Llwybr Llaethog (Welsh for Milky Way, although the Milky Way has several names in Welsh folklore) are an experimental

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub,

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

, and

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

in their music.

Background

Founded in London in 1985 by John Griffiths and Kevs Ford, the two teens had spent the 1970s growing up in

Blaenau Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog () is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,0 ...

's decaying industrial surroundings. The two were heavily influenced by reggae and the punk scenes that were sweeping the UK. After several years touring northern Europe with punk/ska band The Managing Directors, the turning point came in 1984 when John Griffiths was on vacation in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and was impressed by a group of youths he saw at the Roxy nightclub

breakdancing Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City. Breakdancing consist ...

, and the sounds of DJ Red Alert. After returning to Wales, Griffiths fixed on the idea of marrying hip hop and left wing politics with the Welsh language. Llwybr Llaethog's debut release was an EP for the Welsh record label Anhrefn Records in 1986, titled ''Dull Di Drais'', which 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 English radio DJ

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...

Discography

Singles

*Dull Di-Drais ''7"'' – Anhrefn Records (1986) *Tour De France ''7"'' – Anhrefn Records (1987) *Pam? ''12"'' – Pinpoint Records (1988) *Ni Fydd Y Chwyldro... ''7"'' – Ankst (1992) *Soccer MC ''12"'' – Ankst (1996) *Mera Desh ''7"'' – Ankst (1997) *

Llanrwst ; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is on the east bank of the River Conwy and the A470 road, and lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (histori ...

(a version of Y Cyrff's song "Cymru, Lloegr a

") – Fitamin Un (2001)

Albums

*Da! –

Side Effects In medicine, a side effect is an effect of the use of a medicinal drug or other treatment, usually adverse but sometimes beneficial, that is unintended. Herbal and traditional medicines also have side effects. A drug or procedure usually used ...

(1988) *Be? – Pinpoint Records (1990) *LL.LL v T.G. MC DRE – Ankst (1991) *Mewn Dyb (In Dub) –

ROIR ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...

(1991) *Mad – Ankst (1996) *Drilacila-(Croeso'99) – Ankst (1999) *Hip Dub Reggae Hop – Ankst (2000) *Stwff – Neud Nid Deud (2001) *Anomie-Ville – Crai (2002) *Mega Tidy – Rasal (2005) *Chwaneg – Neud Nid Deud (2009) *Curiad Cariad – Neud Nid Deud (2011) *Dub Cymraeg – Neud Nid Deud (2013) *I'r Dim – Neud Nid Deud (2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Llwybr Llaethog Musical groups established in 1985 Welsh hip-hop groups Welsh-language bands British dub musical groups People from Blaenau Ffestiniog