Until 2010, 16 years after its founding, Rinse FM was a pirate radio station, broadcasting illegally from many east London rooftops. Although now outfitted with a proper license, operating in the open, Rinse holds true to its underground roots and continues to champion dubstep, UK funky, grime, and, in general, “youth-orientated music culture.”
That last part about youth culture is an integral component to Rinse’s philosophy. Rinse began when owner Geeneus and his DJ friends were kicked out of the stations where they had shows and were told they were too young when they went looking for new gigs. Frustrated with the politics of the scene, Geeneus and his friends decided to go out on their own; and so Rinse began.
During the early years, Geeneus didn’t have much of a plan beyond keeping ahead of what was new and hiring talented DJs but in 2009 he started a compilation series of mixes from Rinse’s all-star roster, a group categorized as “family” on the website. With the series now at two dozen albums, Rinse’s mix sessions are essential to any collection attempting to claim underground credibility.
Here are just a few suggestions to get you started.
Rinse 20 :: Uncle Dugs
According to Rinse FM’s website, Uncle Dugs is their only dedicated to old skool DJ. If his mix for the label is any indication, I’d be hard pressed to disagree. Starting with “We Are I.E.,” a breakbeat track from 1991, Uncle Dugs sets the stage for a throwback album. “I’ve called it my ‘Story of Jungle mix’,” says Dugs. “It’s a story of jungle music until it changed to drum and bass.”
As one would guess from that statement, there is a depth and breadth to the mix. Tracks range from classic drum and bass–featuring artists such as Alex Reese, Shy FX, and Andy C–to the dub of X-Project and Conquering Lion. Upbeat throughout, although not afraid of the dark and grimy, Dubs’s mix is an excellent collection of what drum and bass has to offer. It’s a gift to those who grew up on 90s jungle and mandatory for those who missed it.
Rinse: 11 :: Oneman
Oneman joined Rinse in 2007, coming up through garage and dubstep. His mix, ranging from dubstep, to vocal house, to grime, to the quirky tracks of Modeselektor and Crystal Fighters, shows off his versatility. In an interview with Spin he explains, “a set’s all about going up and down for me, like a rollercoaster. I never want to be in once place the whole time. I get really bored easily.”
Oneman, with his eclectic tastes and knack for blending seemingly unmatchable tracks, creates an album full of surprises; you never know what’s coming next.
Rinse: 22 :: Kode 9
Until recently, Rinse mixes were limited to their station DJs. Now, they’ve moved beyond their initial vision to include outsiders whose work they admire. This year Kode 9 made the list, for good reason. His mix is dark but energetic: a mix of grime, footwork, and heady downtempo with the longest track clocking in at four minutes, with most at or under two.
Beyond his DJing skills, Kode9 is an interesting character. He teaches music culture at the University of East London, and published a book with MIT Press in 2009 called Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, an exploration of vibrational force, from military research to crowd control, to corporate sonic branding, and sonic encounters of sound art and music culture.
His mix is just as smart.
Rinse: 8 :: Alexander Nut
Alexander’s mix encompasses a range of highly produced tracks, from the super-dancey electro house of D-Boogie, to the soul of Canadian producer Marco Polo, to the tweaky Jamaican beats of Roots Manuva, to the grimy underground hip hop of Eric Lau and 2-Tall. These tracks distinguish Alexander’s mix from many others in the Rinse series. He’s considered the station’s only experimental hip hop DJ and is quoted as saying that he’s “never belonged to one particular group” and that he is “a child of the universe.” This early mix in the series is perfect for those who want a brighter album with that trusted Rinse quality. Lots of vocals on this one.
