Pirate Radio Pirate

More UK pirate interviews.

This time with Killer, former owner of Y2K Essex. He features in an episode of the now informous BBC mini series 'Tower Block Dreams' in 2003. Elements of this episode were directly parodied in early episodes of the comedy 'People Just do Nothing'. 

After this period he became better known within pirate radio circles as a prolific rig thief and racketeer, preying on stations throughout the uk. 

Tales from the darker side of pirate radio culture.

Brains of the top Pirate

Eastman, head honcho of London's top pirate Kool FM. Great documentation of 'the complicated life' of a great London character. He shares memories with his old friend Dj Ron of growing up in 1970's Hackney and Sound system culture. Its interesting hearing about some of the trials and struggles of running such a successful pirate station in London and how they overcame them and flourished. 

He is a formidable character, especially as a younger man. Being the stations boss, his face was always pixelated out of group photo's backstage at raves. It feels like if it wasnt for finding pirate radio, he may have ended up as some kind of crime boss and been equally successful at that. 

If London pirates are radio weeds, Kool has got to be the most successful strain of Willow herb. The empty hissing gaps in the fm radio spectrum are the restricted scraps of wild land in the capital, awaiting commercial development. 

To flourish for 31 years is an amazing achievement and the legacy of the station in british music and club culture cannot be over looked. 

Raids on Lewisham Pirates [Archive]

Article from 2001

One location mentioned is Aragon tower, formally the tallest residential block in Europe. Also formally owned by Lewisham council until it was sold off to Berkeley Homes in 2006 and turned into luxury apartments. It was at an early phase of the 'gentrification' of Deptford. This is documented in the BBC series 'The Tower: A Tale of Two Cities'

Mentions Nigerian pirate; N Power and Uk Garage pirate; Silkroom FM.

The DBC [Dread Broadcasting Corporation] - Great Pirate Radio Docs - part .. whatever 2

This West London station is considered to be the first black owned pirate station in Europe. Transmitting a mixture of political and social debate together with black music from various genres.
It has a little gem of an animation to go with it too!

Great Pirate Radio Docs - part .. whatever

 A great piece in a rig doctor's lab. Also really interesting section on Liverpool's Storeton FM, showing how they use phone boxes to run call-in shows before the days of pay as you go mobiles.

Growing Towards the Light; survival of the wild.

A great short article explores the question; Will the switch over to digital kill off pirate radio?
Pirate radio was born from adaption, ingenuity and opportunism and continues to innovate and propagate for its own survival.
Long live London's Weeds!
here

More footage from London's King Pirate

Generation Nuskool @ Kool FM 9.46

Some great DnB spitters on the capitals legendary Kool Fm in 2006.  

Kool Fm - BBC Doc from '96

 Why i have i never found this 3 parter before?
 Kool Fm from Hackney are The undisputed king of London Pirates.
 Also contains interviews with Battersea's Dream Fm  and Tottenham's Rare Groove record shop.

London Pirate Folklore

  This is a link to Uncle Dugs's show 'Run Come Follow Friday'. This one is a pirate radio special to mark the 18th Birthday of East London's Rinse FM and tell the stations story.
It's an extra long show with interviews with some of the big names in London pirate radio history, such as Eastman and DJ Brockie from Kool Fm.
This is a great piece of aural folklore, with plenty of interesting and funny stories from the day.
Rinse is now a legal station, winning a community radio licence last year on the FM frequency.
 I cant stop playing this at the moment. So if you want to download it, copy and paste the link below and right click uncle dugs show. .. that rhymed.  .. and then Save link As.

