Safe, those were fun times, but if you really want a step back into time check this one out [0], all that talent in the BBC studio with MAH was in insane. I remember that picture they took floating around back on DSF, too!
I bagged a few Loxy and Resound VIPs on wax last night (CLS001/INV:LOS) as I was having such a good time remembering all those nights. I'm glad to see others enjoyed those days, too. I tend to forget how much Stella sessions influenced my mixing until I remember what Skream used to sound like back then, I learned how to vary up my track selection and mix down-transition not from Distance or Youngsta (both were way too talented for me) but from Skream which is way more raw.
Something about hearing Mud into Ruffage (with the crowd shelling) makes me feel like I'm back in those dark rooms; Skream and Distance look so young in that video it almost makes you think in there right mind gave them that can of red stripe! And since I'm about the same age as Skream, it makes it even more nostalgic.
I remembered that a kid from Scandinavia (Sarsy) who was too young to be there back then but loved those days searched all over the internet and pieced together a bunch of Kryptic Minds dubplates from radio shows or otu at clubs on ableton on uploaded them over the years on soundcloud [1], now that was dedication!
For a minute there I could not get enough Skream, Loefah, Caspa, Appleblim, Boxcutter. I still listen to them, but it's hard to reconcile that a lot of the original pioneers have moved on. There's a new sound now, more of a wobble - check out mixes from JVIZ and his podcast called JVIZ Presents: Earthquake Weather. It's still new generation dubstep, but it's more roots oriented, and has a fresh out the basement feel to it. [1]
Checking out Sarsy now, thanks!
I guess it really depends where you are in the US, because when I'm in the US I'm mainly in CO and this kind of set happens (Kahn and Neek) in Denver on a Tuesday nights [0] or half of Mystic State dropping 140 [1] like it was a night in London (prefect example of this thread @ 1:00 mark) because of how healthy the scene/community is thanks to Nicole and Sub.Mission. It's come a long way from the aggro-brostep noise that it was back when it first came to the US!
I think the sound progressed so much from the early days; but for me 2008-14 were the real glory days with so much talent and collabs from DnB/Dubstep/Grime/Purple etc... It also helped I had actually been working in Europe most of that time so I got to go to some raves in the EU/UK whenever I had the chance.
It's been a while since I've been to a 140/170 night since COVID messed up everything, but I'm glad to see it's back. Denver really was/is like a mini-London time capsule of that era and sound so if you can make it out to a night to re-live some of those nights, the system in the mainroom is RC1 spec and sound-management are a bunch of heads, and the bar/mezzanine room usually has DnB nights (ReCon) with a more tamed system but still a good spot to rave.
I'll drop you a line when I'm back state-side and we can try and go rave in Denver.
Btw Sarsy was a great recommendation.