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Throughout the eighties I was heavily into Electro and Hip Hop - I remember Mike Allen, before Westwood became King! Yeah, I was a youth, listening to the radio hard on Friday and Saturday nights. As the decade progressed and the true Gods' shone in Gold or beads - Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, EPMD, Ultramagnetic, Scott La Rock, KRS 1, Lakim Shabazz, Native Tongues, Public Enemy etc, my weekends were spent on my artwork - a pen, pad, paint, a marker; just putting vision down on paper. At the same time my brother would lock onto the pirates (thanks!). Acid house, hardcore, breakbeat, early jungle - a mad fusion of sounds - real abstract, real raw, real creative and real fast. Damn - so much energy. A varied contrast to Hip-Hop, but just as exciting, just as fused. It was considerably edgy, young and British. It represented the youth here - and emulated who we were, and represented a vibe of everyone just trying to get along with one another. It was manic, urban, gritty, dirty, up-lifting - all kind of things - mad sound samples, speeded up, or slowed down vocals - just imaginative and brilliant.I won't lie - I tried to fight it at first - for Hip-Hop was my first true love; ghetto brothers and sisters were putting it on hard! And fighting the system - the grown-up's didn't understand Hip-Hop and that's what made it ours. 'Hardcore' - 'breakbeat' call it what you will also had that defiant feeling - so it was bound to hold me. Illegal and daring, challenging and uncompromising - Finally again we had a UK thing that pulled no punches.Pirate radio /the rave scene - young people, all from various backgrounds attempting to create a piece of utopia. Trying to understand the meaning and comprehension of life. A vein attempt to make sense of 'working' all week - shit jobs, lying politicians, recession, poverty and making the best use of drugs - escapism for the weekend and hopefully for the rest of their lives (R.I.P all victims, all casualties). Built on some of the same elements that elevated Hip-Hop. The mixing was manic; it had the whole DJ and MC thing going on. DJ Evil Eddie Richards, scratching, Defection FM. My art at this time became surreal. I remember a school friends bedroom 92' - flyers upon flyers - Seduction, Biology, Utopia Life, Fantazia, Desire 92, - They don't make flyers like those anymore! (.. & Paul I've still got your tapes!).I just stayed locked on - a weekend listener. Energy, Don FM, Weekend Rush, Defection, Pulse, Boss FM, Eruption, Rude, Touchdown; when I hit Kool FM (end of '92) I was home! The full spectrum and styles were all here from Weds night to Sunday night. Those shows took me through college and then through Uni.Stepping into Roast, my first rave - just improved things (JJ Frost). Jungle Fever was the lick! Grooverider, Andy C, Hype, Mickey Finn, Darren J, Devious D, Kenny Ken, Ron & SL, Brockie & Dett (deadly combination), Ragga Twins (Unity Sound! Excitement), 5ive-0, The Godfather Moose (Bubbling'), Navigator (Troublemaker..), AWOL - Randall & GQ, classic! Tapes, tapes, tapes - Elevation, Desire, Telepathy, Thunder & Joy, Stush, Amnesia House - BassMan -The bass to dark! (Easy The Double 'R'). Then on to Voodoo Magic - smile! It was here that I was fully tuned into the sounds of Fabio and Bukem. They were just putting it down different. Amazing sounds, crisp and clear in that venue (Equinox); acoustics were right and speakers pumping, a true education (Inspiration). Metalheadz - Blue Note, Cleveland Watkiss, Eskimo Noise! If you were there then you know. Rider, Randall, Doc Scott, Goldie, Kemistry & Storm - all hurt me! - Not for the weak hearted. The roughest, toughest sounds I feel are played at Headz - period; any venue. Bailey went through! Hurt the place-up ('Rough them up Bailey!'.. - Flux!) Speed, Logical Progression (Conrad), Innovation, Movement and Swerve (The home of liquid Funk).So much beats - all inspirational, so many tight mixes, DJs & MCs working in unison - crowds just getting down, on the realness - no discrimination. Move your body how you feel, what ever your poison is - then you're on it. Just come to Rave and have a good time. Meet new people - see the same faces, then new ones enter. I just loved it - and still do. Music has brought people together; music has pushed the progress of Evolution. Mankind, getting together and just dancing, just moving, just living - sharing a smoke, sharing a drink, sharing space and most of all sharing beats! Headz is either feeling it - or they're not. I'm feeling the whole thing and believe in it and that's why I'm here contributing - 'Evolution Recordings' (We are here, where are you?) 2000 & 1, & beyond.
