Library Hip-Hop...

...not a sub-genre or common descriptive you might normally see. 'Library-Funk', 'Library-Breaks', 'Drama-Suspense', etc, are some of the more usual titles you would come across when searching eBay or the like.
Now, I'm not gonna break down what 'Library' music actually is, because if you're reading this you'll probably already know. If you don't know, do a google search for any of the following titles and you'll get the gist - KPM, Music De Wolfe, Bruton, Chappel.

As any collector will tell you, there is some seriously dope music within this field, and also an abundance of absolute sh*t. This album falls into the second category but for comedy value is priceless.

'Flash Music', composed by James Asher and Alvin Christie was produced in 1984 and obviously made to supply T.V. production companies with the latest, cutting edge, style of music that was breaking into mainstream England around that time. This album is a result of somebody who knows nothing about that music or culture, trying to emulate it purely for commercial gain. The track titles are about as unimaginative and corny as you can get - 'The Breakers' ("Rockit" style funk), 'Scratch Robotniks' (mechanised dance rhythm), 'Scratch City' (electro-percussion feature), etc...and the music itself is terrible. I've included 'Flash Man' (scratch sounds) below as an example of just how bad it really is, although I can picture Neil Buchanan having an 'Art Attack' to it. And by the way, it does actually start as you hear it - that's not my 7 year old daughter cutting it in.



James Asher 'Flash Man' (1984 Bruton Music L.P. track)