Centreforce also known as 88.3 Centreforce and Centreforce Radio is a former

pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...

station, now legally broadcasting to London, North West England and North Wales on DAB radio. It was instrumental during the

Second Summer of Love The Second Summer of Love was a late 1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of acid house music and unlicensed rave parties. Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988, it lasted into the summer of 1989, when e ...

period of

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...

and

rave music A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...

culture in the UK.

Early history

Centreforce first broadcast on 8 May 1989, from

Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the s ...

, East London on the frequency of 88.3 FM. In its short time on air (it ceased broadcasting little over a year later around May/June 1990), it became the "first seven day rave station", and a pivotal part of the scene, promoting all of the big M25 raves of the time such as

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

, Energy,

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...

, and Biology. Regular DJs on the station included DJ Randall (3 Amigos),

Kenny Ken Ken Delsol (born 12 December 1969), better known as Kenny Ken, is a British jungle and drum and bass DJ and producer. Biography Kenny was working for London Transport when his first big break came around in 1989 as a result of him being a re ...

, Danielle & Rochelle, Keith Mac, Gary D, DJ One, Corporation Dave, DJ Huggs, DJ Connie, Hermit, and Jazzy J. Centreforce was set up by Andy Swallow who also co-ran the Echoes nightclub in Bow, East London. Swallow was also involved with the infamous football hooligan firm Inter City Firm (ICF), and controversy around the ICF and its relationship to Centreforce regularly surfaced.

Centreforce Sessions

After a brief return to the airwaves in 2007-2008 on 88.4FM, Centreforce teamed up with

Time 107.5 Time 107.5 is an independent local radio station, based in Romford and broadcasting to East London and parts of Essex. The station strapline is "All Time Favourites" and the station is available on FM on 107.5 MHz in the broadcast area and ...

, a local legal radio station based in

Romford Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romford ...

, East London. Centreforce produced the weekend output on the station as ''Centreforce Sessions'' with shows and DJs including

Jumping Jack Frost Nigel Thompson (born 29 May 1967), better known as Jumpin Jack Frost, is a British jungle and drum and bass DJ and record producer. Biography Frost was born in Brixton, London, and after a troubled youth, started to discover music through lo ...

Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminals ...

, Soul Syndicate (Peter P, Chris Phillips), Matt Jam Lamont, and Mr Buzzhard. This ran from June 2009 until April 2012 when a change of management at Time FM saw the relationship parting company.

Internet and DAB Launch

Having returned once again throughout 2017 hosting weekly shows online, as of December 2017 Centreforce announced that they had been awarded a license to broadcast to London on DAB. As of 14 July 2018, it commenced broadcasting on the Switch London 2 digital radio network. On 19 June 2020, the station launched on the Northeast Wales and West Cheshire

MuxCo MuxCo is an operator of digital radio in the United Kingdom. It is, in joint ventures, the licensee for local DAB ensembles in various parts of England and Wales. The company is owned by Arqiva, Bauer Radio and Folder Media. (owners of Fun Ki ...

radio network.

References

External links

Centreforce Radio
{{London Radio Radio stations in London Former pirate radio stations Pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom Radio stations established in 1989