I've been listening to drum n bass from about 1995 when I went to my first "rave" party (yeah I'm that old!). It was in a warehouse on the harbour now known as the V&A waterfront. Anyway the main area was huge with foam, lazers and the usual over the top stuff that was all the fashion back then, and then a small section was dedicated to jungle.
I accidentally ended up there with myself and three other friends, we were basically just looking for some space, but when we got there we realised it was an actual dance floor!
Nobody was there, just the DJ and we hanged out there while smoking our joints. From then on my interest in dnb grew. The scene in Cape Town was always small, I would go to clubs that was basically run down flats converted into dancefloors ontop of workshops or in basements.
I started collecting vinyl in '97 when a shop predominantly selling house and hip hop would have one or two dnb 12"s as well. As the internet developed and ebay established itself I then began buying stuff online. in 2000 there was a shop strictly selling drum and bass, but it didn't last very long, liquor license etc and the owner then moved to the UK. I haven't bought any drum n bass vinyl since 2007- I started working and my interest in performance cars grew, I also moved and that sort of threw everything out.
I stopped working two months ago, I will probably start collecting drum n bass again in the near future but at the moment I'm purchasing LPs, mostly alternative records etc.
The tin box is Platinum Breaks limited edition release on the metalheadz label.
Notable records I have on the shelf- all first prints
* Wormhole LP - Ed Rush and Optical on Virus
* Nu Forms LP- Roni Size and Reprazent
* Alien Girl 12" - Ed Rush - my most prized vinyl
* first five releases on the test recordings label- Dillinja releases
* first five releases on the Virus label
* Real Vibes LP- DJ Hype and True Playaz
* Platinum Breakz Vol I and II
* Planet V- V recordings- highly collectable