30 YEARS OF: 
 SL2 - ON A RAGGA TIP 

Hard to believe ‘On A Ragga Tip’ is 30 this year. Did you think you had made a classic when you finished it?

No way. Ragga Tip was originally in our heads as a flipside, the follow up to our previous flipside “Way In My Brain”. Although after a couple of days listening to it we did start to wonder if it should be the lead track on the next EP. We spoke to Nick Halkes at XL and we went with it, but we had no idea it would be so huge. When it hit No.2 in the pop charts we were genuinely shocked. What a touch 😊

 

Was 1992 the best year ever for dance music?

1992 was certainly the biggest year for Rave Music in my opinion. May be it was the best too! 89 was the year of the illegal rave, 90 was Bleeps and Bass, 91 we created Hardcore, but 92 was the year that it all really exploded!

 

Has clubbing changed for the better since those rave days? 

Clubbing has been a major part of my life since the early 80s, but it’s changed massively over the years. By 1991 clubs turned in to raves, and then by 93/94 new venues popped up everywhere playing underground House Music which was much more fun than the 80s. But these days, in general, I think the clubs and nicer, the sound systems are louder & clearer and I do think the whole experience has lifted up a level. When you look at some of the festivals these days, they are very much like those amazing early raves, but with much better sound, light and facilities.

 

You’re as busy now as you were back in ’92. How would you describe your sound now as a producer and DJ? 

That old saying; you can take the boy out of old skool, but you can’t take the old skool out of the boy lol! I’ve certainly gone back to playing 90% new music again, mainly House, and loving it more than ever, but the old skool and classics always find a way to shine through somehow, even in the new stuff. Right now I’d describe my style as a mix of House / Tech House / Rave House

 

Can you name another track from 1992 you wish you’d made and why?

The 1992 track that has always stood out to me is Edge#1 – Compnded. For me it’s a production masterpiece, but it absolutely rocked the dancefloors through ’92 like no other track, and it still smashes it to this day.