RAM Records will always hold a special place in my heart.

Their sound has long since changed to be the radio friendly sound it is now – with the vocals, the summer festival vibe et al. The label’s most prominent asset and on point each-and-every DJ – Andy C – is not as interesting to me as once he was. Despite that, their early sound (and his machine like precision as a DJ) is burnt into my very core and being.

From Quest and Nightflight to the timeless Molten Beats and anthemic Valley of the Shadows, up to the then new material of Fresh’s Signal and new blood Sub Focus’ X-Ray/Scarecrow. They all still sit in my record collection, where long they will remain.

Hearing those down at long gone London club The End at their RAM nights was a large part of my head first descent into clubland. This began back in the summer of 2002 – late bloomer me. Great times had, and frankly, very messy ones too. From that summer I would be clubbing pretty much every weekend, buying records, getting my first pair of decks, 3 day weekends… Those RAM nights have a lot to answer for.

As my tastes expanded, my interest in the label (and the drum n bass of the time it wasn’t just RAM) would wane. They kept going and from the looks of it Andy and the rest of the label are enjoying huge and increasing commercial success. But you gotta draw a line somewhere – X-Ray/Scarecrow was pretty much the drop-off for me. New drum n bass was getting stupid, jump-up was taking over and that buzz I had had for the new 12s coming out was dying off. This was just before dubstep injected a much needed boost into the business of dark club bass and shook things up. Anyway, thankfully by that point there was a good 10+ years of RAM Records I could explore and enjoy.

Uncle Dugs (he of Rinse FM and a legend in his own right) recorded this 60 minute mix for RAM Records looking all the way back to ’92. Charting their earlier material, Andy C’s hardcore rave Never Felt This Way, to around 2000 when the still stunning Turbulence first ventured out on to the black stuff.

Dugs –

Enjoy this journey through the formative years of one of the most important labels in Jungle / DnB history…

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Andy C – Never Felt This Way – Ram 001
Andy C – Outer Limits – Ram 001
Andy C – Visions – Ram 001
Origin Unknown – Losing You – Ram 002
Andy C – Bass Constructor – Ram 003
Andy C – Something New Pt 1 – Ram 003
Origin Unknown – The Touch – Ram 004
Andy C – Slip N Slide – Ram 006
Andy C – Cool Down – Ram 012
Origin Unknown – Valley Of The Shadows remix – Ram 004r
Uncle 22 & Navigator – 6 Million Ways To Die (DJ Hype Mix) – Ram 008
Shimon – Predator – Ram 010
Andy C – Roll On – Ram 012
Randall & Andy C – Sound Control – Ram 011
Desired State – Beyond Bass – Ram 007
Desired State – Goes Around – Ram 013
Flatliner – The Big Bang – Ram 009
Shimon & Andy C – Night Flight – Ram 017
Shimon & Andy C – Quest – Ram 017
Origin Unknown – Truly One – Ram 014
Origin Unknown – Lunar Bass – Ram LP001
Shimon & Andy C – Recharge – Ram LP001
Concept 2 – Cause + Effect – Ram LP001
Moving Fusion – Turbulence – Ram 021
Origin Unknown – Sound In Motion Ram LP2