De Underground Records was a record shop, studio, and record label located at 18 Sebert Road,
Forest Gate, London, operating from 1991 until 1996. In May 2021, Newham Council erected a
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
in recognition of its contributions to "the development of UK
hardcore,
jungle and
drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
music".
Details
The shop and its associated labels, including In Touch Records, IE Records, Ruff Groove, U No Dat, Oddball, Pure Energy, and the home brand De Underground Records released many seminal tracks. Owned by Mike De Underground (Michael Aymer), his brother Cool Hand Flex (Peter Aymer), Uncle 22, and DJ Randall, the shop was a hub for emerging sounds and artists. De Underground Records released Lennie De Ice's seminal track "
We Are I.E.
"We Are I.E." is a song by British breakbeat hardcore producer Lennie De Ice (real name Lenworth Green). It was first recorded in 1989, but not released until 1991 when it appeared on a four-track EP from Reel 2 Reel Productions, one of a number ...
" in 1991 on IE Records.
Legacy
In May 2021, Newham Council erected a
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
where the shop and label had its premises, in recognition of its contributions to "the development of UK
hardcore,
jungle and
drum and bass
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
music".
The 'Crate Digging: The Influence of De Underground Records' initiative, a project initiated by Rendezvous Projects for Newham Heritage Month 2021, was launched to document and preserve the history of De Underground Records, focusing on its impact on jungle and drum and bass music. This effort aimed to make the shop and studio's undocumented history accessible to the public for education and cultural preservation.
References
Further reading
*''Crate Digging: The Influence of De Underground Records''. London: Rendezvous, 2021.
*''Who Say Reload''. Velocity, 2021. By Paul Terzulli. .
External links
*{{Discogs label, 2947-De-Underground-Records
Drum and bass record labels
Music in London
1991 establishments in England
1996 disestablishments in England
Forest Gate