Grooverider

Street Knowledge at the Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Thu 18 Dec.

DRUM & BASS

Street Knowledge’s ‘Drum & Bass Legends’ series has served up exactly what it promised with Andy C in September, while part two weighs in with the return of one of drum & bass’ founding fathers Grooverider (aka Raymond Bingham).

Grooverider was DJing at the inception of rave culture back in the late 80s, before dance music splintered into it’s various subgenres. He was key in establishing drum & bass as the force it has become, particularly his Radio 1 show with Fabio and his groundbreaking label Prototype (especially his hugely influential compilation album Prototype Years).

Since then he DJed relentlessly up until 23 November 2007 – a dark day in drum & bass – when Grooverider was arrested and later imprisoned for possession of 2.16 grams of cannabis in Dubai. ‘It was marijuana but it was a very, very small piece. It was just under a joint that was loose in the pocket that had been washed out,’ he explained.

In line with Dubai’s harsh stance on drugs he received a mandatory four year sentence. ‘They don’t have toilets, they have holes in the ground,’ says Bingham, ‘there’s eight people to a cell and they do treat you alright, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just horrible seeing so many people come in for nothing.’

Fortunately he was pardoned in September this year as part of Ramadan. ‘When it got announced there were people crying and rolling around on the floor. Everybody was excited to finally get out of there.’

It’s great to have him back doing what he does best.

More: Clubs, Drum & bass (Clubs), Grooverider, Previews, Raymond Bingham, Street Knowledge

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