Game changing record 🔥
The seminal UK club weapon, and speed garage blueprint ‘Ripgroove’ by legendary garage outfit Double 99 turns 25 years old. The often imitated, copied and consistently worshiped dancefloor classic sees its story continuing a quarter of a century later. Originally produced and recorded in a kitchen in London, N7 back in 1997 by Omar Adimora and Tim Liken aka Tim Deluxe.
Distributed by Ice Cream Records label boss, Andy Lysandrou from the boot of his Mini-Metro; record shops from the South to North of England were staying open until past Midnight waiting for new stock. Pirate radio stations hammered it from the moment the vinyl arrived – The Sound Of The Summer of ’97 had arrived. Mainstream radio stations refused to playlist the record on its first release due to it being “too different”, too urban and too underground, despite its unparalleled popularity throughout the summer.
Thanks to A&R man Nick Raphael’s belief in the record, it was eventually playlisted on Radio 1 (the first ever UKG Records to be playlisted), with newly added vocals from Top Cat it went on to enter the charts at No. 13, opening the floodgates for a UKG takeover of British radio. As well as Sherelle featuring the Fixate Remix in her seminal LDN Boiler Room, with an insane reaction and worthy re-wind, the track has been supported by a multitude of music heads from EZ to Annie Mac to 4Tet to Pete Tong to Diplo… the list is endless, with it even appearing as the lead track for Kurupt FM’s “People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan” movie. Double 99 have re-recorded the UK classic at RAK Studios with a 16-piece string section (The 12 Ensemble & Friends) alongside a newly recorded re-vocal from the legend Top Cat. As well as a remix from DAFFY, and more to follow, the cultural relevance and unadulterated dancefloor power of ‘Ripgroove’ will live on for years to come!
Happy Birthday ‘Ripgroove’… Let’s start a riot!
