2020 Vision is one of the few UK independent electronic dance music imprints to survive from the early 90s, its reputation for quality and longevity up there with the mighty Soma. The label was started in 1994 by Ralph Lawson, then resident DJ at the infamous Back To Basics, after he built a studio in his nearby farmhouse to catch the post-weekend creative buzz, initially recording tracks with in-house producer-engineer Carl Finlow, aka Random Factor. Amidst much after-hours style lunacy, the studio started forging pure house gold, searching for the Holy Grail of mole’s stiffie deepness. Since then, the label has continued to grow and released over 200 12-inchers. Now it celebrates its 15th anniversary with a catalogue-straddling mix album from Detroit legend and long-time supporter Stacey Pullen who, after learned his studio craft at Derrick May’s Transmat Studio, has carved a formidable name since the early 90s as Silent Phase and Kosmik Messenger. Ralphie Boy’s initial studio forays saw him collaborating with DJ Huggy as Wulf & Bear, whose cryptically-titled ‘Needsy’s Run’ [nothing to do with post-Basics bowel problems] opens the set before Stace takes off on a beautifully-woven journey through the catalogue, including gorgeous outings from Inland Knights, Simon Baker, Mark Broom, Art Of Tones, Random Factor, Crazy P, Moodymanc and the ever-firing 2020 Soundsystem. The original spirit of house music is alive, kicking and doing rthe occasional chicken impersonation in 2020’s mighty stable. In the hands of one of the world’s greatest DJs the effect is seismic.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
