This time 30 years ago…
I’m updating this post as the year passes! Skip on down here: 29/03/91, 08/03/91, 25/01/91, 11/01/91
5th April 1991
30 years ago this weekend the hardcore continues in these two sets from DJ Gravedigger “The man is gonna put you six feet under!” (aka me DJ Tim prior to settling into the more understated Groovedigger moniker) along with a visit from Marty P and accompaniment from MC Jase (I believe along with some text book mic mumbling from Jim!). And it’s classic Jase this week as he rehearses one of his own raps/toasts. In part two he goes on to confuse the audience with the classic contradictory “Time to get lively, relax yourselves“! 🙂
Musically it’s more of everything we loved and still love. Highlights from the tracks either I or Shazam or I can remember include: Sub Sub – Space Face, Bitin Back aka Micky Finn – She’s Breakin Up (1990 Mix), Richie Rich – Salsa House, NJOI – Adrenalin, Zero Zero – Sanity Claus, Fresh Trax & Ace 2 – Armageddon, Prodigy – We Gonna Rock, Fierce Ruling Diva – Believe, Bug Kann – Made in 2 minutes
Someone please ID that 2nd track on the first set with that classic sample “dred at the controls, international controller throughout the world, universal beat marshal we no partial we play dubwise selection without objection“.
Marty’s set is classic. What a great mix of True Faith’s Take Me Away into Renegade Soundwave’s Phantom, a mix he was still recreating at the 25th Prism anniversary.
…
29th March 1991
30 years ago this weekend as the clocks went forward on the last weekend of March we were presented with another perfect evening of debauchery at the Oxford Venue for Prism “…on a Friday night, it’s time to rock!” And as a special treat here is 3 hours of live recording from the night including sets from me (DJ’ing as Gravedigger before I realised how ridiculous a name it was and changed it up a notch to Groovedigger!), Marty P and, presumably, Kieran. I say presumably as he goes unannnounced but plays some signature Kieran tunes.
In the mix we have sooo many classics. Where either I or Shazam could remember them I have included them in the description on Mixcloud itself. There’s a playlist over there of all 4 recordings from the night.
Starting off in a typically diverse fashion tracks include:
- Synergy – One Way Only (dub) – a lovely down-tempo breaks track
- Dr Baker – Reality – he of popular crossover track ‘Kaos’ fame
- Bugg Kann – Made in 2 Minutes – a classic from the great German producer
- The Wolfgang Press!
- Bugg Kann – Made in 2 Minutes
- and a great bootleg mix of Congress and Hardnoise I shall call 40 Miles of Panic!
In the second set I fad into Marty P and between us drop some proper faves including:
- Shades of Rhythm – Sweet Sensation – natch
- Lovecut DB – Live to Breathe – a lovely loopy Italo classic
- Sinewave – Sinewave – on the classic Chill Records label
- plenty of Prodigy
- Zero Zero – Sanity Claus – a proper belter
- Two Notches – Rhythm Warfare – a Strictly Rhythm classic
- Mr Fingers – Can You Feel It? – need we say more. Nice to know it was ever played at Prism though hey!
- Fresh Trax & Ace 2 – Armageddon – persy 😉
Lots more classic here from Marty, many of whichI don’t know. Here are the gems I do however:
- R A F by M Picotto – We Gonna Get – Italo House doesn’t get better than this!
- Rhythm Warfare – Two Notches – another Strictly belter
- DJ Leroy – Bocca Chica – Italian label Palmares at it’s finest
- Leftfield – Not Forgotten
- Psyance – Motion – WHAT a tune still!
It just has to be Kieran! Here are some Kieran classic from the last recording of the night:
- The Vision Masters & Tony King feat. Kylie Minogue – Keep On Pumpin’ It Up – yup you read that right, Kylie at Prism.Woohoo!
- 6 Bells All – Me The Mailman – Belgian brilliance
- Wareband featuring Ted Robinson – Party Children (Warehouse Mix)
- Ramjac – Massif – an undergrund masterpiece if ever there was one
- Meat Beat Manifesto – Radio Babylon – Andy Weatherall RIP. A track that changed the nature of the game
- Spectrum – Brazil – Belgium again having a huge influence on underground UK dancefloors
- Joey Beltram – My Sound – ditto
…
8th March 1991
30 years ago this weekend in March marked a slight maturing of Prism. Not only do we see deeper incursions of some great Italo house classics but we see our first proper guest DJ grace the decks – EasyGroove (The Techno Dred). There’s 2 recordings from the night. Both are linked below. The early set is all Kieran, the later Easygroove. MC’ing from Jase, and Shocka.
Kieran opens with a couple of bleep classics (please ID the first one!) including Bug Kann’s Made In Two Minutes before then dropping a raft of Italo and Belgian greats including In a Funk by Leonardo Pancaldi and Gimme A Fat Beat by Digital Boy before culminating with the almost inevitable Playing with knives Quadrant remix by Bizarre Inc.
No track listings but Easygroove drops some Frank de Wulf, Break Boys, Prodigy, Da Juice’s Hear The Angels, Trigger’s Stratosphere, Lost by Gonzo and Elevation – Expansions.
25th January 1991
A week on from the first Prism of the legendary year of 1991 – the summer of love for many ravers – and the sound scape is already evolving. Moving just a little away from bleeps and bass (Renegade by Language being the exception here), and while still maintaining that soulful background that I like to think runs through all of my music taste, this set draws more on breaks and UK dance music starts to split out with the advent of early drum and bass and breakbeat tracks. A stand out example of this is the 3rd track in here – Destruction by Freshtrax & Ace II With Pressure Zone some great home grown UK breaks that define this change. There’s still plenty of Belgian in there (Frank De Wulf and DWF Records) some US breaks on Strictly Rhythm but it’s time for UK underground dance music to breakout. There is no finer example of this than Leftfield’s gem – Not Forgotten. The mixing is OK this week. Maybe not as good as last. There’s worse to come I warn you, and you can also look out for some good (and bad) MC’ing in following weeks, and of course there’s lots of whistles. The tempo on this one also definitely upped this week.
??? – “I want more life”
Ralph Rosario – You Used to Hold Me
Freshtrax & Ace II With Pressure Zone – Destruction (Beatfarm)
G Double E – Fire When Ready (Jumpin’ & Pumpin’)
???
True Faith with Final Cut – Take Me Away (Network)
??? “I think it’s time to make the floor burn”
Dee Lite – Good Beat (Elektra)
Rhythm Warfare – Two Notches (Strictly Rhythm)
Leftfield – Not Forgotten (Outer Rhythm)
Mark Summers – Magic Roundabout (4th & Broadway)
Renegade – Language (white label)
Nomad – Devotion (Capitol)
Butcher Sam – Tampex For Two (white label)
Part two is also up on Mixcloud here.
11th January 1991
30 years ago last weekend and what an exciting time for music. In this first part of my live Prism set we have lots of bleeps and bass, some Italo piano, and some dirty Belgian techno. It plods along and all works well together. Someone needs to ID that last track though because I’ll kick myself when I hear it. Enjoy
- ??? – ???
- A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd – Freedom (Mellow Mix)
- ??? – Running Away
- Shut Up & Dance feat Nicolette – Single Minded People (SUAD)
- ???- ???
- Frequency – Hey Hey Hey (R&S Belgium)
- Joey Beltram – Energy Flash (R&S Belgium)
- Hotter – On A High (Ozone Recordings )
- The Gonzo – Lost (Perfecto)
- Hijack – Style Wars (acapella)
- Underground Resistance – Orbit
- ??? – ???
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