Post by monostereo on Apr 4, 2020 16:24:27 GMT
You have a lot to choose from and i could wang on for days.
Albums/Tracks/Artists worth checking:
Doc Scott (most of the output on his label "31" from this period was sold, he was probably the best DJ around at the time, he was also good mates with Sasha as well, which i've always found interesting/odd)
Photek - most of his output from around 96 onwards (his dalliance with a major label didn't turn out too well for him, but i actually think Solaris is a great record).
Ed Rush and Optical. Essentially everything on Virus upto and including the Wormhole LP. The first 5 or 6 records on Virus (made in a grotty shed in soho) purely using analogue gear and an akai sampler is all of exceptional quality. A level of raw brilliance that they never managed to capture again unfortunately.
Grooverider - The Prototype Years. A Splendid compilation, as was most of the early output on his label Prototype, extremely high quality control at the start.
Anything by Matrix (Optical's brother). Very disitinctive two step swing drum patterns copied by every man and his dog since.
Fortran
Dom and Roland (industry LP from around this point)
Metalheadz - platinum breaks 2
Bad Company.
Labels:
Top-Tier:
Virus
Prototype
31
Metro
High-tier:
Nouturn
Partisan
Ram
Test (early Dillinger output specifically)
Low-Tier:
Anything involving Roni Size
Moving Shadow (excluding Dom and Roland and prehaps some of label owner Rob Playford's output. I may consider moving this up a tier as the label's logo looked cool when spinning around on a 12")
Good looking (was never a huge fan of LTJ Bookem at the time, although it's not shit, unlike anything below this point)
Bottom-Tier:
True Playaz
Anything categorised as "jump up".
Anything made in Bristol
DJ Hype
Goldie (he was actually an alright DJ on occasion)
All Label art including pictures of spliffs/marijuana/dogs
Most of the good stuff has aged unusually well in comparison to house/techno of the same period. It will continue to mature like a nice expensive cheese, in this writers opinion.
