RAM RECORDS
Since its inception over 25 years ago, RAM Records has been at the forefront of the Drum & Bass scene. Led by eminent DJ and producer Andy C and business partner Scott Bourne, the label emerged during the early days of Jungle and has gone on to release classic Drum & Bass anthems, as well as launching the careers of some of the industry’s biggest names like Chase & Status and Sub Focus.
THE ORIGINS
Rewind back to 1992, armed with a budget of £1,000 and a logo drawn by his sister, aspiring musician Andy C had decided to start up his own record label. He decides on the name RAM, due to him being an Aries. After meeting Ant Miles, an audio engineer who had built his own studio, Andy was invited to come and collaborate. RAM Records was officially born with the release of Andy C’s Sour Mash. However, the real turning point, would come the following year when Origin Unknown (Andy and Ant’s collaborative artist name) released their B-Side, Valley of Shadows. Featuring two spoken-word samples, “long dark tunnel” and “31 seconds,” the track would go on to become an iconic anthem, being spun time and time again by countless DJs for years to come.
ANDY C
Andy C, head honcho of RAM has become synonymous with drum & bass. As well as releasing a series of hits, his intense dedication and work rate is second to none.
His sensationally high-powered sets are personified by his three-deck mixing and double drops – where he drops two tracks at once to give his performances an extra-explosive, unrivaled intensity. It’s no wonder that he continues to win the Drum & Bass Arena DJ of the year award – again retaining his crown in 2018.
CHASE & STATUS
Chase & Status have become superstars since signing to the label in 2007, with the following year’s release of their debut album More Than a Lot reaching gold status. They continue to bring out hit records, while selling out live shows and headlining festivals, combining DJ sets with an enthralling live band element.
SUB FOCUS
Sub Focus were signed in 2003 after Andy C was impressed with an early demo he had been given. Reaching commercial success with his self-titled debut album peaking at 51 in the UK Album Charts, Sub Focus has since continued to push the boundaries of electronic music with his cross-genre capabilities.
The label has helped launch the careers of a whole host of exceptional Drum & Bass talent, including: Wilkinson, Loadstar, Delta Heavy, Shimon, Calyx & TeeBee, DC Breaks, Chords, René LaVice, Audio, Culture Shock, Killbox, Bad Company UK and Camo & Krooked.
THE EXPANSION
The influential label has continued to grow and develop in line with the evolution of Drum & Bass itself. In 2002 RAM launched its sister label, Frequency and in 2012 created a new label called PROGRAM, designed to promote different and newly innovative drum & bass flavours.
In 2016 RAM was acquired by Sony BMG. With Andy C and Scott Bourne continuing to run the label, this was seen as a sound business decision that would contribute to RAM’s constant evolution. According to Andy “We’ve worked with a lot of companies over the years but BMG really get it… we are very excited at being able to tap into BMG’s infrastructure and resources.”
25 YEARS AND BEYOND
Fast forward to 2017, RAM hits the 25 year milestone, celebrating with the release of RAM 25. This tributary album revisits the whole history of the Drum & Bass defining label. A huge live RAM Records Special is also held at the Printworks in London.
In the words of Andy:
Never in my wildest dreams at 16 years of age when I started the label did I think we would have achieved all the amazing things we have done to date. This has not only been mine, but so many others life’s work, passions, and dreams.
Maximum respect to RAM Records!