Issue 37 – Ravescene

Ravescene Magazeen #37 (May ’93) spotlights Rabbit City & Edge Records with Gordon Matthewman on the labels’ history, hit releases, and UK techno scene insights, alongside rave listings for May–June 1993.

FEATURED ARTICLE – RABBIT CITY & EDGE RECORDS

Interviewed by maxwell

RABBIT CITY and EDGE records are very successful but still much much under-rated in this country. Ravescene meets the owner (Gordon Matthewman) in a pub in Stockwell to find out the full story.

Rs: What were you doing before you started Rabbit City Records?

GM: My first job was playing the Trumpet on a ship.

Rs: You’re obviously musically minded, what do you think of Dj’s with no technical music ability making records?

GM: I think that’s perfectly legitimate. Its like if you put a producer with a group of musicians you can sometimes get a better sound than if the musicians were left to themselves.

Rs: Your first release on Rabbit City, ‘Cutter Mix’ was an instant hit, how did that come about?

GM: Well basically it was a mix using various samples. I got an acetate of it cut and gave it to Colin Faver. he played it for the first time at Rage and there was immediate reaction from a distributor who was interested in it.

Rs: Does Colin Faver play a big part in

GM: Colin has been a friend of mine for years, and it’s through him, and his show that I meet new acts for my label eg The Aphex Twin and Force Mass Motion.

Rs: Moving on, your biggest hit to date has to be ‘Compounded’, the first release on Edge records borrowing a line from an old Garage track, was that intentional?

GM: No, it was only two weeks after it was released that someone pointed the similarity out. I went back through my collection and found that I actually had the record in question. The strange thing was that they were both in the same key.

Rs: The B-side to that record is full of different styles, Deep House, Techno and Garage, was that intentional.

GM: Yes, I set up Edge records to concentrate on my own work, with R.C. concentrating on other peoples. I would advise people to do one all out club track and three experimental tracks per E.P.

Rs: What do you think of the Hardcore scene at the moment?

GM: I don’t know, I don’t go to Hardcore raves. Before I last went to Germany Some Dj’s asked me to bring some breakbeat tunes. I listened to about twenty but only liked four or five.

Rs: So can you relate more easily to the Techno/Acid German sound

GM: Yes, and it has resulted in me licensing two E.P’s from Structure and the setting up of Force Inc UK.

Rs: What are you doing in the immediate future?

GM: I’m going to New York and Germany, and Rabbit City II as well as Force Inc 3, featuring brand new Thomas Heckman tracks, are soon to be released.

Rs: And long term?

GM: I’d like to work with percussion sounds.

Rabbit City, Edge and Force Inc Uk will go from strength to strength and Gordon Matthewman deserves all the success he gets. The Excellent hard acid Ware House E.P. is now out on the Force Inc U.k. (No. 2) and if you have any demo tapes for consideration please send them to Colin Faver at Kiss FM. PO Box 100 8BR

ADVERTS

  • De Underground Records
  • Pyramid Promotions presents Innersense every Saturday
  • Double Dipped and Every Picture Tells A Story
  • Knite Force
  • Labrynth Friday Night Wild
  • 691 Promotions Ltd presents ReincarnationSaturday 29th May 1993
  • Lucky Spin Records
  • Slimes @ The Soundshaft
  • Hardcore Zone @ Wax City Records

RAVE LISTINGS

  • Destiny Saturday 29th May. All Night. Oscars, The Pier, Clacton, Essex.
  • AWOL At The Movies Sunday 30th May. All Night. Bagley Film Studios, York Way, London N1
  • Reincarnation – The Warm Up – Saturday 22nd May 1993 The Kings Hall, Herne Bay, Kent
  • Reincarnation Saturday 29th May 1993 Crystal Palace Sports Centre Ledrington Rd, Off Anerley Hill Upper Norwood SE19 2BL
  • Release The Pressure Saturday 29th May
  • Evolution Saturday 29th May 1993 The Wax, Temple Mill Lane Leyton London E15
  • The Lost City Sunday 30th May 1993 Bass Box Warehouse, Unit H9 Lea Valley Trading Est. Harbert Rd London N18
  • Universe Friday 4th June 1993 A46 Near Bath, Avon (Junction 18, M4)
  • Double Dipped/Every Picture Tells A Story Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th May Club Labrynth (The Four Aces) 12 Dalston Lane, London E8
  • Labrynth Friday 21st and Friday 28th May Club Labrynth (The Four Aces) 12 Dalston Lane, London E8
  • New Age Friday 21st May. The Edge, Lower Ford St. Coventry.
  • Slimetime
  • Labrynth Warehouse Saturday 24th July at a Central London location
  • Megadog Friday 28th May. The Rocket, Holloway Road, London N7
  • Hippodrome 9 Sunday 30th May. The Hippodrome, Leicester Square, London W1

