Various Artists — The Rumpus Rooms (Volume One) (1996, UK, Ninebar Records, NOZACD01, 2 x CD, Compilation)

Compiled by Robin Tomens, with liner notes by Peter J. Hill, The Rumpus Rooms (Volume One) is a snapshot of the small South London label Ninebar Records' roster at a genuinely pivotal moment for the wider UK downtempo, electro and drum & bass underground. The compilation's most historically significant inclusion is Cujo's The Brazilianaire — Cujo being the sole alias under which Brazilian-born producer Amon Tobin released material before signing to Ninja Tune, and 1996 itself being the year his debut album Adventures in Foam appeared on this very label, later retrospectively described by The Stranger as a "triphop classic."

T. Power vs. MK Ultra featuring Skan Won opens proceedings with Claustrophobic Killers, drawing on the same dense, breakbeat-driven jungle and drum & bass territory that defined the mid-90s London underground, while Scanner — the alias of sound artist Robin Rimbaud, known for incorporating intercepted radio transmissions into his work — and DJ Food, the long-running Coldcut-affiliated project, round out a roster that also includes Dr. Rockit, Sureshot and Submerged.

Compiled across eighteen tracks spanning two discs, the release captures the genuinely experimental, genre-blurring character of the period's underground club scene before drum & bass and trip-hop had fully calcified into separate commercial categories. The release title appears as 'The Rumpus Rooms (Volume One)' on the front sleeve but 'The Rumpus Rooms Vol 1' on the spine, with several further small discrepancies between the booklet and back sleeve artist and track credits — a detail collectors of this specific pressing should note.

Disc 1:

  1. T. Power vs. MK Ultra Featuring Skan Won — Claustrophobic Killers — 6:49
  2. Dr. Rockit — Fog — 8:48
  3. Signal 2 Noise / Prankster #1 — Nature Of Mind — 6:44
  4. Mighty Truth — Tangatawhenua — 5:20
  5. Jake Slazenger — Toronto — 5:39
  6. Sureshot — Mindstorm (Pt. I) — 5:08
  7. Scanner — Whirlwind Slut — 6:23
  8. Gravity Bass Rising — Ebb And Flow — 5:48
  9. Repeat — Close — 6:58

Disc 2:

  1. DJ Food — The Breaks Of Wrath — 6:56
  2. Shimmer — Nocturnal — 5:35
  3. Earthtribe — Eastbeat (Dope Out Mix) — 7:33
  4. Cujo — The Brazilianaire — 6:17
  5. Dirty Beatniks — Perfect Rhyme — 6:08
  6. Submerged — Damage Done — 9:38
  7. Best Boy Electric & The Fumbling Gaffer — Music Box — 4:15
  8. The Entertainer — Sankei — 6:20
  9. M L O — Son Of Sam (Twisted Science Mix) — 3:34

Catalogue number: NOZACD01
Scene: Ninebar Records / Amon Tobin / Cujo / Scanner / DJ Food / T. Power / Robin Tomens
Discogs release reference: r115566

Shipping & Packing: This will be securely packed in a protective envelope and shipped via Royal Mail. P&P is included in the price. This CD is from my personal collection – I'm clearing space and selling items I have duplicates of, no longer need or can't remember why (or how) I acquired them in the first place. Everything has been well looked after - I stand by the quality of everything I sell - and comes from a smoke-free home. Thanks for viewing, please check out my other items and happy bidding.