Send us a text In this episode, Neil sits down with Kevin Foakes (aka Strictly Kev and DJ Food) - legendary DJ, graphic artist, and archivist of UK counterculture - for a deep dive into four decades of music, raves, graffiti, and psychedelic experimentation. Kevin's journey is a masterclass in underground creativity, spanning from Adam and the Ants fandom to hip-hop graffiti, from acid house squats to Ninja Tune's golden era. After discovering hip-hop through the legendary Subway Art book, h...
Send us a text In this episode we take a deep-dive into Britain's underground festival counterculture with filmmaker Aaron Trinder, creator of the groundbreaking documentary "Free Party: A Folk History." Aaron reveals how the free festival culture of the 60s and 70s collided with the explosive rave scene of the late 80s and 90s, creating a movement so powerful that the government literally rewrote the law to stop it. From the legendary Castlemorton Common Festival of 1992 - a 50,000-str...
Send us a text In the second part of our chat, we continue our conversation with Chris (aka Dexta), following his journey from aspiring DJ to co-founder of Planet Wax, the New Cross institution that has become a cornerstone of London's underground dance music scene. "Record shops aren't just about selling vinyl—they're about creating a space where the culture can breathe," Dexta explains. In this episode, we discuss how Dexta founded Diffrent Music in 2010 with his friend Jamie. This experime...
Send us a text In the first of a two-part conversation, we sit down with Chris (aka Dexta), co-founder of Planet Wax, a legendary record shop, bar, venue, and radio station in New Cross dedicated to underground dance music and its surrounding culture and community. This episode explores Dexta's journey through the UK music scene from the late 1990s to early 2010s. Growing up in North London, his musical passion began with compilation albums and cassette tapes, with a particular affinity for T...
Send us a text In part two of our conversation, Ian St. Paul shares his remarkable journey through some of the most influential moments in dance music history. Beginning with his first trip to Ibiza in 1984, Ian recounts how what started as a holiday transformed into a life-changing adventure that would shape club culture for decades to come. The conversation traces Ian's evolution from running bars in Ibiza to becoming a pivotal figure in London's acid house scene, where he founded legenda...
Send us a text In this captivating first installment of our two-part conversation, Ian shares his remarkable coming-of-age story: from his teenage years in South London's vibrant soul scene of the 1970s to living in New York from 1980 to 1983, concluding as he departs for Ibiza in 1984. Ian St Paul stands as a genuine pioneer of London's underground music scene. Raised on the Roundshaw Estate in South London, he discovered soul records at age 13, igniting a lifelong passion for music. He quic...
Send us a text In part two of my conversation with DJ/producer Warlock, we explore his fascinating musical evolution and contributions to UK electronic music. The episode traces his journey from playing UK hardcore in the early 90s to embracing the harder European techno scene as well as a multitude of other underground genres and styles over the years. Jason shares his experiences working at Kickin Records alongside Peter Harris, where he handled A&R and compilation licensing. He then di...
Send us a text Join me for part one of my two-part conversation with Warlock. A raw, unfiltered journey through the golden age of pirate radio, and the birth of jungle. In this episode, Jason takes us deep into the underground scene of early 90s London. From running pirate radio in student halls to getting caught by the DTI live on air. This episode is a raw slice of UK dance music history. Some of the many topics discussed include: His journey from Watford to Stafford and eventually ...
Send us a text This is the second part of my two-part conversation with Jerome Hill, a DJ and producer renowned for his exceptional skills behind the turntables. Since his first gig in 1990, Jerome has been mixing and scratching a wide variety of sounds, always bringing a selection guaranteed to energize any party. In this episode, we discuss several key topics, including: Club UK: A nightclub in Wandsworth, London, active in the early to mid-1990s, where Jerome was introduced to the harder...
Send us a text Join me for part one of my two-part conversation with Jerome Hill, a DJ and producer renowned for his top-notch skills behind the turntables. Since his first gig back in 1990, Jerome has been mixing and scratching up an eclectic storm, always armed with a selection guaranteed to rock any party. Jerome also runs a diverse range of record labels across multiple genres and styles. These include: Don't for fucked up party technoSuper Rhythm Trax for acid, bleeps, and house groovesH...
