Tales From A Disappearing City - Episode 27 - special guest - Ian St Paul - Part 2

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Ian St Paul stands as a genuine pioneer of London's underground music scene. Raised on the Roundshaw Estate in South London, he discovered soul records at age 13, igniting a lifelong passion for music. He quickly became a fixture at iconic London soul venues like Crackers and the Lacy Lady, absorbing the vibrant club culture of the era.
At just 15, Ian embarked on an extraordinary journey to New York City with friend Paul Oakenfold, immersing himself in the legendary club scene that would later profoundly influence UK dance music. Upon returning to London, he founded "Candy Box," a youth club that hosted early performances by then-unknown DJs including Giles Peterson and Oakenfold.
Ian's influence expanded when he moved to Ibiza in 1984, diving deep into the island's emerging club culture alongside his DJ cousin Trevor Fung. His pivotal moment came in 1987 when Oakenfold visited him in Ibiza with fellow DJs; Ian introduced them to the island's revolutionary party scene, taking them to Amnesia and exposing them to the nascent ecstasy culture.
In 1988, Ian returned to London where he promoted the legendary Acid House nights Future and Spectrum—events that kickstarted the UK's acid house revolution. His journey continued into the 90s when he relocated to Goa, India, where he managed trance music pioneers Juno Reactor.

Episode Overview
In this episode, Ian St. Paul shares his remarkable journey through some of the most influential moments in dance music history. Beginning with his first trip to Ibiza in 1984, Ian recounts how what started as a holiday transformed into a life-changing adventure that would shape club culture for decades to come.
The conversation traces Ian's evolution from running bars in Ibiza to becoming a pivotal figure in London's acid house scene, where he founded legendary clubs like Future, Spectrum, and Land of Oz. Ian provides an insider's perspective on the emergence of ecstasy culture, the development of the Balearic sound, and how he helped bring these experiences back to the UK, kickstarting the acid house movement.
Beyond the acid house era, Ian discusses his ventures into trance music with Dragonfly Records and TIP, his seven years in Japan building the scene there, and later adventures in Goa, Nepal, and back to Ibiza. Throughout the episode, Ian offers candid insights about the personalities, music, and cultural shifts that defined these revolutionary moments in dance music history, providing a rare first-hand account from someone who was not only present but instrumental in creating these movements.

Episode Highlights
How Ian's 1984 trip to Ibiza evolved from a holiday into a life-changing adventure
The birth of ecstasy culture in Ibiza in 1987, centered around Amnesia with DJ Alfredo
The creation of legendary London clubs Future, Spectrum, and Land of Oz
Ian's role in bringing the Balearic sound to London (and his perspective on the famous "four DJs" story)
Ian's later ventures into trance music with Dragonfly Records and experiences in Japan, Goa, and Nepal

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Hosted from a South London tower block by Neil Keating aka Controlled Weirdness. Tales from a Disappearing City is a chance for Neil to tell some untold subcultural stories from past and present, joined by friends from his lifelong journey through subterranean London. Neil is a veteran producer and DJ and has been at the front line of all aspects of club and sound system culture since the mid 80’s when he first began to go to nightclubs, gigs, and illegal parties. His musical CV includes playing everywhere from plush clubs to dirty warehouses as well as mixing tunes on a variety of iconic London pirate radio stations. He has released music on numerous underground record labels and was responsible for promoting and playing at a series of legendary early raves in the USA at the start of the 90’s. He still DJ's in the UK and throughout Europe and beyond and has an eclectic and seriously deep collection of music built up over time that reflects an appreciation of all elements of the London groove. Neil currently runs Presence Unknown, a vinyl and digital label dedicated to releasing music influenced by his love of Electro, Acid House and Rave. He also does a fortnightly show on Planet Wax radio where his aim as always is to play you some amazing music that you have never heard before.



youtube.com/@ControlledWeirdness