Issue 31 – Ravescene

Ravescene Magazeen #31 (Feb ’93) features UK rave listings including Rebirth, Head II Head, and Lost City, plus Ruff Kut Records releases and a Wax City Music chart spotlighting Mega City 2, DJ Hype, and Tango & Ratty.

ADVERTS

  • Mega-Dog – Friday 26th February @ The Rocket, Holloway Road, London N7
  • Promised Land Productions present Lost City – Every Saturday @ Bass Box Warehouse, London N18
  • Yikes! & Swing present Head II Head – Friday 19th February @ Sanctuary Music Arena, Milton Keynes
  • Dream Zone – Saturday 27th February @ Atomics Dance Venue, Maidstone
  • Ruff Kut Records presents Gappa-G & Hyper Hypa, New E.P. “All Charged Up” 8th March 1993
  • De Underground Records, 18 Sebert Road, London E7
  • Pyramid Promotions / Innersense – Every Saturday @ Lazerdrome, 267 Rye Lane, London SE15

RAVE LISTINGS

  • Rebirth (Electrybe) Saturday 13th and 27th February 1993. Hyams Gym, 857-861 High Road, Leystone, London E11
  • Head II Head (Yikes & Swing) Friday 19th February. The Sanctuary, Denbigh Leisure Park, V7 Saxon Street, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Beds
  • Vision Friday 12th February. Unit A & B, Salters Way, WIsbech, Cambs
  • Love Fever Saturday 13th February. Oceans, Goswell Road, London EC2
  • In-Ter-Dance All Nighter Friday 12th February. Poole Arts Centre, Kingsland Road, Poole, Nr Bournemouth, Dorset.
  • Snoosh Friday 19th February. 5 Christina Street, off Great Eastern Street, London EC2
  • Fusion Saturday 13th February. The Astoria, 157 Charing Cross Road, London W2
  • Love Of Life Saturday 27th February. Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre, Gonville Place, Parkside, Cambridge
  • Sunday People Every Sunday from 7th February. Kao Cafe, 65 Crowndale Road, Camden, London N1
  • Elevation Saturday 20th February. Roller Express, Lea Valley Trading Estate, Edmonton, London N8
  • Megadog Friday February 26th. The Rocket, Holloway Road, London N7
  • Life & Utopia Saturday 13th February. Tasco Warehouse, Nathan Way, Plumstead, London SE28
  • Affinity Friday 12th February. The Sanctuary, Denbigh Leisure Centre, V7 Saxon Street, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Beds
  • Fusion Saturday 20th March. Portsmouth Guild Hall
  • The Power Within Friday 19th March. The Rocket, Holloway Road, London N7
  • Dance Paradise Saturday 20th February. Tiffany’s, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
  • Dance 93 Saturday 13th March. The Brighton Centre, Brighton
  • Original Sin Saturday 20th February. The Tasco Warehouse, 138 Nathan Way, Plumstead, London SE28
  • Lost City Every Saturday from February 13th. Bass Box, Unit H9, Harbet Road, Edmonton N9
  • Insomnia Every Thursday. 10pm – 6am. Paradise Club, Parkfield Street, Islington, London N1
  • Hyperbolic Saturday 13th February. The Speedway Stadium, Kings Lynn, Norfolk
  • Dance Planet Friday 19th March. The Hummingbird, 54 Dale End, Birmingham
  • Labello Blanco Friday 19th February. The Rocket, Holloway Road, London N7

CHART

Compiled by Judge of Wax City Music

  1. London to Essex in 3 Hours – Mega City 2 (Hear Dis)
  2. Penny Wise Remix – Symphony Sounds
  3. Dp[e On Plastic EP (Rugged Vinyl)
  4. Shot In The Dark – DJ Hype
  5. Harmony In The Extreme (Lucky Spin Promo)
  6. Planet Dance EP (Studio 2)
  7. Dreamfinder 93 Remix – Sound Corp
  8. With You – Cool Hand Flex
  9. Tales From The Dark Side – Tango & Ratty
  10. Ganja Man (Promo)