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Ram Records was created back in 1992 by a young Andy C with the help of family friend and production engineer extraordinaire Ant Miles. At this time the UK underground Dance scene was tuned into the sounds of Hardcore Rave, which had been created from the Acid House / Warehouse scene a few years previous. Little did people know but the time for another change was upon us. Something with a darker grimier edge was needed. Producers started playing around with and sampling old breaks to give... Read more
Ram Records was created back in 1992 by a young Andy C with the help of family friend and production engineer extraordinaire Ant Miles. At this time the UK underground Dance scene was tuned into the sounds of Hardcore Rave, which had been created from the Acid House / Warehouse scene a few years previous. Little did people know but the time for another change was upon us. Something with a darker grimier edge was needed. Producers started playing around with and sampling old breaks to give the music more of a 2 step feel and adding heavy sub bass lines not dissimilar to those used in Dub Reggae tracks, thus Jungle was borne which would later be known as Drum & Bass.
One of the biggest tracks known to make this transition from Hardcore to Jungle was 'Valley Of The Shadows' by Origin Unknown (Andy C & Ant Miles) back in 1993. This track was monumental to the scene and how we know it today. VOTS was being played by everyone from Grooverider to Carl Cox as well as Gaining massive daytime radio support on the likes of Kiss FM. This is the track that truly put Ram Records on the map.
It was around this time that Andy C`s DJ career started to take off. This proves to be a great platform to showcase and promote new productions on Ram. It isn`t long before the Ram family starts to form with artists who are still loyal members today. Shimon has his first release in 1994 with 'The Predator' b/w 'Within Reason' and goes onto receive wide critical acclaim. Around the same time Red One starts to work with Ant Miles in the studio on productions for sister label, Liftin Spirit.
1996 is upon us and Ram's momentum isn't slowing down. Shimon & Andy C team up and start to churn out hit after hit with tracks like 'Quest', 'Nightflight' and 'Recharge', and in turn the duo play a major role with the productions for the labels first long player, 'The Speed Of Sound'. The album is presented by head honcho's Andy C & Ant Miles under the pseudonym Origin Unknown and goes on to be a huge success.
Fast-forward to 1998 and with the successes of 'The Speed Of Sound', the powers that be decide that its time for the next long player. Once again presented by Origin Unknown, the world is given 'Sound In Motion'. 'Sound In Motion' becomes home to productions by label residents Andy C, Ant Miles and Shimon under various guises but is also the place that debut's Red One on Ram with 'Hard Edge' and Moving Fusion with the almighty 'Turbulence'. 'Turbulence' goes on to be the biggest Drum & Bass track of that year with mammoth reviews and hailed by Mixmag as The Tune of the year. With the success of the second album and the entire Drum & Bass scene going from strength to strength Ram are offered a one off night at London`s infamous The End nightclub. It's also around this time that Andy C, Ant Miles and Shimon team up to create Ram Trilogy and start the legendary Chapter Series.
Following on from the Chapter Series and with studio moral on a massive high tracks start to appear thick and fast. Ram Trilogy decides to create Ram's first Artist album, 'Molten Beats'. Ram also gets offered a bimonthly residency at The End after a string of successful one offs. The night proves to be the perfect platform to showcase the label and provide Ram with a high caliber space for project launch nights. The night is now a permanent fixture in all D&B calendars, with roadblock sessions and people traveling to it from around the globe.
At the turn of the millennium everyone at the label is working hard and Ram has won various awards for best Label and Andy C for best DJ. Shimon and Andy C create the genre-bending anthem "Body Rock", that reaches No. 28 in the national charts in spring 2001. A new various artists` series is created under the moniker 'Ram Raiders' with the first 3 vinyl releases being topped off by a 'Ram Raiders In The Mix' CD. Moving Fusion step up to the plate to create there debut album, and Rams second artists album, 'The Start Of Something' in 2002. It's also around this time that DJ Fresh starts to make appearances on the label with seminal anthems such as 'Signal'.
2003 arrives and it's time for the label to embark on its next chapter. This being Andy C's 'Nightlife' series. Totally independently controlled with no outside influence by any major body, giving Ram and Andy the freedom to create and promote the release in a way never seen by a Drum & Bass Indy before. The series has turned into a must-have and has become Ram's highest selling releases as well as being the best selling independent Drum & Bass compilation series of our time.
In 2004 Shimon heads out the latest 'Ram Raiders' Mix CD putting a close to the preceding volumes. A new talent is signed to the label under the name of Sub Focus. His contribution to the latest Ram Raiders series, 'Strobe' caught the attention of the D&B fraternity but it was his 2005 hit 'X Ray' that turned him into an overnight Drum & Bass star. 'X Ray' becomes the anthem of the year, out selling and being played out more than any other release of the time. Sub Focus follows 'X Ray' with hit after hit and soon become the new fixture in the Ram family.
More recently ram has enjoyed the opportunity to open its doors to artists from around the world to release along side its resident signings. 2007 saw Ram pick up the award for best label at the BBC 1xtra Bass Awards. It's also the year that's seen new talents join the label in the guise of Chase & Status, Xample and Culture Shock. All of whom are in the process of pushing Ram even further into the future... Show less
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