5.

Groove Chronicles – ‘Masterplan’

Around 2005 and 2006 I was trying to do as much DJing as possible wherever I could – we were doing the Sub FM show, but when I was in London we would go down to the Red Star in Camberwell. They were Thursday evening sessions, and they gave me and David, and people like Alex Bok Bok and Steve Oneman slots to play. That was the first club that most of us played at. A little community formed around the place, and I ended up DJing on the radio from time to time with the people I met there. DJing with Steve and listening to Kode on Rinse was my route into garage and grime – hearing that it did have so much in common with music [dubstep] I’d thrown myself into so readily.

I think the first garage record I bought was ‘Masterplan’ by Groove Chronicles, which Oneman played a lot and which I found in a bargain bin, my copy’s just a white label with someone else’s marker pen on it. So that could be one to choose for the list – a good one, because if you were to think of a Groove Chronicles record that sums up that time, for me it’s definitely ‘Stone Cold’. But ‘Masterplan’ is definitely the one I played most, because I had it for longer, and because ‘Stone Cold’ was very much Steve’s trademark.