UK GARAGE

First coming to prominence in the mid-90s,

UK garage originated from artists such as mixing don DJ EZ playing house records at a faster tempo than originally intended. This new sound caught on, and became known as garage thanks to the likes of US innovator Todd Edwards, and their involvement with the legendary Paradise Garage nightclub in New York. The original UK garage sound, as pushed by the likes of 187 Lockdown and Ripgroove was labelled as speed garage, with the more breakbeat-driven sound that came slightly later being known as 2-step.

As jungle’s cultural significance began to dwindle during the late 1990s, UK garage became hugely popular, combining danceable beats at around 130-140bpm with influences from styles including reggae, jungle, RnB and house all part of the mix. The genre went on to blow up in the UK Top 40 charts with acts like So Solid Crew, Craig David and MJ Cole scoring hit records. Following on from this, garage’s popularity dwindled in the mid 2000s, but the influence of the style can