Flex started as a breakaway station from Don FM just as Don was making it's drive to secure an RSL (Restricted Service Licence). The station was run from the same manor as Don broadcasting from the same roof tops in South London. Flex was started by Ezee D and Ruffneck, and most of the DJ's involved were a part of the Don crew. Ezee D and Kappa managed the station for several years catering for all forms of Dance Music from House & Garage to Jungle.
In 1998 Ezee D and Kappa retired from the station management, but understandably they were keen to see the station that they had worked so hard to build continue to grow. So the management role was passed to DJ's with the enthusiasm to move it forward into the new millennium. The baton went Deekline and Billy Whiz who made a substantial financial injection to ensure that the station was well equipped with plenty of back up rigs to keep things ticking over whilst they found their feet.
Pure SX, Rob Loe (ex-Fresko FM) and Ritchie soon joined the Flex management. Pure SX introduced one of the best pirate radio linked Internet sites of it's time (WwW.FlexFM.Net). This site was the first in the UK to offer listeners the chance to listen in via a live audio stream and send shouts to the radio studio for free of charge. When the site was first launched it managed to gain way over 100'000 hits in just a mere 6 weeks.
The new Flex management quickly forged a good relationship with Outcast FM, sharing knowledge, labour and equipment. Eventually Outlaw (Outcast FM Management) & Wize both joined Flex FM.
After some time of hitting the underground airwaves, in 2001 Deekline entered the UK National charts with "I Don't Smoke" (Da Reefer) and more success came with the Genius Cru and "Boom Selection". Flex also ran some very successful parties at places like Adrenalin village, Cloud 9, The Coliseum, Chunnel Club, Bojangles, Gass club and more. The station was at the forefront of the London pirate scene until 2002 when it reached an amazing 10th birthday. Unfortunately due to ever changing society it was becoming harder and harder for the Flex crew to remain true to themselves, running radio the oldskool way and so came the end of the Don/Flex era.
See below some video clips from the FLEX crew...
easy d, ruffneck, kappa, jp, culture, ed rush, gunshot, cab e, fashion, dj flight, merlin, unit 1, fatman d, ricky d, extreme, pure sx, rabz, nut nut, jack daniels, billy whizz, dream, funk, nasty, simon m, sean t & trimmer, deekline, low qui, outlaw & wise, rascel & realm, damaja, n j fever, gordon, dominic b, mark yardley, hyperactive, jives, d white, carl loban,syndicate, reckless, ls & paul strobe, rob low & kin, dinsey, dextrous d, mo-a, enforcer, ac, uncle fester, pit bull, ju ju, r2, longman, nickyd, donna dee, chuckie, master p, huckleberry finn, r type and playa, sense, stevie a, gussy, reds, subterra, x rated screamer, country, miles slater,brisk, whizz kid, wobbler & milky, felix d, tommy j, sparks, richie, mr t, pooch, donna & mo, quest, tuggy, ed 209, jon manning, adrian atom, blow felt, izzy (uptown records), paul farris, dicky e, qui que (princes gran canaria), nathen (rude), vicious circle, ebk, dinos (corfu). renegade hardware, jay cunning, rat records, hardcore beats, nasty krew, barry ashworth, dub pistols, dogtown clash, jap sluts, ils, nathen locket & g smooth (baffled), scott garcia, sly d, james (excess), flex fm, ice fm, delight fm, dance uk fm, ruudeawakening fm, pointblank fm, vybe fm, girls fm, don fm, dream fm,kool fm, kiss fm, outcast fm, freeze fm, mac fm, my cousin sharon and all the black market records team, soho editors, nick vybe, adam freeze, t vybe, genocide, cozzie, garath wylde, rob davies (kandi club), the original strawberry sundays crowds, tayo, stanton warriors, miss monument, housebreakers, rennie pilgrim, zero b, josh(pointblank), ben hold tight, tapper, deproduzer, g spot, ruxspin, macca, panache, cast, lee edwards, function, sqribbler, og, claire in spain, marcus wilson, tom faulkner, binsey, easy, rat pack, dom da bomb, scoff records, super c, dr khan, freeze, king koopa, linda & danielle, amanda (sc), wizard, simon andrews, honest jon, solitude, dazzla, big guns, loopy, andy mac, andy skin up,phil bardel, sharky p, kris mason, bradley (s-club 7), ken mac, v2 crew, dave massive head, mini t, jeremy sylvester, mr vee, throwdown, bounce,dancing dog records, james & sarah keohane, nathen & darren bowman, distinctive records, sirus, chillem, highway man, stranger, virus, westway records, jamie t, konan cloud 9, mad bull, jem, smeg, roo, kris in hayes, bill nugent, chris lopez, jon day, warren shaw, angel farringdon, tom skunk, neil,geoff, vicky, sophie, jose, manjit, paul, mark, jason and the rest of airfayre, marcus (twickenham boys), ben, adam, loyd, carl, mike, pickle, and all the rest of the listeners over the ten years we were live ;)......
