Our good friend and customer Ritchie K took some time out of his schedule to talk to us about his new book, influences, rave and of course, records. 

You’ve just started promoting your new book, The Rave List 1988-1994, an essential work of reference for all ravers and record buyers, what inspired you to start this project?

That’s easy, it was Fredy Fresh’s ‘The Rap Records’. It blew my mind that someone had taken the time to catalogue in one book the journey of Hip Hop. 

As a collector, if I’d have spent hours online digging, I wouldn’t have even scratched the surface, but what this gave me was the blueprint to Hip Hop on Vinyl, the second edition came out and included all the UK stuff, so for me this was the influence. 

I basically thought this would be amazing if this could be done with early Rave, we have a WhatsApp group called the Geeksquad; Johnny Scratch, Jon Brent (The Gidman) and Billy Daniel Bunter, and we basically talk music daily. 

I pitched the idea back in early 2022, to Dan and he loved it and basically said, ‘Go on then son! write it’…..so I did.

This book - a real labour of love, you've definitely been working at it for as long as we can remember - how long did it take?

Just under 3 years to completion, and probably for 2 years of that time, I’d work on it every night of the week bar a few nights off.

What’s in the book?

OK, well first and foremost are the Record labels, close to 1100 labels listed and featured.

Loads of Vinyl artwork, Artjaz has done us a special feature showcasing his legendary work on releases such as Narra Mine. 

They are all from 1988-94, but some of the new labels that also make the ’Rave sounds’, lots of interviews with key names from within the scene (Nookie, Nicky Blackmarket), label features from the likes of Production House, Rave Flyers, Pirate radio stories from Sunrise FM, a Rave board game from 91!

A great interview with local legend MC Juiceman, my old tape packs I made, magazine covers, Rave photos from the early to mid 90’s, some never seen before and a little section of what the artists looked like back then, so a lot to get your teeth into, 644 pages of it.

What does rave mean to you?

It’s a feeling of community, a collective of young people that grew up on a hot bed of new sounds, creativity to the max and really if we think about it, influences all the sounds in Dance music we hear nowadays, the old, new skool sounds are amazing, hence why I included a lot of the labels I’ve been discovering now in the book.

How has the process been for you as a DJ and record collector?

Fascinating, mind expanding and expensive, as I’ve discovered and bought so many records along the way. All these labels that we thought we knew had so much more to the catalogue than just the tracks I was exposed to as a record shop vinyl buyer. The internet gives you the power to discover all this.

Best find whilst researching?

Wow, I’m not sure where I would start here, firstly I’ve bought hundreds of records back that I used to own and I let go of years ago, because you fall in love with them all over again during this process. 

I’ve just had a browse down my Discogs inventory over the past 3 years and I’d probably have to say something like Z99 – Welcome To Paradise (Avant Garde Label, out of Italy), beautiful track.

Another highlight would be Audiobahn by Nebula II, great 1994 EP including some amazing early Techno Trance / Goa brilliance. 

Re buying A-Dam – Tribal Warfare off you guys for the Coca track, amazing slow paced 92 Breakbeat track, special that tune!

Discovering Subnation. ‎Scotties Sub came out on Mercyless Records, and grabbing an original copy of that, as that’s one of my all-time favourite Early Jungle tunes. I could go on but basically widening my exposure to the whole era.

Most surprising historic info you have found out?

Well there has been lots, one of them was discovering Nookie (Gavin Cheung) sold his early studio Akai sampler to Grooverider during a regular visit to Red Records where Gavin worked. Discovering what a melting pot of creativity those shops in the West End were. The interviews with Gavin & Nicky Blackmarket are fantastic, they really transport you back to that time but also expose what really went on. 

Another record shop highlight was discovering how Livy and the gang got the records at Spinadisc in Northampton, big ups to Paul for adding the piece in the book, I actually think he was the first contributor way back when I first started.

When did you start shopping for records at Vinyl Underground and what kind of stuff did you start with?

There’s quite a funny story to my discovery of Vinyl Underground, I was walking down Abington Street and I bumped into Steve Conner (aka Adapta/Bitstream) we went to school together and basically messed about at the early Rave scene in the late 80’s early 90s. In 1999 he had just pressed up the first Bitstream release with the legendary Monolith on it and gave me a copy. 

I saw him come out of Watts Furniture shop and said, what have you been doing in there?’ He said as if I should know, ‘Oh I’ve been in Vinyl Underground’. 

So basically, the rest is history and I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve been in on a Saturday, it's my go to record shop and always will be. 

I think the records I started to buy back then would have been Hip Hop related as I had a mission to buy as many Hip Hop albums as I possibly could, I dread to think how many I have now, but it’s a lot, and a lot thanks to VU.

Best ever find at VU?

Picture covers of releases I have, I don’t know how they do it, I think you guys plant them ready for me to arrive and I’ll be flicking through the racks and go, ‘wow!’, never seen that before. 

I did it recently with an Acid House tune called Cybertron & Doc Savage – Climax (The Acid Test), amazing cover and as usual a minty fresh copy.

Current records on constant rotation?

Dawl’s ‘Hyper Charged EP’ on Craigie Knowes that I got off you guys! I buy his music all the time, it has that new edge but perfectly captures the old skool vibes. I quite often mix his stuff up in my Rave Story sets. 

I also still listen to the Donato Dozzy ‘Filo Loves The Acid’ album on Tresor, brilliant. 

And a collection of albums I grabbed off you a while ago always get played to death e.g. Welcome To Paradise 1-3, stunning comps. Oooh and the latest Zer-O ‘Real Time’ release on Running Back, amazing.

Where can we find you online?

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravelist88_94ritchiek

https://www.instagram.com/ritchie__k__theravelist8894/

https://www.facebook.com/ritchie.kellingray

I post twice daily something from my collection, it’s built up quite a nice following, I mix the vinyl up with some old rave footage giving that little sprinkle of nostalgia.

Upcoming gigs you want to mention?

I have the launch party for the book, and a vinyl release by Billy Daniel Bunter that I also feature on, that's the 7th December at Electrowerkz in London, plus I play monthly at the local spots, Maule Collective & V&B in Northampton. 

Also, it looks like I’ll be playing for Epidemik next year which will be fun. I could have done New Years eve for them but unfortunately I’m busy. Who knows where 2025 will take me but it’s exciting.

Nice one Ritchie! The book is arriving with VU on Friday 6th December, make sure you secure your copy HERE.

Check the exclusive mix he recorded for us below - 

https://soundcloud.com/vinyl-underground/ritchie-k-the-rave-list-vu-mix