About Me
Basement Records - The Past and the Future
Basement Records History is a long one. In 1987 Phil Wells opened the now infamous Basement Records Shop in Reading, Berkshire. When the shop was first opened it was a Rare Groove & Jazz shop. By 1988 a lot of reps working for the record companies would call in and leave free promos of a lot of the early House Music appearing in the late 80's. By 1989 with the Summer of Love exploding across the UK the shop grew into one of the Premiere UK Rave stores. By the mid 90s if you called into the store on any day you would be able to meet famous DJs and producers who frequented the store, so you could turn up one day and find Mickey Finn behind the decks, the next day Bump & Seal would be there, the day after that Top Buzz and so on, it was like a motorway service station after a rave.
With a love for Chicago House and Detoit Techno Phil launched Basement Records. The label was originally launched in 1989 and released its first 5 releases during 1989/1990 to critical acclaim. You can tell how early the first tracks were as they were made in an 8 track studio before samplers existed, so cut and paste was the only way to make those early tunes.
However with the original keyboard stabs and piano riffs and percussion the tracks received a lot of attention.
At the time the distribution network in the UK was appaling. G&M had gone under and there was no one who could offer a decent service. With the label not achieving the sales Phil thought it should be doing, Phil launched his own Distribution Company in late 1990 and called it 'Vinyl Distribution', the company grew into the Premiere Rave / Drum n Bass Distro in the world.
Basement Records was then relaunched with the releases repressed and finally available to everyone and sold thousands cementing its place in the Rave annuals.
In late 1990 Phil met Ron Wells aka Jack Smooth.(so no, hes not me brother)Ron was working with Loftgroover who was a regular customer at the shop and a top Rave techno DJ, and they had made a tearin tune called 'We are Techno Bros' and Loft wanted to put it on the Basement Label. That link up created one of the best partnerships in the Underground.
Phil would send his Artists (mostly customers at the shop with the same urges to make tunes as him) to Ron's Flat, which back then was at 14B Uxbridge Road, hence Kev & Wax's 'Visit to 14B EP', so, add Rons excellent production skills to the artists ideas and a string of legendary hits were born. Over those next few years the exclusive Basement Artists that made the Hardcore tunes were... Jack n Phil aka Phil & Ron, Wax Doctor aka Paul Saunders, KGB aka Kev Bird, Mayhem aka Martin Ikin,Techno Bros aka Ron & Loftgroover, Ruff with the Smooth aka Ron & Donovan Badboy Smith, Rush Till Dawn aka Ron & Spencer T, Electronic Experienced aka Alex Reece, and of course Top Buzz.
Basement Records also launched subsidary labels 'Homegrown Records, Smooth Recordings & 4For the Floor' which all enjoyed a lot of success in the Hardcore Scene.
By 1994 Basement Records moved towards the new sound of Drum n Bass and again enjoyed massive success with its inhouse Artists and also a new batch of Artists such as sentinel aka Photek, Peshay, Justice & J Majik. The Basement label launched two more subsidary labels during this time ' Street Beats & Precious Material'. During this period Jack n Phil released under their new moniker 'Mystic Moods' and also launched a label under this name.
In 1997 Phil sold up all his interests in Vinyl Distribution and took a 3 year sojourn.
In 2000 Phil launched a new company called 'Nu Urban Music' and relaunched Basement Records in 2002. Since then there have only been a couple of releases by new artist 'Rage' & classic artists 'Tango & Ratty'. However now fully flowing, new releases to hit the streets this year include a vicious slab of 2006 hardcore drum n bass by 'Vital Elements' called the Badboy Tune, a 'Cartridge' remix of 'Jack Smooth's' classic old skool Anthem - Plight of the Innovator' with the original on the AA and a 'Blu Marten'
remix of the 'Architex' sublime DnB tune 'Altitude' and again the original on the AA.
Last but not least Basement Records are proud to announce the launch of their new label 'Nu Basement' which is dedicated to the current Hardcore scene.
The labels first release will be a double pack 12" feat Artists Enzyme,Malice, Amnexiac & Junki Munki. There will also be a launch patrty for the new label in October. 2 rooms of Hardcore magic. Room 1 will be a classics night feat a 2 hour set from Top Buzz, as well as DJs Basement Phil and Ratty,and still to be confirmed Ellis D or Slipmat. Room 2 will feature all of the Artists appearing on the new EP as well as some more special guests.
MCs on the night will be the original Cru who used to perform at the original 'Basement presents Nitrous' parties back in the day, Mad P, Moose & GQ. Keep an eye out for confirmed dates and venue to be announced shortly.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years and very much hope that the new generation of hardcore fans enjoy our new releases as much as the Ravers back in the day loved the classics.
Basement Phil.
