"Many believe that after Bob Marley, reggae died," explains Doc. "But if you look at the same Greensleeves catalog, in particular the albums of artists like King Tupoy and Lee Perry, it becomes obvious that reggae simply kept reinventing itself. So I thought such a compilation was quite appropriate."
And while The Clash and The Sex Pistols were at the epicenter of the musical revolution of the 70s, Don Letts practiced on the turntables near his record store Acme Attractions on King's Road in London.
"When the punk explosion happened, I realized I had something explosive too," says Don. "Punk has always been music with a rebellious spirit. The same can be said for reggae. I played this music to my white friends, and they got into the bass, the rebellious mood, and the soulful lyrics. Since then, many things have inspired me. Don's career as a selector has been steadily rising thanks to his ability to keep up with the musical spirit of the times. And while Don's album is still in the making, the record Radio Slave – Eyes Wide Open has already made waves on the label R&S Records. After a long lull, the legendary 90s label that released Joey Bettram, Model 500, and Derrick May is taking the reins again."
"I suspended the label's work because the music became uninteresting to me," admits the head of R&S, Renaat Vandepapeliere. "Minimal became unbearably boring. Out of a thousand tracks, only a few are worth anything. Every DJ I've spoken to about this thinks the same, but they still keep playing this music. In the end, I asked myself: what's it all for?"
Renaat closed R&S and went into business. However, a little later he met an engineer, and everything changed.
"I can't name him. This talented technician developed a hi-tech show that combines live music, DJing, and incredible topographic lighting," says Renaat. "I realized that I want to do this, I want to develop this show so that it can be performed."
It seems something similar happened with Damian Lazarus, who decided in 2003 to found his label Crosstown Rebels during a depression in dance music. "It so happens that in almost every musical genre there comes a period when ideas and imagination run dry," says Damian. "This is especially true for dance music. Musicians needed additional sources of inspiration. That's why I opened Crosstown Rebels, which releases electronic music in all its forms."
And the label is steadily progressing.
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