Episode 45: WARLOCK
For the final epsidoe of our hardcore series with Dance or Die, we're joined by London-based DJ, producer, and Rag & Bone label founder Jason Alexander, better known as Warlock, who documents his 36 years inside UK rave culture. We revisit the early days of breakbeat hardcore, the impact of Belgian and Dutch rave records, and the rapid mutations of jungle, darkcore, techno and dubstep. We talk about dodging the DTI while broadcasting pirate radio, the parallel rise of squat parties and mega-raves, and how media panic, the Criminal Justice Act, and major labels all reshaped the scene. You'll also hear stories from legendary spots like Slime Time, Labyrinth, SW1 Club and Helter Skelter and learn about Rag & Bone's raw, punk-adjacent take on breaks, electro, and early dubstep before we take it up to the present and find out about this wizard's current obsession with 160+ bpm bass music, Hooverion Blur, and the joy (and labor) of digging for new sounds in an algorithmic age. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.
Visit Warlock on Instagram.
Visit Warlock on SoundCloud.
Visit Warlock on Bandcamp.
Order Dance or Die now.
Visit Velocity Press.
Things discussed in this episode & extras:
Coming soon!
- Rag n Bone Online. Collect ‘em all from Warlock & Noyeahno’s wild label.
- Knowledge Mix. A perfect slice of 1993 techno in this Warlock mix recorded live at Knowledge at SW1 club.
- Heavy Kicks. Oli Warwick writes for RBMA about the untold history of London techno.
- Euro Rave (to the Grave). A Warlock mix of 1991 Euro-rave foundations from his residency on Kool FM.
- Pirate’s Bay. Warlock interviewed by DJ/producer Fracture for his fabulous 0860 series about Pirate Radio.
- Jungle Fever. Awesome doc by BBC about jungle music history.
- Did “Charly” Kill Rave? The iconic Mixmag article with The Prodigy from 1992.
- Groove On. Holly Dicker writes about the infamous 90s London techno DJ Loftgroover for DJ Mag.
- Hands In the Air. Catch a vibe at Helter Skelter 1994 at Milton Keynes The Sanctuary. This one is pretty great too.
- Spiral Tribe. Learn more about the Spirals in this narrated audibook of Mark Harrison’s A Darker Electricity: The Origins of the Spiral Tribe Soundsystem, available now on Velocity Press.
- Harry DiY. For more on the Summer of Love, free party soundsystems, and beyond check this episode of RTTG.
- Spiralling. For more on Spiral Tribe, squat parties and free parties, check this interview with photographer/artist/raver Seana Gavin.
really cool curation of photos, music and YouTubes of Dutch gabber history, curated by Holly.
- The Rave Story. For more on UK rave history specifically, check DJ Billy Bunter’s podcasts with all the greats.
Tracks in this episode include:
Warlock - It’s In My Brain
Hooverian Blur - Techlash
Innocence FM 1991 Warlock Mix Clip
Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid
SL2 - Way in My Brain (No Coke Mix)
Euromasters - Alles Naar de Klote (Rotterdam Mix)
Lorenz Attractor - Dissonance & Disorder
Warlock - Black Bag of Doom
Mani Festo - Borg (Hooverian Blur Remix)
Warlock - Limba Drive
