Pre 1998 - Genesis
Hospital Records is the brainchild of Chris Goss and Tony Colman. The label was started in early 1996 from their West London studio / HQ primarily as a vehicle for their own music. Tony and Chris have been working together since 1993. A brief pre-history: Tony's last band was the London street-soul/jazzfunk combo IZIT, which funked it's way round the world's live clubs + decks from 1988 to 1995. Chris used to work in Soho's Soul Jazz record shop. Tony started the label Tongue and Groove in 1992, and Chris joined the label in 1993 as label manager, following a freelance sleeve-design job. Chris and Tony didn't make any music together until 1994, when they produced the eccentric 'Caterpillar', accredited to Mustardspoon. They closed T+G in 95 and formed two labels, Hospital and Galactic Disco Music. GDM was a London house/funk label and home of Future Homosapiens, Orkestra Galactica and Funky Nasa - all monikers for Tony + Chris's prolific house output between the years 1996 and 1998. However, when Hospital took off in 1998, GDM was put on hold.
1998 - Pulling the Plug
Hospital's early drum and bass output earned the label an undeground fanbase, but it was London Elektricity's 'Song In The Key of Knife', released in Spring 1998 that really captured the imagination of the whole scene. As London Elektricity, Tony and Chris' first long player 'Pull The Plug', released in the summer of 99, received much critical acclaim and is still widely regarded as a classic album, far removed from the overlong and pretentious drum and bass albums of the time.
2000 - Signing Patients
In 2000 the label shifted up a gear. Tony and Chris compiled and released the first in a series of freestyle compilations, Out Patients, signalling the fact that Hospital was no longer "just" a drum and bass label. This was followed by the debut album from their prodigal son, Tim Land aka Landslide, whose 'Drum+Bossa' set attracted a whole new audience from the jazz, breakbeat and 2-step scenes. That summer saw the signing of Danny Byrd, whose vocal r+b stylings found immediate favour with Fabio. The year finished with another signing, a certain welsh producer (at the time unknown to the d&b world) Link Barrett, aka High Contrast.
2002 - Expensive Gravy
In 2002, with Hospital ever expanding, Chris withdrew from the studio in order to meet the demands of running one of the country's most successful independent labels, leaving Tony to carry the mantle of London Elektricity. It was during this time that Hospital become a byword for quality soulful breakbeat thanks to a series of unfailingly consistent releases; from compilations (such as the Plastic Surgery and Out Patients series) to some heavyweight artist albums. High Contrast's amazing Debut 'True Colours' and London Elektricity's fast soul classic 'Billion Dollar Gravy' continued Hospital's rise as one of the well run and respected labels around.
2004 - Future Sound of Forest Hill
In 2004 'Live Gravy' took the L.E sound to the next level as Hospital continued to bravely push the boundaries of Drum and Bass. 'The Future Sound Of Cambridge' unearthed some golden talents in Nu-Tone and Logistics and the hot signing of Cyantific provided another glimpse of good times ahead. Elsewhere High Contrast's second album 'High Society' smashed it with the 'Basement Track and 'Racing Green' getting rinsed everywhere from daytime Radio 1 to the Notting Hill Carnival. At this time Hospital also moved to its permanent home, relocating from Baron's Court to the mighty Purple Gates in Forest Hill, South London.
2005 - Hospitalities
Hospitality, Hospital's self styled club night, whilst being well at home at Herbal in London, also represented in Cardiff, Brighton and as far as Berlin. By then established as one of the worlds biggest drum & bass nights, Hospitality launched a quarterly residency at legendary London super club Heaven. Playing host to the likes of Andy C and LTJ Bukem, as well as the NHS's own bad boy selectors, thousands of ravers piled through the doors over the next few years, as we regularly road-blocked WC2. Releases by Syncopix from Germany and the release of 'The Future Sound Budapest' confirmed Hospital's International status. Meanwhile, Tony went back to studio to unleash London Elektricity's third studio album 'Power Ballads' in Autumn 2005. A gruelling tour followed as the band performed in front of hundreds of thousands of people throughout 2005. From the Big Chill to Glastonbury, it was the album launch at London's Scala which will never be forgotten by those who were there.
2006 - Debuts
2006 brought about Hospital's tenth birthday and boy did we party. Almost everybody in drum & bass turned up as we absolutely rammed full London's Heaven night club. The year also saw amazing debut albums from Q-Project, Cyantific and Logistics, as the Hospital release schedule continued to accelerate. Logistics' album 'Now More Than Ever' went on to win best album at the BBC 1Xtra Bass Awards. Cyantific and London Elektricity also scooped awards completing a hat trick for Hospital, now firmly established as one of the scene's biggest labels! In 2006 London Elektricity also started the Hospital Podcast and following the immense quality of demos being sent into Hospital HQ, Hospital also established Med School, a new label bringing forward the more experimental side of drum & bass.
2007 - Tough Guys
Following on from our tenth birthday success, Hospitality at Heaven continued to be one the best clubbing experiences to be had anywhere in the world. In the summer of 2007, we took Hospitality further by taking over Ibiza for one night only. Extending drum & bass deep into house territory, the junglists came out firmly on top showing Ibiza how it's done. Also in 2007, Nu:Tone provided us with his second album 'Back Of Beyond', 'Weapons of Mass Creation 3' gave us some amazing tracks from the likes of Blame, Bungle & A-Sides and High Contrast smashed apart the Radio One playlist with the huge single If We Ever and the even huger album 'Tough Guys Don't Dance'. High Contrast's third studio album was received with critical acclaim and became an unprecedented success. Flying the flag for drum & bass, High Contrast also delivered his second Radio One essential mix, and even within this house and techno stronghold he scooped Essential mix of the year for Hospital in the process.
2007 cont... - In Pod We Trust
Keeping well ahead of the times through this period, London Elektricity's Hospital Podcast proved to be a massive success. The Podcast achieved, topping the music charts on iTunes, attracting 50,000 downloads a show and going on to win the BT Digital music award for best podcast 3 years running, 2006, 2007 & 2008. Guests from all over drum & bass featured on the bi-weekly show which has become a massive hit, bringing D+B music and news straight to mp3 players worldwide. This and the continued success on Radio, online stores and of course through the website have led to Hospital reaching brand new mainstream audiences as the success story continued.
2008 - Supersizing
2008 saw Logistics drop his second album and Hospital's Cambridge collective released their dark and deadly long player 'The Future Sound Of Cambridge 3'. Danny Byrd, almost eight years after first signing with Hospital, released his debut album 'Supersized' and it was well worth the wait - containing some simply massive tunes - both on the dancefloor and radio. In September came another heavy hitter, in the shape of the fourth studio album from London Elektricity, entitled 'Syncopated City'. Instantly receiving critical and popular acclaim, the album pushed the unique LE sound towards a new generation of fans, gaining place on the Radio One playlist for All Hell Is Breaking Loose and rounding off another amazing year for the NHS.
2009 - Flying the flag
Into the future and the horizon looms closer. Outgrowing Heaven, Hospitality moves its flagship London event to the brand spanking new venue Matter, inside London's gargantuan The O2. London Elektricity continues as the self styled voice of drum & bass on the Hospital Podcast and Hospital and Med School both have exciting album projects in the pipeline. With brand new signing Mistabishi's debut album ready to 'Drop' he becomes the latest to join the Hospital family. Over a decade in the game and we are only just getting started!
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