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.
Episode 32: HANDSOME TIGER
Canada’s Handsome Tiger on how he flipped from metal to dubstep, growing up mixed-race in Canada (his father is from Libya and his mother is Anishinaabe Métis), dance and ritual, and fusing indigenous culture with bass music.
Episode 25: HOUSE OF PRIS
When 1980s electro and freestyle music from Miami, New York, and Los Angeles touched down in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities, it ignited a wildfire in the minds of DJs, soundsystem operators, and dancers. In this episode of Rave to the Grave podcast, we go back to the roots of baile funk with Priscilla “House of Pris” Cavalcante. Priscilla grew up in Fortaleza in Northeast Brazil, where as a pre-teen she became hooked on first-wave baile funk. Priscilla now lives in Miami, Florida, where she throws a party called Proibidae and is in the process of collecting and reissuing the lost anthems of 1990s and early 2000s baile funk. We talk about tamborzao, furaçao, pancadao, and hear some of the samples and records that formed the sound.