MUSIC

ESG South Bronx. 99 Records Words Andy Thomas

American band ESG was named after York. Tracks such as ‘Moody’ and ‘UFO’ awful,” says Renee, laughing. “So I said its members’ birthstones – emerald, sounded like the future to a New York to Valerie, ‘You know if we turn around sapphire and gold – by a mother who underground ripe with cross pollination, and start doing our own songs nobody bought instruments to keep her four played hard by DJs such as Larry Levan will ever know we are messing up.’ So girls off the streets. They went on to and providing some of the most that’s how we started writing.” Their become one of the most infl uential borrowed breaks in the history of hip mother, Helen, looked for places for the groups of New York’s post-punk “no hop. After years of sampling, bootlegs girls to perform in local talent contests. wave” scene. The records they released and legal wrangling, ESG fi nally got “She didn’t enter us in anything until on Ed Bahlman’s 99 Records were as some offi cial recognition thanks to the she thought we had got to the point raw and urgent as anything on that Soul Jazz compilation A South Bronx where we were good enough,” says cultish label. But their minimal yet Story in 2001. Thirty years on and The Renee. “Every Friday after she fi nished polyrhythmic sound was somehow apart ESG Story, a documentary by fi lmmaker work we would put on a little show for from the other bands emerging from Greg Harding, is going to tell their her of songs we had been writing. She’d the New York underground – untainted, story properly for the fi rst time. usually say we needed more practice, pure and primal. “ESG were from a That story begins in the South but after two or three years she said we different planet,” Richard McGuire, Bronx projects in the late 1970s; a scene were ready.” A spot was eventually from 99 label mates Liquid Liquid, told of devastation and danger. The decay found in a talent show in Manhattan, journalist . Youthfully had begun when the Cross Bronx sponsored by CBS Records. “Ed soaking up what ESG vocalist and lead Expressway, completed in 1972, Bahlman was one of the judges,” Renee guitarist Renee Scroggins would later displaced workers from their jobs. By recalls. “He took my number and called call the “savage drive” of beats from then, white fl ight and further economic up that night. I thought, ‘Oh my god their South Bronx neighbourhood, strife had created a poisonous we’ve won.’ He said, ‘No, but you girls ESG produced a naive but acutely concoction. “The area we were growing have something special and I’d like to funky sound all of their own. up in was very rough,” Renee tells me be your unoffi cial manager and get you “I don’t feel like a group, I from her home in Atlanta, Georgia. a couple of gigs around Lower don’t feel like a punk group, I feel like a “Full of drugs and gangs in the projects; Manhattan and see how you do.’” group, maybe like Rick James says, it was really crazy. Our mom didn’t like Bahlman was dating British expat ‘punk funk’,” said Renee, speaking to what she saw outside and knew that Gina Franklyn, who ran a clothing Deborah Scroggins, Renee Scroggins, Marie Scroggins, Collusion magazine in 1983 about the I was interested in music. And she boutique at 99 MacDougal Street in the Tito Lebron and Valerie Scroggins, 1981 hybrid music she and her teenage sisters promised to get us these instruments. West Village. “It was a time in New created in the early 1980s. “I feel we’re I didn’t believe her but one day there it York when the punk scene had started right here, in between, we’ve got was. Her love of her children was more to get a bit more fun in terms of style. something for everybody.” than her worrying about how she was And Gina was really part of that,” Straddling funk, punk, hip hop, going to get the money.” explains , journalist proto-house and mutant disco, ESG’s Renee was joined by her sisters and punk authority. Franklyn agreed to unique place in dance music history was Valerie on drums, Deborah on bass and let Bahlman sell records alongside the cemented by playing the opening night Marie on percussion, and they started post-punk threads. During a buying of Manchester’s Hacienda and the rehearsing in their front room. “We trip to London she introduced him to closing night of Paradise Garage in New began doing cover songs – which were Geoff Travis from Rough Trade >

