#40 Slipmatt: the rave revolution, hardcore vs jungle, and making an all-time classic

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Slipmatt is one of the most important DJs in the history of dance music. From his first major gig at Raindance in 1989, he came to be known as the Godfather Of Hardcore, becoming synonymous with the genre that typified the UK rave sound in the early 90s. His 'SL2' project, with DJ Lime, yield two top-ten hits including the genre-defining 'On A Ragga Tip' that reached number 2 in the UK singes chart in May 1992.

He was also instrumental in emergence Jungle from the Hardcore scene, and produced classics including 'Hear Me' which typify the linearity between the two genres.

We discuss the pre-acid house period, the game-changing nature of the rave explosion both in music and society, and we get into his personal journey from bedroom producer to Top Of The Pops.

This is a great conversation with a true legend of UK dance music, get involved!

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Listen to the music discussed on the show via the Music Not Diving Podcast Spotify playlist

00:00 Intro

02:00 Episode start

04:55 What “Old School” really means

06:25 The split between Hardcore & Jungle

11:30 Bridging the divide

13:10 Bedroom producer beginnings

17:20 The lost art of studio mentorship

18:40 DJ Culture & skill obsession

24:15 First raves & Acid House reality

26:15 Birth of Raindance

27:40 Illegal → Legal Raves

29:10 Becoming a National DJ

30:40 Independence and management

32:10 The end of Illegal raving

33:10 Rave culture as a social & political movement

35:30 Media & moral panic

37:30 Policing, laws & the Criminal Justice Act Era

41:30 Legacy of early Rave culture

43:30 Personal reflections & looking back

47:00 Clearing samples

50:24 Top of the Pops and meeting Kylie

56:27 The Prodigy

59:31 Rage club and Jungle

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