Impact Records (23)

Quite simply for me the greatest UK hardcore label of all time, you can track what the music sounded like from 1991 all the way up to 1999. From the bleeps and bloops of the first few releases in 91/92 through to the darker experimental sounds of 93 into the piano and bass sounds of 94 and then into the final four beat sounds of 95 onwards (95 to 99 is a history of happy hardcore in itself!) Impact never faltered on quality and you can pick any release from 1 to 62 and find something good. Definitely one of the most influential labels of all time in UK rave music along with Formation.

Impact was a top tier label in the early hardcore days, right through to the happy hardcore days. Seduction knows how to write and spot a tune. However, the vinyl mastering on this label as a whole is quite dodgy. Many releases require adjustments to the needle/tone arm settings in order to play through without skipping or "burping". I even have a specific cart/needle set aside to play Impact releases.

Releases up to (imp 015) are all top quality old skool breakbeat hardcore tunes (period 1992-early1993) but from 16th release and after the label dropped sudently the quality and only few were just OK. It transformed into happy hardcore from mid/late '93 and after, but not in a good way.