20 years of DiY Soundsystem

20 years of DiY Soundsystem

7 December, 2009 | 7.37AM

• Written by: pollylavine
• Filed under: Music News: 20 years of dance music

How many electronic music entities celebrated a landmark birthday this year? Warp Records and Strictly Rhythm hit 20 years, Wall Of Sound ticked over 15, Fabric reached 10, and countless club nights and labels clocked similar ‘big ones’.

It has been 20 years since the second Summer of Love and the explosion of acid house in Britain, and amazingly there are a few groups still operating today that came into being, no doubt, during a hazy dancefloor moment way back then.

Nottingham’s DiY Soundsystem are one such crew who celebrated their 20th birthday this year. Founded in 1989, the party promoters have hosted club nights, warehouse bashes, and outdoor raves all over Britain and beyond for two decades.

As one of the original soundsystem posses, they were an instrumental part of the UK’s pre Criminal Justice Bill free party scene. Their legendary free parties, that often stretched on for days, contributed to the rave zeitgeist most remarkably.

Along the way they went from playing to making records, and released a string of classic tracks on labels like Warp, and their own DiY Discs, Strictly4Groovers and DiY Diversions labels.

We spoke to DiY’s Digs and Whoosh about their thoughts on reaching 20 years, and how dance music has changed since those innocent, decadent rave days.

20 years is a long time. What were the key components to your longevity and sustainability?

Well - we started as a group of mates throwing parties and this has been at the centre of the whole thing throughout. Although obviously we became a very big posse and had loads of other people involved, there was always a group of friends in the middle and that has kept it going. Also, wicked music of course!

Did you ever imagine 20 years ago that dance would end up where it is at the moment? What are your thoughts on where EDM is currently?

20 years ago it was all pretty new and you took it as it came. Since then it has become more commercial and accessible, but in a way with the growth of bands, there’s an element of people returning to dance music, away from the more popular side now.

The early 90’s sound is coming back - look at the German producers bringing a deep and warm edge to their previously minimal sounds. Yeah there’s dance music in the charts a bit but there are good nights out to be had still.

You were one of the main groups running free parties in England back in the day - is the free party movement lost, and what’s your thoughts on the commercialisation of the scene?

I think the free party movement now is either small groups throwing parties for their mates, around 100 - 300 people, or it’s more of a squat scene. What happened guys?!

Has freedom of expression died in dance music and its community, or would you say it’s still well and truly alive?

People who follow others are perhaps more into the trend side of it. I think a new wave of expression comes through with new blood and new people on a scene. It’s still happening. I’m in London now and there are still people out there having fun all weekend and getting excited about new releases house wise.

On the deeper side there’s good music coming out from artists like Motor City Drum Ensemble, who has brought a new edge. There’s always someone thinking outside of the box.

From the Criminal Justice Bill to government sponsored raves like BBC Radio 1 events, did you ever foresee the direction dance music would move into?

We ran a series of fundraisers in Nottingham called ‘All Systems Go!’ in conjunction with Smokescreen, Desert Storm, Breeze and Babble soundsystems to try and fight the CJB, and we raised about five grand at the time, which we spent on publicity and information - we did our best to oppose the CJB but they weren’t going to let that one be stopped.

Why didn’t you have to move countries, like the Network 23 guys, who relocated to France?

I think the Spirals had no choice back then and had to move elsewhere. They were the first exposure that France had to free parties and that continues to be the blueprint on the continent. We kept our heads down a bit more so didn’t have to move away.

Which artists have stood out for you most in the past 20 years and why?

Woosh: Charles Webster - we worked with him back in our early days, but not just because of that. He’s still going, still on a deep tip and is still massively popular. He’s consistent and has stuck to his guns. That’s the way to do it.

Derrick Carter - he’s an obvious one but he played for us at Doghouse in Nottingham a few times and ‘smashed it’ as they say. Theme tune of Kids From Fame anyone? And he’s ‘peaked and troughed but is still there.

Larry Heard too. He fuses machine music with soul music and neither have gone out of fashion. Massive Attack for creative sampling and top drawer guest vocals, something we’d not really heard before, or since.

Also Simon DK, as he looks as old as he did 20 years ago!

Digs: Masters At Work as they’ve always maintained their links to the underground house spirit, since the very start of house music in the USA in the mid/late 80s with their own very skillful interpretation of rhythms.

They have sustained a 20 year plus career in the dance music industry, and have remixed some of the biggest names in pop music (Madonna, Sade, and many others), yet have always included underground ‘dubbed out’ mixes that the more discerning DJ could use.

They have been many other formidable artists and producers, but none that are still ahead of the game and still active after two decades of consistent and continuous work in this field.

Which artists are the future of electronic dance music?

Brooks is back from his Derby heyday, and now known as ‘Andrew’. Dead Weather could crossover into a dance, psychedelic style! And Digs & Woosh, watch out!

What are your top 5 tracks from the last 20 years of dance music?

Jovonn ‘When Worlds Collide’ [Goldtone Records]

This epic track is constructed around layers upon layers of building harmonious keys, that blend themselves around a tight rhythm that leaves you with nine minutes of hypnotic house.

KoT ‘Rumoured To Be’ / ‘Voices’ (Black label bootleg)

This is a pure end of the night authentic garage lifter with a serious heavyweight bassline that entwines with beautiful vocals that just run and run!

Romanthony ‘Fall From Grace’ [Azuli]

The ‘Wanderer’ brings his inimitable style to this moody yet spiritual garage workout. Sweet vocals, tight beats and classy synths wrapped around a sinster bassline make for a totally unique, yet infectious groove. Timeless!

Tricky Disco ‘Tricky Disco’ [Warp]

Warp label, warped tune. There it is!

2 In A Room ‘Do What You Wanna’ (Red Zone Mix) [Cutting Records]

This formidable interpetation of the hip hop duo’s commercial hit by longstanding yet still active David Morales retains the rap to leave you with a supremely arranged and crafted masterpiece (that some may diagnose as hip house) that is every much as intense now on the dancefloor as it was 19 years ago. Long live the old school!

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