Music
From Raver to Clubing Mogul - Rave Story
By The Numerologist
Aug 16, 2007 - 6:52:38 PM

Born in North London, Otiz F Angel grew up on the streets of Tottenham.
Things could have worked out very badly, as from a young age, he was living the gangster lifestyle. His first 'real' job was managing the the local branch of the family's weed distribution operation, overseeing the staff and occasionally having to persuade errant clients that paying their bad debts was definitely in their best interests.
However, after hearing Acid House at long-time London clubbing mecca, the Camden Palace, and getting caught up in the 'DIY' ethos of the House music scene, the opportunity arose to channel some of his capital into creating a pirate radio station. Shortly after, Obsession FM was ruling the airwaves, as one of London's first dedicated Acid House radio stations. The birth of Obsession was the catalyst for a chain of events which saw Angel put aside his street life in favour of more productive business ventures. The call of the music was strong, and Angel threw himself into promoting raves,  producing music, perrforming and working his way up the ranks of the electronic music underground.

As time went by and the music evolved, Angel once again found himself at the sharp end of a new musical style. Jungle exploded into the public consciousness, and Angel was there, bringing the sound to the people as the brain behind the legendary Electrybe promotions, which regularly packed out large venues such as the Astoria in Central London, booking the top names in the Jungle and D&B scenes, and took a sound system to the legendary Spiral Tribe rave at Castlemorton in 1992. However, London just wasn't enough. The next stop on the journey was Ibiza. Since Jungle's ruffneck urban sound wouldn't have worked on the sunkissed beaches of the White Isle, Angel concentrated his efforts on creating lovingly-remembered Pure Pleasure parties, hosting highly successful, hedonistic House events in classic Ibizan venues such as Kaoos, Ku (now Eden and Privilege) and Es Paradis. Fast forward to the present and Angel is now kingpin of the international clubbing brand, LOVE, and a keen social entrpreneur. Following its birth in London’s uber-trendy Shoreditch, venues carrying the LOVE insignia have opened their doors in clubbing hotspots as diverse as Ibiza, Miami, Hamburg, Krakov and even Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh.

'Rave Story' presents an gritty and often humourous look at the machinery that turns behind the scenes of clubland, the history of the numerous subgenres of House music, and the clubbing, sex, drugs and violence that form part and parcel of the pursuit of a career in the business of hedonism. It deals with the difficulty of tuning ones back on street life while not severing ties with relatives and childhood friends, the challenges of balancing a fast-paced, entrepreneurial career with raising of a family, and the struggle to achive greatness when wealth, race and social background are against you. Unlike most other memoirs, Angel has chosen not to wait till his autumn years before telling his tale, instead writing Rave Story as the preface to a larger saga that has yet to unfold.

Fast-paced and hard-hitting, Rave Story pulls no punches in its frank, situationist dialogue and is at times inspirational. It will strike a chord with anyone who has longed to claw their way out of a rut and make a run for success as their own boss, or get  into the seemingly impenetrable Music Industry.

Priced @ £12.50  Sterling or $25 US, RaveStory is available direct from www.ravestory.com, online retailers such as Amazon or major music booksellers.
ISBN - 978-1-427-1787-3