Shout Out To Grand… #1

2009 marks the 15th anniversary of East London’s most popular and successful radio station, Rinse FM. I am Grand; that listener that no matter what time of day it is, no matter what country your locked in, whether it be Holland or Japan, you’ll of probably heard a DJ shouting me out across the airwaves, in respect for my support.

I myself have been listening to Rinse FM for the last 8 years. With the decline in the quality of commercial programming on television, radio seemed like the only thing left. Back then it was all about Grime, it was the theme tune to my playground lunch times, and how I discovered Rinse FM. You’re still thinking I bet, “why on earth have you been listening for so long?”, habit I suppose, and quality radio shows that never fail to get me spiralling.

Listening to Rinse FM became a regular fixture, and over time, my locking in on such a frequent basis enabled me to build a number of relationship with those on air. If there was a problem, if someone wanted to know how they were sounding, I would inform whoever it was on air via text or through the MSN; at the end of the day “technicals” would infringe upon the quality of what I was listening to only natural for me to do something about it. As the years went on people began to get in-touch from a number of different time zones asking for information on shows and tunes and if I could assist I would. Unplanned I naturally began to become Rinse FM’s voice of the listener, and continue to be to this day.

I suppose my love for Rinse really came into conception when I first started to hear Dubstep on the station. Not until about 2004 after about 2 years of listening to it did I even realise what it was. Crazy instrumentals that shook the walls of my room and the nerves of my dad! Great beats without the mindless war talk that grime shows seemed to descend into. I was hooked, listening to Plastic Man as he was then known, Hatcha & Crazy D, as well as Youngsta week in and week out. Come 2005 I was a seasoned listener and well engrossed in the shows that took place thanks to Jiggy B telling me how to send a business card from my Nokia mobile to the phone in the studio.

As Rinse pushed more and more Dubstep on the air and at nights such as FWD>> and Rinse Sessions, I found my love for this particular genre grow. Rinse showcased as many of the angles of the scene as there were back then, and you could get a fantastic grasp of the breadth and creativity of Dubstep. From Kode 9 to Search & Destroy, Chef & Darkside to Quiet Storm (Caspa) every one was there. Week in and Week out, there was nothing but the sickest beats; hell I choose listening to beats over Big Brother any day. Thus I never had any reason to change the dial whilst home.

On July 31st the super club Matter plays host to our celebrations. The line up is immense, comprising of All Stars of the UK underground Dubstep, Grime, & funky scene. I expect there to be great performances from everyone, but I am eagerly anticipating performances from N-Type V Youngsta, Geeneus, Newham Generals, Zinc, Katy B, Circle, Chef V Plastician, and Alexander Nut!

I am excited to see where Rinse will be heading in the next few years, with such a loyal and dedicated listener base, and hosting some of the most popular club nights in London. I can only envisage bigger and better things for the station and all of the artist involved.

By the way! From here on now, I won’t just be a random name that you hear, during the early hours of the morning or late at night whilst listening to your favourite show. I’ll be someone who can directly voice your opinion regarding anything Rinse related.

I am your man on the inside so to speak, and with this position I’ll be sure to let you know through the Rinse FM website about exciting up and coming events, mix CD’s, radio shows and competitions. Just a little something so you guys and girls can feel more involved as a thanks for your support.

So stay tuned, as you’ll be hearing from me soon…

And on that note make sure to Keep It Rinse…!

Grand.

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If you find yourself listening as much as Grand you may have a problem, contact grand@rinse.fm who is there to help.

** The views expressed within this post are that of Grand the listener and not representative of Rinse FM. **  Big shout out to Grand…