Influences: Low End Activist

One of the first tapes that I remember doing the rounds at school. Shouts to Kidge! The only 12 yr old kid I knew with a sub in his bedroom that was bigger than his bed Banger after banger on this one, everything laid bare, choppy mixing at time and records skipping. How it should be!

MC General Hardcore on mic duties ‘I know, I know, I know yoooou’re addicted to eeeeeeeeee’

We had this broadcast live into our living rooms via Dance Energy in 1992. I think it’s fair to say it had a deep and profound effect on me! It certainly made me wanna go and dance in the middle of the road.

There was a point within the last 10 years or so, I can’t remember where/ when specifically but I listened to this and cried! tears of happiness of course. Huge wave of nostalgia. It’s a massive joyous record and listening again now, to me it signals a promising future, like so many ‘ecstasy’ records of the 90s did.

Top Buzz consisted of DJ Jason Kaye (RIP) and Mad P, a formidable DJ/ MC duo. They were leading the charge in pushing this darker strain of Hardcore which as a ‘feeling’ is a clear driving force behind all the music I tend to make today. This particular track was on the Fantazia First Taste compilation, which took a while to grow on me I recall! Same as this track did, but it’s one I still play to this day.

This track was taken from their album ‘Reggae Owes Me Money’. It connected a lot of dots for me, hip hop, reggae, uk soul and alongside Shut Up and Dance, they paved the way for a lot that followed. I don’t think those 2 acts get enough credit for their contribution. Lastly, I wonder if Prince ever heard this track? and what he thought of it?!

This is chaos from start to finish. A lot of peeps used to be put off by MC Robbie Dee, but I always felt him and Ratty were the perfect combination. Anyway, this soundtracked my teenage years. I went back in and analysed every fine detail of it when I worked on the Airdrop project, and realised how ingrained into me it was. This would’ve happened up the road from where I lived, so it’s no coincidence that this tape ended up circulating around the playground at school as someone’s older brother, aunty or the like was in attendance.

I’m sure similar instances were taking place across the country, if you lived up North it was probably Hacienda or

Sasha at Shelley’s tapes. Glad we got the Leicester crew Ratty & Tango though tbh!

It’s quite a weird feeling to think that I will be old and frail one day and will still be listening to rawkus shit like this lol.

I lived in Brighton in the early 00s and was booked in to get a record mastered with George Kelly (also One Tribe!)  at a local cutting studio. A lively character I recall!, he mentioned he used to produce records. I had no idea it was this until years later. This record has aged well IMO. It ticks all the boxes, sound system bassline, pitched up vocals, rave stabs and dreamy pads.

Funny story about this one, and reading the Youtube comments there were a few other peeps in the same boat! In short, a clear earworm (MJ sample? eeek) + catchy flute line which I could hear in my head as clear as day for the next 20 yrs!  But for years I had no idea what the tune was, and generally if you’re hunting down a tune it doesn’t evade you for that long?! Yyou eventually find it but this one took me over 20 yrs lol  One day it just popped up on a Kenny Ken mix I was listening to, can’t remember which rave? but anyhow, I was brought  to tears (again!) – I literally felt like i’d found some buried treasure! Listening now, the vocals are ‘EXTRA!” but I can see why it had an effect on me, those big rolling drums (copied from Original Unknown by the sounds of it?) big heavy bassline and a killer flute line. Simple but immensely effective.

Many wouldn’t class this as Hardcore? but for me it carries all the same kind of characteristics. This was my entry point into the Aphex/ Rephlex orbit. I remember buying this record from Massive Records, probably around 1994. It came in a brown paper sandwich bag! and the track kicks off with a Vacuum cleaner haha.

One of my most prized records, and if you know me then you know how much I rant on about this and how much I talk about Tango (RIP) & Ratty in general, they are Jungle Techno pioneers and alongside Top Buzz, SS, Ron Wells etc. They were taking this music into new territories. Stylistically this record is a constant source of inspiration.  This youtube comment sums it up “I’m 48 this year and can listen to this all day..”