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(ACR) were also feeling the funk of sound as raw and alien today. Often would ‘take it the bridge’. And when New York. The austere Manchester labelled as minimal, the group’s sound he did, this musical breakdown was let funk outfit had been booked into East actually owed as much to the loose and I was like, ‘Man, why can’t a Orange studios in New Jersey by Tony polyrhythmic complexity of Latin song always just be a breakdown?’” By Wilson. ESG were to support ACR at music. “Our neighbourhood was honing in on the breaks, ESG mirrored in what was a pivotal moment predominately black and Hispanic and the early block party DJs such as Kool in the girls’ career. Wilson was in the growing up we would hear all this Herc, who were extending the audience that night. “I had no idea music coming from the parks,” says percussion section of tracks such as who he was,” says Renee. “But he was Renee. “The congas, cowbells and James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’. watching our sound check and timbales would be playing all night. So Drummer Valerie Scroggins recently afterwards he came up and said, ‘Hey, that gave us our Latin influence. I think told Tom Tom Magazine: “The sound I really like what you are doing. How comes from being in the street and would you like to make a record?’ I being around other kids in the parks didn’t take him seriously because we and stuff like that. It was just had been bugging Ed for two years ‘THEY DIDN’T something in me. I started beatin’ on about releasing us.” pots and pans and on my thighs and With ACR finishing the To Each LP JUST TAKE IT legs at school.” But what made their three days early, ESG were offered their sound unique? “Because we never had last three days studio time. The studio DOWNTOWN, any training we didn’t realise you’re sessions introduced the teenage sisters THEY TOOK IT not supposed to mix things,” explains Records and a seed was planted for his our first professional show as ESG with a rapper, a punk band and the to ’ genius producer Renee. “Like there is only supposed to own record label. Soon 99 Records was at this club called Popfront at the crowd would just take it all in.” For . “It’s so funny because EVERYWHERE’ be one tempo. So I think the fact that releasing music from the many corners Mechanics’ Hall,” says Renee. “That Goldman, ESG brought something everyone talks about him and I’ve seen we had no knowledge that these things of New York’s downtown scene, with was a totally strange culture shock for different to this counter-cultural the movie , but this were not supposed to go together had early releases by , Y Pants us. Here were us girls coming from the amalgam. “They were unique. Very little was not the guy that I met,” says Renee. it just soaked in and became almost a lot to do with how we sounded. and . Goldman remembers Bronx, where the majority of people is new under the sun but they had their “The guy that I met was calm; he was subliminal because when you went to Otherwise we might have sounded like how the 99 releases became as in were black and Hispanic, and we played own place. Just their creativity put them respectful. I had no idea who he was, sleep you heard this all night. At first everyone else. We never thought, ‘This demand in London as those from this punk club with an all-white outside what were the expectations for that he was this big important producer you wanted it to stop because you had is jazz’ or ‘This is funk’. We just used Rough Trade were in New York. audience. But they loved us.” The girls their race, age and class.” because he was just a cool guy. He took to go to sleep but soon it was one of the to throw it all together.” “Honestly those US 45s coming into also appeared at other key venues As with Rough Trade, Bahlman me in and showed me around the things that was luring you to sleep.” Released on Factory (and a few the Rough Trade shop; people would including Club 57, the Roxy, Mudd was starting to forge a relationship with mixing boards and after we’d record The group’s rhythmic, heavy sound, months later on 99), their first EP wait for them. It was like a cargo cult.” Club and Danceteria, supporting bands another influential UK independent something he’d ask if I liked it.” which was augmented by created a buzz amongst influential With his finger on the pulse of the such as Public Image Ltd (PiL), Gang label with growing links to New York. The three tracks that Hannett neighbourhood friend Tito Libran on journalists, including Adrian Thrills at downtown scene, Bahlman used his of Four and The Clash. “Ed exposed us While New Order’s trips to clubs such produced in his inimitable haunting congas, had another source. “Growing the NME. “Any group who are touted contacts and knowledge to secure to a whole new culture of music and as the Funhouse were creating a new style, ‘Moody’, ‘UFO’ and ‘You’re No up my other major influence was James as a cross between Public Image Ltd ESG gigs at many of Manhattan’s clubs,” says Renee. “It was an amazing dance floor direction for Factory Good’, would become ESG’s signature Brown,” Renee explains. “He really and Tamla Motown deserve to be underground clubs. “I’ll never forget time because you would be on a bill Records, label mates A Certain Ratio tracks, great slabs of ominous funk that inspired my style of writing, because he heard,” he wrote in April 1981. >

