Editing Suburban Base

{{Short description|British record label}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox record label
| name        = Suburban Base
| image       = [[File:Suburban Base Records logo.jpg|200px]]
| founded     = 1990
| founder     = [[Danny Donnelly]]
| genre       = {{flatlist|
* [[Breakbeat hardcore]]
* [[Jungle music|jungle]]
* [[drum and bass]]
}}
| country     = United Kingdom
| website     = {{URL|suburbanbaserecords.com}}
}}

'''Suburban Base Records''' is a British [[breakbeat hardcore]], [[rave music|rave]] and [[jungle music|jungle]]/[[drum and bass]] [[record label]]. It is based in [[Romford]], [[Havering]], England. It was established by [[Danny Donnelly]] and operated in the UK from 1990 to 1997 and in the [[United States]] from 1994 to 1997, however, started to release again in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.suburbanbaserecords.com/about|title=Suburban Base Records|work=Suburbanbaserecords.com}}</ref>

== History ==
Danny Donnelly opened a record store in his native [[Romford]], [[Essex]].<ref name="LarkinDM">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|page=328}}</ref> Named Boogie Times, the store specialised in [[dance music]] as well as producing its own self-made [[white label record]]s.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> Donnelly's first release was a track called "Hypersonic" which he made with André Jacobs, the owner of Essex-based D-Zone Records. These Boogie Times white labels were well received by customers, as well as DJs from the nearby capital [[London]], which enhanced the store's reputation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fantazia.org.uk/Scene/music/subbase.htm|title=Suburban Base Records Profile|website=Fantazia.org.uk|accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref> In the wake of this success, Donnelly was able to fund a nascent label entitled Suburban Base.<ref name="LarkinDM"/>

The fledgling label's first release was Kromozone's "The Rush", released in April 1991. This was followed by six further releases later in the year from artists Austin, M&M, Rachel Wallace, Run Tings, Phuture Assassins and QBass.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Suburban+Base|title=Suburban Base|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref> 1992 saw the label's first Top 40 success in the [[UK Singles Chart]] - [[Danny Breaks|Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era]]s' "Far Out"<ref name="LarkinDM"/> - a [[piano]]-led [[breakbeat]] track which reached number 36 in February. As music heard at [[rave]]s filtered into the mainstream, the label was to end the year with twelve UK Singles Chart hits, and experienced the highest-charted debut from an independent record company since the charts began with [[Smart E's]] "Sesame's Treet".<ref name="LarkinDM"/> The track, which sampled heavily from the US children's TV show ''[[Sesame Street]]'', reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in July of that year.

As the rave scene began to mutate into two contrasting scenes, 4/4 helium-vocal-characterised [[happy hardcore]] and darker, more bass-led [[darkcore]] (which itself mutated in [[Jungle music|jungle]]/[[drum and bass]]), the Suburban Base label found itself drawn to the latter. Such releases as [[DJ Hype]]'s "Weird Energy" and "Shot In The Dark" and Boogie Times Tribe's "The Dark Stranger" (all 1993) maintained the label's high standing within the scene, which continued as [[Jungle music|jungle]]/[[drum and bass]] broke through into the mainstream in 1994. Tracks from this period were showcased on the two ''The Joint'' compilation releases; a joint collaboration with fellow leading record label [[Moving Shadow]].

That year, Donnelly launched Breakdown Records,<ref name="LarkinDM"/> a compilation-only subsidiary with which he and others devised and compiled an entire range of albums covering all genres of dance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Breakdown+Records|title=Breakdown Records|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref> The most successful of these were the 'Drum & Bass Selection' series,<ref name="LarkinDM"/> compiled with the help of [[Danny Breaks]] and DJ Ash, which sold in excess of 300,000 copies and were the first TV-advertised jungle compilations.

The label's successes allowed it to expand its horizons, setting up a US subsidiary, Sub Base USA, and opening an office in Los Angeles, as well as securing a distribution deal for North America.<ref name="LarkinDM"/> Further label deals for South America and Japan soon followed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=173328118|title=Featured Content on Myspace|website=Profile.myspace.com|access-date=15 January 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805013605/http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile|archive-date=5 August 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Towards the end of 1997, however, Donnelly took the decision to close Suburban Base down.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allrecordlabels.com/db/4/4024.html|title=Suburban Base Records|website=Allrecordlabels.com|accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref> This was to allow him to pursue other new challenges in business, and he felt it would be a great injustice to continue running Suburban Base without his full attention. In particular, with the emergence of the [[speed garage]] music scene, a genre that derived many elements from jungle and which saw many jungle/drum and bass fans and club-goers defect to this new scene, Donnelly had created a specific sub-label, Quench,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Quench+Recordings|title=Quench Recordings|website=Discogs.com|accessdate=15 January 2018}}</ref> for speed garage releases.<ref>Reynolds, S. (1998) ''Energy Flash: A Journey through Rave Music and Dance Culture'', p. 421, (London: Picador); {{ISBN|0-330-35056-0}}</ref>

In 2014, the label returned initially with a compilation,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.phuturelabs.com/10-essential-suburban-base-classics/|title=10 Essential Suburban Base Classics|date=3 March 2014|work=Phuturelabs.com}}</ref> and then in 2021 started to release previously unreleased material and re-issues.

==Compilations==
Suburban Base regularly showcased its catalogue throughout its brief history. These compilations include:
*''Sub Base For Your Face LP'' (1992)
*''The Joint LP'' (1993) (collaboration with Moving Shadow)
*''The Joint II'' (1994) (collaboration with Moving Shadow)
*''A History Of Hardcore'' (1995) (collaboration with Moving Shadow)
*''Subbase Sampler'' (1996)
*''Classic Subbase'' (1997)
*''Suburban Base Records (The History of Hardcore, Jungle, Drum & Bass 1991-1997)'' (2014 via New State Music)

==See also==
* [[List of record labels]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:British record labels]]
[[Category:Electronic music record labels]]
[[Category:Drum and bass record labels]]
[[Category:Breakbeat hardcore]]
[[Category:Jungle music]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1989]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 1997]]
[[Category:1989 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1997 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1989]]
[[Category:Romford]]