Rinse FM: 10 of the Greatest Shows of All Time

With the legendary Plastician announcing his departure from London’s Rinse FM this week, we decided to take a look at some of the most instrumental, influential shows broadcast as part of the station's long and colourful history at the heart of homegrown UK sounds.

Founded back in the summer of 1994 by DJs Geeneus and Slimzee, Rinse FM first existed as a notorious illegal pirate radio station in East London, where it played host to many seminal selectors and stand-out shows, showcasing the talent of its young guests and experimenting with the boundaries of radio broadcasting.

Now legal, Rinse FM has continued to champion up-and-coming talent as part of its grassroots, community ethos. Still at the forefront of innovation, the cultural impact of Rinse has far from waned, as early friends to the station such as Skepta, Wiley, Skream and more continue to break records on an international level, and new faces step into the studio to share their voice and their music with Rinse's faithful followers.

So read on, as we chart 10 of the best shows broadcast over the Rinse FM airwaves.

Plastician, formerly known as Plasticman, has been a station mainstay ever since early 2003. His weekly slot is almost as synonymous with the Rinse FM name as shows from the likes of co-founder Slimzee and other founding figures, championing innovation in grime and dubstep from the very start of his residency.

One of the first to mutate the genres in their infancy, Plastician's early experiments producing dark garage led to his appointment to the station and from there he’s become an industry influencer at the beating heart of both the station and the glorious grime explosion. In the show below, catch Skepta before the Mercury, spitting over Skream's 'Midnight Request Line', in a true fusing of tremendous talents.

Before grime was known as grime, Roll Deep was the crew pioneering the dark garage hybrid sound straight from East London, with its roots running deep through the core of Rinse FM.

With Roll Deep keeping many of their early releases to white label exclusives, fans flocked to their Rinse FM show to hear new material and listen to the likes of Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, Flow Dan, Manga, Skepta, DJ Karnage and more. On this Risky Roads Archive footage, see the crew, alongside BBK's JME and Jammer in full lyrical flow, way back in 2005.

Londoner Josey Rebelle is the DJ spinning anything from old school groove, garage, and soul, through to blinding techno, house and all things in between, demonstrating her wide musical interests and offering up a fresh, futuristic take on the sounds of the city.

She joined Rinse FM back in 2011, having honed her skills on the London club circuit. With Josey, the timeless nature of her track selection makes her show a multi-generational listen. Her ear for the eclectic is heard loud and clear as she weaves through classic cuts and fresh finds, and with guests such as DISCWOMAN’s Umfang, soul singer Leroy Burgess and vocalist Robert Owens dropping by her Sunday slot, it’s the perfect weekend listen.

As Rinse FM’s only dedicated old-skool DJ, Uncle Dugs' timeless take on jungle, d’n’b, hardcore and rave sees youngsters and old-skool heads come together on a broadcast unique to the station - a station managed by Dugs nonetheless, back in 1999 right through to 2005.

With an energetic approach, the yesteryears vibe of the show selection is a clear reminder to long-term listeners and new-comers alike of the pirate radio era that lived on before the Rinse FM we know and love today. It was an era packed with the same enigmatic vibrancy found in the early rave tunes Dugs spins every week, and the jungle nuances echo right back to the start of the station.

It’s odd to think that FUSE has been going strong in the capital for almost 10 years. Since 2008, the close knit group of minimal house and techno enthusiasts have been plying a sound not often heard in London, but even now they sound as fresh as ever, with dynamic blends and big, booming bass heard in abundance in every broadcast.

FUSE was founded on a reputation of quality, like-minded residents, including Seb Zito and Enzo Siragusa, the latter of which features in this classic mix below. Joined by Seb and Rossko, over half of FUSE’s regular residents were on hand for this groove-laden session.

Slimzee’s influence on the scene is intangible. He co-founded Rinse FM back in 1994, played a crucial role in the legendary Pay As U Go Cartel and made his mark on the label market with his ‘Slimzos Recordings’ imprint, with releases from many on the Rinse roster. He also opened up his house to the station for several years back in the early days, with the studio running out of his home.

In the show below, Slimzee welcomes Wiley, Dizzee, God’s Gift, Jamakabi, Flowdan and Breeze into the studio, setting his superb selections under the lyrical madness of some of London’s bravest grime lyricists.

Much like the label itself, the Hyperdub show on Rinse FM saw Kode9 open eyes and ears across the world with his seminal selections and adventurous mixes. Truly seminal, the broadcast's virtuosic nature introduced many to the experimental offerings bubbling up in the realms of grime, dubstep and experimental electronica, with guests such as Wiley, Flying Lotus (heard below), and more invited into the London studio.

Never shying away from the experimental, the show bounced off Rinse’s all-encompassing ethos. As an early ambassador of footwork, Kode9’s last broadcast on the station was dedicated to the late genre pioneer DJ Rashad, making it a bittersweet end as Kode9 stepped down from the show after 13 years at the avant-garde edge of bass.

Hessle Audio has garnered quite the reputation over the years for its forward-thinking take on rising UK scenes. From funky to dubstep, ambient to garage, they've championed the underground for around a decade on the imprint, mutating the bass-heavy sound with futuristic techno, house and more all under one roof.

In their show, expect to see anything from exclusive dubplates to cratedigging classics, with no two Hessle broadcasts sounding the same. Take their Christmas Eve show back in 2015 - it was a huge, festive frenzy which saw Ben UFO, Pearson Sound and Pangaea joined by the likes of Four Tet, Caribou and Joy Orbison, resulting in almost four hours of merry, mindblowing mixing.

As one of the most respected producers and selectors in the game, Sir Spyro’s an unquestionable namestay when it comes to grime. At the helm of The Grime Show, Spyro juxtaposes old with new, often mixing in tracks and demos from brand new producers, as well as more established, influential tunes from his generational counterparts.

He joined Rinse back in 2005, and like many artists today, he cites the station as being a huge influence during his younger years, with the next generation of MCs such as Novelist, Jammz and more turning to The Grime Show to flex their vocal talents today.

Unknown to Unknown head honcho DJ Haus steps into the Rinse FM studio once a month for a show that's sure to span house, techno, and dancefloor-filling club jams each and every time.

Going back-to-back with man-of-the-minute Mall Grab earlier this year, tune in below to hear the pair work through some killer cuts, demonstrating the downright groovy and ahead-of-the-curve nature of the DJ Haus show.