DnB Advent Calendar: Day 18




Sounds Of Life - Hidden Rooms (Certificate 18, 1995)

Certificate 18 may not have been the most well known label in the mid-nineties, but they played a vital role in the development of Drum & Bass. The Ipswich-based label was founded in 1993 by Paul Arnold and the local connection helped him sign Photek (as Studio Pressure), Digital (with Danny C as Authorised Riddim) and Klute, all before the likes of Metalheadz and Good Looking came calling. Arnold ran local record stores and he recalls:
"Hardcore was just kicking off, and some of the demos coming into the shop were so new and exciting – completely different to anything else. Rupert [Photek] was one of them. He was playing me stuff that just completely blew me away"
It was through Photek that Arnold came to sign two 15 year olds from St Albans, Jim Baker and Phil Aslett AKA Source Direct. Photek was also originally from St Albans and was introduced to the duo by his sister Georgina. He engineered tunes for them and their first material was released on Certificate 18 under the Sounds Of Life guise. 'Hidden Rooms' was actually on the last of their three 12"s for the label (four including a remix 12") but I've selected this tune as it lent its name to a series of compilations on the imprint. Jim explains the title:
"'Hidden Rooms' was the idea of having people in different hiding places all over the country... Nobody knows where they are, they’re just making music, that’s what it’s all about"
It's a tearing tune that opens with a Basic Channel style synth gurgle along with the Hot Pants break and soothing synth. But this is just the calm before the storm as crashing Amen and deep hits of bass soon arrive, along with a fizzing metallic whoosh sampled from 'Le Voie Le Soleil' by Subliminal Cuts. Midway through shimmering synths give some brief respite but it's really all about the fierce Amen edits and bass. Fabio, writing about the track in the first edition of Muzik magazine in June 1995 called it a "frenzied, Jah Shaka-style workout. The bassline is monstrous. These boys are definitely ready for the big time!"

He wasn't wrong as by the following year they already had a major label deal. They were also the first Drum & Bass act to do a Peel Session which aired on 7th July 1995 with 'Hidden Rooms' as the lead track - a download of the entire show is available over at the Peel Wiki. Talking to Kmag in 2010 Phil commented "John Peel picked up on us quite early because of our youth, and things just escalated from there". 'Hidden Rooms' is of course readily available on the first volume of the Hidden Rooms comps and you can hear the track below in the second part of Law's History Of Source Direct mixes:



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