The DiY Sound System
Encyclopedia
The DiY Sound System was one of Britain
's first house
sound systems. The group "divided their activities between free parties and legal club nights, acting as a bridge between counter-culture and the mainstream".
It was created in Nottingham
in 1989 as a reaction against the growing number of rave
promoters whose bias was towards their own financial enrichment, rather than the joy of their party-goers. They wished to form a cohesive, collective, political front against the prevailing anti-rave legislation that was beginning to come into force at that time. This became more marked around the time of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
, with DiY playing a key role in the largest illegal rave ever put on at Castlemorton Common Festival
prior to the Bill and a constant stream of illegal, outdoor parties (often at travellers' sites, quarries and disused airfields) all over the country. Simon Reynolds writes that DiY threw "free parties at abandoned airfields or on hilltops, drawing a mixed crowd of urban ravers and crusty road warriors".
DiY also worked successfully in the realm of legitimate club nights, with their "Bounce" night touring the country as well as being a staple of Nottingham's night life. Its popularity, connected to its lack of concern for dress codes and its non-exploitation of its loyal clubbers, coupled with its very particular form of deep, soulful, often minimal house music, led to it being recognised as one of the top ten club nights in Britain by The Times
.
In 1993, they also began their own record label, Strictly 4 Groovers, which later became known as DiY discs. This is still running and releasing house music and the primary DJs - Simon DK, Digs and Woosh - still play at various nights in the U.K., Europe
and America.
On September 19 2009, DiY celebrated their 20th birthday with a free party in near their home town of Nottingham.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's first house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
sound systems. The group "divided their activities between free parties and legal club nights, acting as a bridge between counter-culture and the mainstream".
It was created in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
in 1989 as a reaction against the growing number of rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
promoters whose bias was towards their own financial enrichment, rather than the joy of their party-goers. They wished to form a cohesive, collective, political front against the prevailing anti-rave legislation that was beginning to come into force at that time. This became more marked around the time of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It introduced a number of changes to the existing law, most notably in the restriction and reduction of existing rights and in greater penalties for certain "anti-social" behaviours...
, with DiY playing a key role in the largest illegal rave ever put on at Castlemorton Common Festival
Castlemorton Common Festival
The Castlemorton Common Festival was a week-long free festival and rave held in the Malvern Hills near Malvern, Worcestershire, England in 1992....
prior to the Bill and a constant stream of illegal, outdoor parties (often at travellers' sites, quarries and disused airfields) all over the country. Simon Reynolds writes that DiY threw "free parties at abandoned airfields or on hilltops, drawing a mixed crowd of urban ravers and crusty road warriors".
DiY also worked successfully in the realm of legitimate club nights, with their "Bounce" night touring the country as well as being a staple of Nottingham's night life. Its popularity, connected to its lack of concern for dress codes and its non-exploitation of its loyal clubbers, coupled with its very particular form of deep, soulful, often minimal house music, led to it being recognised as one of the top ten club nights in Britain by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
In 1993, they also began their own record label, Strictly 4 Groovers, which later became known as DiY discs. This is still running and releasing house music and the primary DJs - Simon DK, Digs and Woosh - still play at various nights in the U.K., Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America.
On September 19 2009, DiY celebrated their 20th birthday with a free party in near their home town of Nottingham.