De Underground was a hardcore and jungle record shop based in Forest Gate in the 1990s run by Mike De Underground, Cool Hand Flex, Uncle 22. and Randall. 

By pure chance, it opened on the very road that I lived on and I ended up being in an out of that shop most days until I moved to a different part of town in 1994, and looking back it was a very important part of my life in those days.

It was much more than just a record shop though. As well as essentially being an important hardcore/ junglist social centre with everyone who was anyone in the scene passing through at some point, it was also an umbrella for a multitude of in-house labels with vinyl being pressed up (on what seemed like a weekly basis) of tunes made in large part by Cool Hand Flex and Uncle 22 in a studio based at the back of the shop. Added to this were contributions and releases from Asides, Lennie D’Ice, Hype, MC Fats, Randall, Marlon and Navigator. Though not one of the shop’s labels as such, Reel 2 Reel Records was based just around the corner and was (literally) part of the family too, being run by John Reel 2 Reel, brother to Cool Hand Flex and Mike De Underground. For those that knew, (it’s legacy is often overlooked in the history of hardcore and jungle) the shop served as an exclusive outlet for labels such as i.e. Records, In Touch Records, Oddball, Pure Energy, Ruff Groove, U No Dat, Reel 2 Reel, and of course De Underground records itself.

This mix set me an a personal journey to go back through over 100 or so records from all the De Underground labels and also Reel 2 Reel. There’s the big ones that I've always gone back to, but then there’s also a wealth of undiscovered gems that with the help of Discogs I could actually work out and rediscover what some of these mysterious white labels were.

There’s definitely scope for a part 2 to this mix. There’s so many more tunes I could have played and you have to think that some of these EPs come loaded with 3 or 4 tracks, plus things very much continue after 1994. That’s an immense back catalogue.

As Asides recently said, the back catalogue is “a mystery waiting to be unravelled”. This mix starts that process, but if you have an evening spare and want to dig deeper, then check these 2 links. 
www.discogs.com/label/2947-De-Underground-Records
www.discogs.com/label/15731-Reel-2-Reel-Productions

You can find out more about the history of De Underground records as part of Newham Heritage Month in May, which features podcasts from many involved with the shop and labels, a publication, and details of a QR code led tour around Forest Gate. www.rendezvousprojects.org.uk/portfolio/de-underground-records/
  
Tracklisting below. You can also buy digital files of some of these tracks over at https://hardcorejunglism.com

Uncle 22 - Pain (i.e Records) 91
Uncle 22 - Do It Again (U No Dat) 91 
Cool Hand Flex - Flexin’ (Reel 2 Reel) 92
 Lennie D’Ice - We are i.e (i.e Records) 91
Flex - Programme Part 2 (i.e Records) 91
 Flex & Uncle – Party Time (i.e Records) 91 
Asides - Rizzla (U No Dat) 91
Cool Hand Flex - Dance Floor Move (Ruff Groove) 92
Asides - Mix To The Max (Reel 2 Reel) 92
Raw From China - Welcome (Reel 2 Reel) 91 
2 Boasters, A Digestive & A Jammy Dodger - LSD! (Reel 2 Reel) 91
Randall - House Your Body (Oddball) 92
Cool Hand Flex – Lock Me Up (Ruff Groove) 92
Flex & Uncle – Dick-Turpin EP (U No Dat) 92
Cool Hand Flex – Welcome (Ruff Groove) 92
Cool Hand Flex – On The Strength (In Touch) 92
Cool Hand Flex - Your Risk (De Underground) 92
Cool Hand Flex - Energy (In Touch) 93
Cool Hand Flex – Out Of Control (De Underground) 93
Cool Hand Flex - Hold Back (In Touch) 93
Uncle 22 - Love Me Once (U No Dat) 93
Cool Hand Flex - Mars (In Touch) 93
Hype feat. MC Fats - Do Or Die  (De Underground) 93
4 Wise Men Featuring MC Fats (Oddball) 92
Mike De Underground - Blind Date (U No Dat) 93
Cool Hand Flex - Melody Madness (In Touch) 94
Uncle 22 – 6,000,000 Ways 2 Die (Uncle 22 Final Remix) (Strictly Underground) 94

De Underground mix 1991-94

Rinse FM Podcasts

Download

Uncle Dugs with Uncle 22 - 14 May 2021

Different mix to Check One on the Bizzy B - Dubplates CD. Clip from Randall - Quest 'Christmas Eve Party' - 24th December 1994

Bizzy B & The Hrd Cru - Check One [Unreleased Clip]

Club goer, Ian, talks about The Dungeons, Lea Bridge Road, Leyton

https://www.hardscore.com/?p=4638

01 Cool Hand Flex – Mars – In Touch
02 Bizzy B & Daddy G – Infactuation – One Nation
03 Bizzy B – The Summer Tip – One Nation
04 Bizzy B & Equinox – Brain Records Crew – Brain
05 Bizzy B & D-Lux – Visualise your desires – 8205
06 Warped Kore – The Power – Whitehouse
07 Bizzy B & Technochild – (Slate II) Fighting without Fighting – Brain
08 Cool Hand Flex – Let It Roll aka All I Need – Unreleased
09 Ruff & Tumble Crew – People of the Universe – Brain
10 Bizzy B – 2 1/2 Hours – Unreleased
11 Bizzy B & Cool Hand Flex – Come Back 2 Me – Brain
12 Bizzy B & Equinox – Everybody – Brain
13 Bizzy B – Dark III – Whitehouse
14 Formula 7 – Redemption – Quayside
15 Boogie Times Tribe – Dark Stranger (Origin Unknown Remix) – Subbase
16 Quarter Back – Dis One – Pursuit
17 DJ Crystl – Crystlize – Dee Jay
18 Jungle Buddah – Drug Me – Poetic Justice

Bizzy B & D-Lux – Format FM 93.2 [18th September 1993]

Last Friday, Rebel Clash aka MC Rage passed through Otherside and played a roots Reggae set. This was the perfect 420 vibe and the tune selections paid homage to the culture of Notting Hill. Rebel Clash has always been someone we have wanted to come down, so we really loved this one! In case you couldn't make it down, listen back to his set here. And use it as the background noise for your 420 motive, whatever you may be doing! Happy 420 

Check Out Rebel Clash:

https://soundcloud.com/rebelclashrebelclash

Rebel Clash - Live @ Otherside

First ever Amen Allstars sound clash! Remarc, Bizzy B & Equinox @ BANGFACE Weekender 2011

Amen Allstars: Remarc, Bizzy B & Equinox @ BANGFACE Weekender 2011

A Community Interest Company working with creative ways of exploring social history. Currently exploring the music venue history in Newham for 'Sound Waves: Music in Newham'

Ian

Rendezvous Projects