Send us a text Join me for the second part of my conversation with Gizelle, a key figure in London's 1990s underground acid techno scene. Starting in 1990, we explore the evolution of acid house and the emergence of multiple new genres in the UK music landscape. In this episode, Gizelle shares her experiences on: Her involvement with the Zero Gravity collective and underground party organisation Protests against the Criminal Justice Bill Early music production, collaborating with Henry (Dave...
Send us a text Join us for the first part of our captivating conversation with Gizelle, a pioneering female DJ who witnessed the birth of London's acid house scene. From her roots in Lovers Rock to becoming a trailblazing DJ, Gizelle takes us on a nostalgic trip through late 80s and early 90s club culture. In this episode some of the many topics we discuss are: Gizelle's musical beginnings with Charisma, a Lovers Rock group Her first DJ gig at Winston's Bar in Deptford (1987) Discovering and...
Send us a text In this second instalment of our two-part conversation, we discuss Rachel's expanding career as a DJ, playing at more venues in London, including the influential Movement at Rumba and Herbal in Shoreditch. We talk about her job at the legendary Soho record shop Black Market and how she immersed herself in various scenes across multiple genres and subcultures. This includes helping to set up the London Underground venue at the Glastonbury Festival, playing in clubs and warehouse...
Send us a text Welcome to Episode 18, where I sit down for a lively chat with Rachel, better known as Miss Pink. Our connection dates back to the mid-1990s, a time when I frequented record stores like Ambient Soho on Berwick Street and Black Market Records on D'Arbly Street, places where Rachel's passion for music shone brightly. Throughout the 90s, she made her mark as a revered jungle DJ, spinning tunes at underground warehouse raves and mainstream venues alike. In this first instalment of ...
Send us a text In Episode 17, I speak again with my old friend and fellow rave war veteran, Phil Klein, also known as Bass Junkie. Phil is a highly respected UK music producer, having crafted tunes since the late 1980s, and is known for his deep love of Electro and Miami Bass. In this second of our two part discussion, we delve into his experiences with underground parties in the 1990s, his ventures to Miami for production collaborations with his Electro heroes Dynamix II, the establishment o...
Send us a text In Episode 16, I speak with my old friend and fellow rave war veteran, Phil Klein, also known as Bass Junkie. Phil is a highly respected UK music producer, having crafted tunes since the late 1980s, and is known for his deep love of Electro and Miami Bass. In this first of our two part discussion, we delve into his early music recollections, highlighting the pivotal moment when his cousin introduced him to the Street Sounds Electro series in 1983, an encounter that significantl...
Send us a text In Episode 15, I speak with Uncle G, also known as Urban Intelligence. Godfrey has been deeply embedded in South London's music culture since his family relocated to South East London from the tumultuous and politically unstable climate of Chile in the 1970s. Growing up on the Morris Walk estate in Woolwich, he was exposed to music from various angles, starting with all-night Caribbean-influenced blues parties in his local community. These were DIY events where a sound system a...
Send us a text In Episode 14, the second part of my conversation with Brandon Spivey, an old friend and cultural provocateur, we delve into his experiences traveling to Europe in the mid-1980s. During this time, he actively participated in several riots in Berlin as a member of the Black Bloc—an anarchist organization committed to confronting governments and the banking system through direct action. Our discussion extends to his discovery of Dada art, particularly his appreciation for the wor...
Send us a text In episode 13, I am joined by my old mate and cultural hooligan, Brandon Spivey. We delve into his initiation into radical music and subculture, recounting his upbringing in 1970s Macclesfield and subsequent relocation to Manchester in the 80s. As a class-conscious anarchist and anti-authoritarian, he actively opposed the system and confronted fascists on the streets, participating in protests and riots across the UK and wider Europe. Our conversation explores the impact of pun...
Send us a text Episode 12 contains the second part of my conversation with Christoph Fringeli. We discuss his move to South London from Basel at the start of the 90's and how he started a new record label called Praxis in order to release some of the harder electronic music he was making and hearing at parties and on the radio airwaves in the city. We also chat about Dead by Dawn, the legendary monthly party, held at the 121 Centre in Railton Road, Brixton during the mid 90's that combined al...