On the History of The Rewind!

There’s been A LOT of talk among Twitter’s electronic music community this week, about the REWIND! The phenomenon of stopping a tune just as it’s started playing and reloading it that happens on many a DnB, Jungle, Garage and Dubstep dancefloor. It’s very much part of the culture of these and any genre influenced by the sound-system way of doing things.

My own project “Who Wants A Rewind?” was even named after it. As a photographer, I’ve been privy to many a rewind - at DMZ and FWD>>, punters, DJ’s and MC’s would all be on it. Sometimes, a tune would be rewound so many times, that it would be a 10 mins before it got going. It’s the ultimate sign of respect and admiration for both a tune and it’s artist.

So here’s an excellent piece from 2015 by Laurent Fintoni titled Wheel It Up: The History Of The Rewind - in which he even talks about how it can be a divisive action, particularly if done at the wrong moment.

And here’s a photo that I captured of Skream pulling up a track that Loefah’s playing, taken at DMZ in May 2005.

©GEORGINA COOK 2005

Skream pulling up a track during a Loefah set, DMZ, May 2005.