Since the dawn of jungle and drum & bass RAM records has always been at the forefront of the scene. Having just had their 100th release Mark Bionic decided it was time to go through their back catalogue and relive some of those essential bass heavy moments.


Without RAM records the drum & bass scene would be a very different place, some might say it wouldn’t even exist at all. Their nineteen year long discography is virtually a history of of the music itself and with eleven releases already this year they still seem to be showing no sign of slowing down. It’s time to list just a few of their tracks that have had such a huge impact in d&b clubs around the world.

RAM 004: Origin Unknown – Valley Of the Shadows (1993)

Claimed by some to be the first ever drum & bass record, Valley Of The Shadows is for sure an all time classic. The track’s accelerated tempo and huge bassline killed the dancefloors of the time and still gets dropped by today’s dnb DJs eighteen years later thanks to a number of represses over the years.

 

RAM 017: Shimon & Andy C – Nightflight (1996)

Nightflight was one half of a release (the flip being ‘Quest’) that defines the tag ‘drum & bass’ perfectly. The two sides were equally massive and it’s hard to know which track on this release have had more plays over the years.

 

RAM 021: Moving Fusion – Turbulence (1997)

Moving Fusion’s first release and one of the tracks that began to define RAM’s signiture sound, this still sounds as heavy and fresh in the clubs today as it did when it was first dropped around fifteen years ago.

 

RAM 034: Shimon & Andy C – Body Rock (2001)

Some will hate that this track is in here but it would be wrong for it not to be. At the time this was the most original drum & bass tune for years, being the first to implement a swingbeat (later less-affectionately dubbed ‘clownstep’ beat) into it’s drum track. Although notoriously difficult to mix, the sales of this track were so big that it reached well into the top 40 in the UK despite being a vinyl only release.

 

RAM 044: Ram Trilogy – Screamer (2003)

A personal favourite, this track’s haunting intro builds until it’s mind numbing vocal smashes through the tension in an explosion of clarity. Although the track received the VIP treatment a few years ago the original still remains through and through the best version.



Stay tuned for part two next week which will cover RAMs releases right up to the present day as well as looking at what’s in store for the future.