Born in 1977 (a week after Elvis passed on), had no real choice in early music taste due to my older brother directing me away from Huey Lewis and the News (first 12″) towards East Coast Hip Hop (Cold Chillin’), UK Hip Hop (Overlord X, Hijack, Blade), Hip House (Tony Scott, Fast Eddie), Breakbeat House (SUAD, Vinyl Solution, Kickin’, Warriors Dance, Blapps!). I must have started playing vinyl at about 13 when we bought some belt drives off a local Hip Hop producer as he was getting Technics. Within a year or so we luckily got a whole Technics set up for Xmas (thanks mum & dad!).

From there I would just steal my brothers records and buy the odd piece now and again, as I got more part time jobs I would buy more vinyl until I eventually started my first job working a stones throw from Rob Haigh’s (Omni Trio) Parliament Records in Hertford. I only ever listened to the breakbeat based stuff from 91-97, 4/4 was not even on my radar, not enough meat in the music for me.

At about the same time a DJ friend started up Stronghold Records to produce some ex Shadow artists, along with his own projects so that meant free entry to the nights that were going on in London, Thursday was Speed @ Mars Bar, Soho. Friday was Innovation @ Paradise, Islington. Sunday was Metalheadz @ Blue Note, Hoxton. The odd Saturday Playford would throw a Moving Shadow party in Equinox but that was full of tourists.

The golden period of electronic music for me was 94-96 with artists like Source Direct, Photek, Hidden Agenda, Aquasky, Intense, Q-Project etc would produce absolute jaw dropping tunes, the creativity around this time was just amazing, down at Speed it was thrilling to hear all these new sounds but knowing it would be 3-6 months before it would get pressed just used to make it even more sweeter when it finally went on my pile in Parliament.

Source: Last.fm