Origin Unknown

East London jungle imprint Ram Recordings (along with labels such as Droppin' Science, Flex, Infa-Red, and No U-Turn) is closely associated with a new wave of drum'n'bass innovators, twisting darkside and hardstep into future-fueled, increasingly entropic configurations that draw as often from the dry, brittle technologism of techno and electro as from jungle's more uppity roots in hip-hop and ragga. Entirely owned and operated by partners Andy C. and Ant Miles, Ram's back-catalog is near-filled with Ant- and Andy-related projects such as Concept 2, Desired State, and perhaps their most well-known and best-respected pseudonym, Origin Unknown. Formed in Essex in 1990, Ram was a product of the area's vibrant pirate radio underground; the label shares roots with hardcore staple Suburban Base (and SubBase's storefront, Boogie Times), producers Dillinja, Cool Hand Flex, and DJ Hype, and pirate frequencies such as Centreforce and Sunrise. Andy and Ant's working relationship (the pair set up a studio and began recording together in 1990) grew out of a shared dissatisfaction with more mainstream dance music production and an increasing fascination with exploding breakbeat culture, which by 1992 had grown to critical mass in London's East End. The pair's early releases include remix and engineering work for Suburban Bass and an assortment of artists, but Ram was already in the works by the time they were seriously laying down tracks, and by the release of their fourth 12-inch -- "The Touch"/"Valley of the Shadows" -- Ram's trademark of dark, pointed, brazenly technological hardstep was picking up speed in the clubs. That single's B-side, in fact, was one of the earliest blasts from darkside's more bleepy cousin, techstep (popularized by Ed Rush, Trace, Doc Scott, etc.). Rather...