Don FM was a 1990s London

pirate radio Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...

station, influential in the development of

breakbeat hardcore Breakbeat hardcore (also referred to as hardcore rave, oldskool hardcore or simply hardcore) is a music genre that spawned from the UK rave scene during the early 1990s. It combines four-on-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats usually sampled from ...

jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

and

drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...

music. It was the first jungle pirate station granted a temporary legal license. Don first broadcast in November 1992 on the frequency of 105.7FM from

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

, South West London, broadcasting mostly at the weekend, specialising in breakbeat hardcore and jungle but also playing house and garage on a Sunday. Its popularity grew throughout 1993, with the station promoting rave and club nights, selling merchandise, and distributing a magazine through London's specialist dance record shops. On 28 March 1994, Don ceased transmission to apply for a

Restricted Service Licence A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL) is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event. Licences are granted by the broadcasting authority Ofcom ...

. It was awarded this and transmitted legally for 4 weeks from 28 August 1994 on 100.5FM to London, and was the first pirate radio station of its genre to do so. Guest shows from big names in the jungle scene passed through including Bryan Gee (V Recordings),

Ray Keith Ray Keith is a British drum and bass DJ and record producer. He is one of the genre's most well known producers and DJs and is regarded as one of the pivotal figures in the early jungle/drum and bass scene. Biography Keith cites influences inc ...

, and

Stevie Hyper D Stevie Hyper D (born Stephen Austin, 20 September 1966 – 5 July 1998) was a British drum and bass MCing, MC. Early life Stephen Austin was born in London, England on 20 September 1966, to a Spanish people, Spanish mother and Barbadian people, ...

. Don FM then returned as a pirate on the frequency of 107.9FM in September 1995 and ran until April 1997, broadcasting again at the weekends playing predominantly drum and bass but also

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

and

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

. Well known DJs, MCs and artists who have appeared on Don include DJ Trace, Matt Cantor ( The Freestylers), Mark Force (

Bugz in the Attic Bugz in the Attic is a collective of DJs and producers based in West London, who are prominent in broken beat. The collective includes Orin Walters (Afronaut), Paul Dolby (Seiji), Kaidi Tatham, Daz-I-Kue, Alex Phountzi (Neon Phusion), Cliff Sco ...

DJ Dee Kline Deekline is a British producer and DJ of breakbeat, breakstep, drum and bass and garage music. He is the innovator of breakstep music which is bass-heavy, breakbeat-infused 2-step, first characterised in his 1999 hit " I Don't Smoke", which re ...

, MC Hyperactive,

Ed Rush Ben Settle, known by the stage name Ed Rush, is a drum and bass producer and DJ. Rush has been releasing records since 1992 primarily with Optical (Matt Quinn), his musical partner since 1997. Along with Optical, he is also the co-founder of ...

, MC Ryme Tyme, DJ Kane, DJ Gunshot, NutE1, DJ Harmony, MC Stevie A, and Asad Rizvi. Record labels and shops also hosted shows on the station including Chemistry Records, Lucky Spin, and Rugged Vinyl. In an interview with

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

, Nicholas Talbot of band Gravenhurst and IDM artist

Mike Paradinas Michael Robert Paradinas (born 26 September 1971), better known by his stage name μ-Ziq (pronounced "music" or mu-zik), is an English electronic musician from Wimbledon, London. He was associated with the electronic style intelligent dance mus ...

recall the station as a "pioneering radio station".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Don Fm Radio stations in London Pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom Radio stations established in 1992 Radio stations disestablished in 1997 Defunct radio stations in the United Kingdom Jungle music