 http://rinse.fm/2012/10/28th-29th-september/

A List of London's Radio Weeds

87.6 Playback UK (garage/dubstep/house)
88.0 Shine FM (house)
88.2 Rude FM (d'n'b)
88.4 Vision Radio (garage)
88.6 Back 2 Back (soul/jazz/funk)
89.4 Unknown FM (house/disco)
80.6 Klick Radio (r'n'b/soul/reggae)
89.8 Station FM (talk/reggae/ragga/r'n'b)
90.0 Hot 90 (talk/african)
90.2 Point Blank FM (house/garage/d'n'b/soul)
90.4 Woah! (r'n'b/ragga/hip-hop)
90.8 Lightning Radio (reggae/ragga/r'n'b/hip-hop)
91.6 Genesis Radio (talk/reggae/ragga/r'n'b)
92.0 Scream London (d'n'b/garage/house)
92.2 Metrolove Radio (r'n'b/soul/ragga/hip-hop)
92.4 Deja Vu (grime/garage/funky/d'n'b/hip-hop)
92.7 Energy Radio (reggae)
93.0 Breeze (reggae/soca/r'n'b)
93.8 Vibes FM (talk/reggae/ragga)
94.0 Voice of Africa (talk/african)
94.4 Street FM (reggae/soca/ragga/r'n'b)
94.6 Kool FM (d'n'b/jungle/hardcore)
95.1 Origin FM (d'n'b/jungle/hardcore)
95.5 On Top (grime/hip-hop/r'n'b)
96.1 Supreme Dance (house/techno)
96.4 Surprise Radio (talk/african)
97.5 Blazing Radio (r'n'b/hip-hop/garage/ragga)
97.9 Passion FM (house)
98.3 RJR (reggae)
99.1 Hav It (reggae/ragga/r'n'b)
99.3 Select UK (house/techno)
99.5 Galaxy Radio (talk/reggae/soul/ragga)
99.7 Flex FM (garage/d'n'b/house/funky)
99.8 Supreme FM (reggae/ragga/r'n'b)
100.3 House FM (house)
101.5 Live FM (garage/house/funky)
101.2 Unique FM (reggae/r'n'b)
101.8 Bizim (talk/turkish)
101.9 The Beat (talk/reggae/ragga)
102.0 Concious (reggae/dub)
102.5 Inna City Radio (r'n'b/hip-hop/garage/funky)
103.0 Image (garage/house/d'n'b/funky)
104.0 Muzik Radio (reggae/soul)
104.2 Dem Radyo (talk/turkish)
106.0 SLR (reggae/r'n'b)
106.8 Rinse FM *legal* (funky/grime/dubstep/d'n'b)
108.0 Pulse London (d'n'b/garage/funky/house)

 This list was updated in March 2012.
 Long Live the Pirates!!!

Rinse FM History; London Pirate Radio Folklore

They are making one for each year Rinse has been running. The first with the station head honcho Geeneus here is especially a gooden. Also look out for the 1997 one with A Plus and the '99 with Plague to.

London Pirates

 Been meaning to put this up for ages.
Here is a great short doc on Londons pirate radio culture. A brief history and what remains to the day. Made in 2010

Michael Finch's sacred tape collection

A Brief History Of Grime Tapes

The London urban music folklorists who made the DIY doc 'Tape Crackers' [ ft. pirate jungle tapes from the 90's ] are back with a radio show. This session charts the history and pre history of Grime again through Finch's amazing tape collections of recordings of tunes and sets from london pirate radio.

Eksman and Herbzie [ Cyndicut 97.8 / 1998 ]

Two of Jungles and DnB's legendary mc's, tearing it up on Pirate Cyndicut Fm, dj logons show.

Strange Codes

The Backwards Music Station was found on various frequencies on the short wave band until about 2004 with the transmissions apparently coming from both the United States and England. There are debates whether the station is some complex form of communication known as LINCOMPEX from a 'Number Station' or whether it's simply feedback from Naval transmitters. Despite the debate, the sounds are still rather unearthly.

Some video bookmarks [from about 6 years worth of back log]

The kings of the mic explore the boundaries of DnB, garage, 2step and Grime.



Uk Hip hop legends bedroom bar, in this great piece of cam-corder footage.



90's UK ragga Don-Gar-Gan Cutty Ranks. A important figure in UK Mc history. His acapellas are often used in old school jungle tunes and his original ragga tunes included in sets by contempory DJS in the current London dance and bass music scenes.

Reports of mysterious Amature/Pirate Radio Broadcasts. Dated 26th July 2006.