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The release would strengthen the links have claimed was intimidation by Sugar Bronx to downtown] to open up their between New York and Manchester, Hill. “That is presumably what sent own world, they made a lasting impact with ESG invited to play at the opening Ed over the edge,” says Goldman. on pop. They didn’t just take it night of the Hacienda. “They had “What the hell scared him so much?” downtown, they took it everywhere. brought us over specifically for that gig,” With 99 gone, ESG released their But they were operating completely says Renee. “But it was really, really 1987 mini LP ESG II on their own outside the conventions.” funny because the club wasn’t even Emerald, Sapphire & Gold label. Then Despite last year’s self released ready. There was sawdust everywhere.” came the even more low key release Closure LP suggesting it could be the The idea for the Hacienda was ‘Party Music’ on Popular Records in end of ESG, a new LP is on the way conceived during visits to Paradise 1988. This was followed by an EP on to accompany Harding’s film. “The Garage by and New Order the small Pow Wow imprint in 1991, fact they have decided to keep going manager , which became including the rebuke to old boyfriends is great,” says Harding. “When I just one of the New York clubs to ‘Erase You’. Two years later an equally contacted Renee about doing the film embrace ESG. While ‘Moody’ was a stern message was sent to the hip hop they were talking about Closure being favourite at clubs in both New York and fraternity in ‘Sample Credits Don’t their last album and final tour. But I Chicago (with Chip E sampling the Pay Our Bills’ on Nega Fulô Records. feel like they are a band that is so tune for his early 1985 house cut ‘Like It would be another 10 years before passionate about their music they just This’), DJ Larry Levan would also spin ESG would start to receive due credit. can’t stop. And anything I can do to their lesser-known 1987 mutant disco A South Bronx Story, released on Soul cut ‘Standing In Line’ (also given heavy Jazz Records, brought their music to a rotation by Tony Humphries at new audience who had lived through a Newark’s Club Zanzibar). Produced by decade of club music and were keen to ‘THE SONGS Renee and self-released on the Emerald, understand some of this music’s Sapphire & Gold label, it was one of background. One of those was WERE HELD the tracks the girls would play on the filmmaker Harding. “A friend where I final two nights at the club. “Paradise worked played me that and, for a good TOGETHER Garage was fabulous,” says Renee. “Of year solid, I pretty much couldn’t listen all the clubs we played, that had the to anything else. That LP just blew me BY NOTHING. most fantastic sound system I ever away and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard. It could really hold bass, drums heard them before. And as the years A COUPLE OF and congas, that heavy funk sound.” went by I couldn’t believe other people After the second EP for 99, ‘ESG hadn’t heard of them. So once I found CLACKING Says Dance to the Beat of Moody’, the out more I was, like, ‘Man, their story STICKS AND group released their first album,Come has to be told.’” Away with ESG. The cut-and-paste The release of A South Bronx Story A SIMPLE collage on the front cover of a also inspired the band, returning to the Panasonic boom box and adidas shell- studio in 2001 with producer Pete BASSLINE’ toe shoes was reflective of the Reilly to release an LP dedicated to downtown scene at clubs such as the Marie Scroggins, their mother who passed away in Renee Scroggins, Roxy. Recorded live in the small Radio Tito Lebron, November of that year. Step Off found help get their name spread even further City Music Hall and produced by Valerie Scroggins the group stripping their already stark is great. They are a lot more important Bahlman, the sound is perhaps more and Deborah sound down to the basics to stunning than a lot of people realise as far as the refined than on the first EP, but just Scroggins, 1981 effect, aided by the youthful guitar and history of music is concerned.” as agitated – especially on ‘Dance’ and bass of daughters Christelle and Nicole. More European gigs to promote the ‘Parking Lot Blues’. At their most The ESG sound continues to new LP and documentary will hopefully sparse, ‘Tiny Sticks’ brings to mind ‘UFO’. “I had just seen Close Encounters issue for Renee. “We were playing in The same issues became even more influence musicians such as New York’s follow up a recent trip to Brazil to the words of Liquid Liquid’s Richard of the Third Kind and at the end the the Peppermint Lounge, which used to consuming for Bahlman. Torn apart LCD Sound System. “The empty space perform in Rio. “ESG has always been McGuire. “The songs were held aliens are communicating to the show these films on the wall. And this by the legal case against Sugar Hill is just as important as the notes played able to cross over and be accepted by all together by nothing. A couple of humans through music,” Renee guy showed us this film of Afrika Records for Grandmaster Melle Mel’s and the whole is greater than the sum races and all cultures,” concludes Renee. clacking sticks and a simple bassline.” explains. “And I was, like, ‘I wonder Bambaataa and there was ‘UFO’. disputed use of the bassline from of its parts. That was a huge influence “That’s what I love and believe in; music With ESG’s place in New York’s what it would be like if this spaceship I guess the guy thought I would be Liquid Liquid’s ‘Cavern’ for the huge on LCD,” said LCD drummer Pat as an international language. When disco underground assured, the group landed in the middle of projects.’ So excited but I was upset. And after that hit ‘White Lines (Don’t Do It)’, he Mahoney, speaking to Daily Note, the we can’t say anything else we can would soon become even more that’s the sound of the chaos.” I would hear it everywhere. At the time closed 99 Records in 1986. Although Red Bull Music Academy’s 2013 understand each other through music.” influential to a hip hop culture in search The first two samples of ‘UFO’ were there were no sample laws, nothing to Bahlman finally won the case after newsletter. Goldman thinks ESG’s of the ultimate break. It was in fact on Big Daddy Kane’s ‘Ain’t No Half protect your rights. We didn’t make a several years, he then withdrew from influence is even more far-reaching. The ESG Story will be screened at the through the Ultimate Breaks and Beats Steppin’ in 1988, followed shortly after dime while they were making all this public view after being bankrupted by “Not only did they transcend CBGB Music and Film Festival in October LPs that many hip hop producers were by Public Enemy’s ‘Night of the Living major money. We were still living in the the case and driven to the edge of a expectations by just getting on the theesgstory.com drawn to the stark alien sound of Baseheads’. Sampling remains a raw projects trying to hustle to get by.” nervous breakdown, by what people 6 train [the subway line that links the cbgb.com

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