one they sent me. I had fun playing this, and other great records by them, out in clubs in San Francisco in the mid’90s. The Idjuts would often stop into San Francisco to dig for tunes and you might have even caught them spinning a few records at places like The Top (now known as SF Underground). Their selections were always varied, interesting and very funky.

Idjut Boys & Laj
Jazz Fook/No Name/Jus’ Stoopid
U-Star/UK/12
Conrad and Dan zip up their boots and continue their disco odyssey (any excuse), this time into a deep, lush and keyboardy universe of lush, deep keyboards (what did you expect me to write, crushed velvet and polyester?) courtesy of sparring buddy Laj, the Billy Preston of Narf London (the northern segment of England’s capital city). “Jazz Fook” is sweet, sensual and soothing early morning house with Laj’s keys bounding along on a bed of superior beats and springy bass action.

“No Name” is a menacingly funky, bass-projected, sparse groover with just enough whooshy noises (even more whooshy noises in ’96 please) to keep just about everyone happy. This collection finishes with the bonus beats of “Jus’ Stoopid” and as we have ascertained already, Idjut Boys’ bonus beats are that little bit more edgy, groovy and whooshy than yer usual muck that masquerades as bonus beats. Find, treasure and watch out for a twisted Idjut Boys dub on the flipside of a Crispin J Glover live cover version of Damon Harris’ Bay Area disco triumph “It’s Music.” Originally intended for Junior Boys Own it ended up on MCA and if that wasn’t enough, Phillip Ramirez flexes his chords on it. Can’t wait. Chris Orr