MUSIC HOUSE x MR THUNDERS

Back in mid 2018 I decided I wanted to cut a few tunes to Plate that I had on CD and was not going to get scalped on DISCOGS so a few calls were made and got through to MUSIC HOUSE. Got a taxi down to the industrial site where it was based (a long way from Holloway that I REMEMBER GETTING THE INTERCITY down with a couple BACK2BASICS DAT’S). Walked in and Leon was sitting there spliff on the roll ready to cut… He gave me a look and was like “do I know you?” I told him the last time I went to Music House WWWAAAYYY BACK in 1996, he stepped in when some over zealous DJ tried to cut in front of me, obviously I was a younger then, but he vaguely remembered. USB handed over (SO 2018 not DAT like 1997), spliff rolled he began the process. I had 10 tracks to cut so would be a while so I got my laptop out and Leon was asking what Im working on, I showed him the brand and where it was stocked at the time. He said he had some tees printed which were of the Dubplate logo not terrible, and not great and then laughed saying it would be jokes to see Music House in Selfridges. I said “why not”?. Cue the levels and track one starts getting cut ORCA “SUPER POD” HEAVY HEAVY BASS!!! Off he goes to toke then back in to finish the process. “Yeah man, how would you do it?”       I sketched some ideas and BOOM, the bones of the co lab were laid down. By The time we got to cutting THE MASTER (Krust) we had a few ideas down. Fast forward 4 weeks later and first samples were ready… THEN THE JOKES - got it placed into SELFRIDGES & URBAN OUTFITTERS. Great, fun and easy transaction made from the sales whilst blessing the scenes heads with additional production (we could have made 1000’s of units and still been blessing). Leon said let’s do another one as the first one worked so well.

So in between cutting more plates as DISCOGS was NOT THE ONE for buying desired vinyl then (Big Up DEEP JUNGLE & J Majik for re-releasing some lashers from back in day) and riffin on red & black ideas for another project based on roulette that he was proper passionate about we went to work.

This was late 2019/early 2020 pre pandemic. We bounced ideas and how Vinyl is and will always be the ONE; then SILENCE… I believed that the lockdown and keeping safe was more important than pushing the idea so I parked it. Then lockdown was easing mid/late 2020 and I was on the district line and got a call from Leon. He asked how the line was coming along to which I said done, a couple tweaks and for you to agree and all good to go. Then he casually dropped a line I will never forget. The news he told me I had to get off the tube, this was madness! Even typing this it is surreal; the word “terminal” and him being so positive was hard to hear. Even though Leon was not kin, or a super tight friend we bonded over, this project, my lack of knowledge on Roulette and dubs. This news knocked me. “Lets link in a couple weeks and get this done” that was Nov 2020. DEC 02/2020 Leon passed and no one in the industry would have seen that coming. TOO YOUNG, TOO NICE. The project was shelved indefinitely.  All production for the 2nd wave put into storage.

Fast forward to 2024…..

A showroom/studio move unearthed the project, before even thinking of putting out this had to be done with Music House blessing. After a meet with Chris and a few fresh plates later this collection will be seeing the light of day…. This drop will be super limited available on line and via MUSIC HOUSE direct…