Llwybr Llaethog

Llwybr Llaethog (Welsh for Milky Way, although the Milky Way has several names in Welsh folklore) are an experimental Welsh language band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub, reggae, hip hop, and punk in their music. Founded in the north Welsh town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales in 1985 by John Griffiths and Kevs Ford, the two teens had spent the seventies growing up in the town'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 and was impressed by a group of youths he saw at a nightclub breakdancing, 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 his native Welsh language. Llwybr Llaethog's debut release was an EP for the Welsh record label Anhrefn Records in 1986, entitled 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.

Links To Peel
Peel was a supporter of the band since the late 80's, when he discovered them on the Anhrefn label. The group did 4 sessions for Peel's show and John Griffiths in an interview with Welsh Not described how his music was only played on two radio programmes, one of them was Peel's:


 * "At the time Welsh radio was refusing to play a lot of the music that was coming out from people like ourselves and Datblygu. So John Peel was extremely supportive – he was backing us when it really wasn’t trendy to be into Welsh music. He played everything we did and we ended up recording four sessions for him. He would often ring me up before it went on-air; just to check how the hell you say the name. Apart from John Peel, I can only remember one show on Radio Cymru at the time that would ever play our music. It was only about an hour-long show on Saturday mornings by someone called Richard Rees; who I think is still broadcasting. So you had this one-hour slot each week and that was your only chance of getting something played in the whole of Wales. It was exactly the same for a lot of the groups around at the time."

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1987-12-20. Broadcast: 05 January 1988. Repeated: 20 January 1988 2. Recorded: 1989-09-17. Broadcast: 11 October 1989. Repeated: 21 November 1989 3. Recorded: 2001-07-15. Broadcast: 01 August 2001 4. Recorded: 2001-12-19. Broadcast: 19 December 2001
 * Tour De France 87 / Cyfundrefn Gyfalafol / Megamics
 * Dinas Fawr / Trachwant / Byd Mor Wahanol / Fyw Dy Fywyd
 * Porthmadog / Anomie Ville / Dimbrains Dot Com / Caws
 * Ffestiniog Dub / Kustroc / Jessica

Other Shows Played
1987
 * 11 March 1987: Dull Di-Drais (7") Recordiau Anhrefn

1988 1989 1990
 * 13 March 1987 (BFBS) / Peel 053 (BFBS): 'Dull Di-Drais (Non-Violent Approach) (7")' (Recordiau Anhrefn) (JP: 'I did a gig in Southampton last weekend, having played that on the radio the week before, and I got a lot of requests for it.')
 * 06 July 1988: Cyfundrefn Gyfalafol (album - Da!) Side Effect
 * 27 July 1989: Popeth Ar Y Record Wedi Cael Ei Ddwyn (v/a LP - "Tell Me You Love Me" A Compilation Of Dance, Pop & Soul) Umbrella
 * 23 September 1989 (BFBS) / Peel 117 (BFBS): 'Cyfundrefn Gyfalafol (LP-Da!)' (Side Effects)
 * 31 July 1990: Ty Haf Jac (Jack's Holiday House) (album - Be?) Concrete Productions

1992
 * 11 August 1990 (BFBS) / Peel 154 (BFBS): 'Ty Haf Jac (Jack's Holiday House) (LP-Be?)' (Concrete Productions/Pinpoint)
 * 08 December 1990: Pam? (12") Concrete Productions
 * 27 March 1992: Fi Yw'r Comiwnydd Ola' Yn Ewrop (split album with Tŷ Gwydr : David R. Edwards - LL.LL. v. T.G : MC D.R.E.) Ankst

1996 2000 2001
 * 11 April 1992: Gimi Gimi (LP – LL.LL v T.G. MC D.R.E ) Ankst
 * 01 May 1992: 'Osmosis' (LP - LL.LL v. T.G. MC D.R.E.) (Ankst)
 * 27 April 1996: Magnetic (12" - Magnetig) Ankst
 * 04 May 1996: ‘Soccer MC (12 inch - Magnetig )’ Ankst
 * 11 May 1996 (BFBS): 'Soccer M.C. (12"-Magnetig)' (Ankst)
 * 26 September 2000: Tour De France (LP - Hipped Up Reggae Hop 1985-2000) Ankstmusik
 * 05 October 2000: Popeth Ar Y Record Ma Wedi Cael Ei Ddwyn (LP - Hip-Dub Reggae-Hop) Ankstmusik
 * 27 March 2001: Twitsio (LP: Stwff) Neud Nid Deud
 * 29 March 2001: Eliffant (LP - Stwff) Neud Nid Deud

2002
 * 03 April 2001: Llanrwst (Fitamin Un)
 * 01 May 2001: Samger Horbila (LP - Stwff) Neud Nid Deud
 * 02 May 2001: 'Enfys Dub (CD-Stwff)' (Neud Nyd)
 * 03 May 2001: Complicated Sex Dub (Cd: Stwff) Neud Nid Deud
 * 08 May 2001: 'Nos Da (CD-Stwff)' (Neud Nid Deud)
 * 10 May 2001: Bae'r Morladron (CD - Stwff) Neud Nid Deud
 * 13 June 2001: Aberdaron (LP - Stwff) Neud Nid Deud
 * 08 January 2002: 'Cathod Mawr' (Fitamin Un)
 * 16 October 2002: Blodau Gwyllt Y Tan (LP - Anomie-Ville) Crai


 * 11 September 2002: Mandolino (LP – Anomie-Ville) Crai
 * 08 October 2002: 'Fflio Mynd (LP-Anomie-ville)' (Sain)
 * 22 October 2002: Mandolino (LP - Anomie-Ville) Crai


 * 14 November 2002: 'Voodoo Smile (LP - Anomie-Ville)' (Crai)