Network Records

steady-j, Feb 12, 2007

Network was one of the defining labels of the early 90s for me. Starting as an offshoot of the Kool Kat stable, which had been releasing material from Chicago and Detroit since 1987, releases such as NealHowards "Indulge" (the first on the label) meant it soon became established as one of the top labels for the "bleep" sound. With its distinctive orange sleeves and circuit-board logo, Network releases stood out from the crowd alongside WARPs purple bags.

There was some cross-fertilization with the WARP stable, with Rob Gordon being involved in releases on both labels. But like WARP, its sound was varied, and spread beyond the likes of Nexus 21, Cyclone and Rhythmatic encompassing a broad spectrum of house and techno sounds right from the outset, such as MKs "Somebody New" and early Derrick Carter Outing "Symbols & Instruments"

Classic underground releases from Jay Denham (Fade II Black), Reese and Derrick May, not to mention the immense "Take Me Away" cemented the labels credibility, alongside compilations of material from NuGroove and Underground Resistance.

Before long, massive commercial success came in the form of hardcore rave outfit Altern 8, some of whos earlier releases as Nexus 21 and C Connection had also been on the label. As the rave scene expanded and split, so Network followed suit, releasing vocal house from the likes of the Reese Project and KWS while Tronik House and MC Lethal kept Altern8 company in the breakbeat section of the labels catalogue. The label also acted as a springboard for UK offshoots of Kevin Saundersons KMS and Terrence Parkers Serious Grooves imprints.

By the mid-90s, Network was releasing mostly vocal Garage house, things slowed down and attention focused on the Six6 offshoot; as with so many labels, refreshing the image allowed the company to move forward. The Network label was then used for a series of remixes and reissues of classic material, some from its own back-catalogue, some not. A series of four quad-CD boxsets on the Passion label summed up the labels history, one each dedicated to Network, NuGroove, Six6 and the Paradise Garage sound.

Overall a high quality and varied catalog, with something to please everyone who was raving in the early 90s, and very little disappointing material - surely deserving of iconic status in british rave history.

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