Rave Wiki - User contributions [en]

A Rave Called Sharon

2026-05-25T01:35:51Z

Jasongeek: Created page with "Now I have what I need. Here's the MediaWiki-formatted article: --- ```mediawiki {{Infobox nightclub | name = A Rave Called Sharon | location = San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States | type = Rave / dance event series | active = Early 1990s | genre = House, Acid house, EDM | key_people = Sharon Virtue (organiser and namesake) }} '''A Rave Called Sharon''' was a rave event series..."

Now I have what I need. Here's the MediaWiki-formatted article:

---

```mediawiki
{{Infobox nightclub
| name = A Rave Called Sharon
| location = San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
| type = Rave / dance event series
| active = Early 1990s
| genre = [[House music|House]], [[Acid house]], [[Electronic dance music|EDM]]
| key_people = Sharon Virtue (organiser and namesake)
}}

'''A Rave Called Sharon''' was a [[rave]] event series organised in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] in the early 1990s. Named after its organiser, Sharon Virtue, it became one of the more distinctive and celebrated events of the Bay Area underground dance music scene, attracting notice for its emphasis on communal experience, early technology installations, and inclusive, [[PLUR]]-adjacent ethos.

==Background and naming==

The event took its name directly from Sharon Virtue herself. According to Virtue, the title arose because her DJ and event-producing friends were particularly enthusiastic about watching her dance — the party was, in a sense, a tribute to her presence on the dance floor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://48hills.org/2024/10/sf-rave-doc-between-the-beats-finally-hits-the-streets/ |title=SF rave doc 'Between the Beats' finally hits the streets |publisher=48 Hills |date=2024-10-31}}</ref> Virtue herself became a visible figure in the Bay Area scene more broadly, later appearing in the 2024 documentary ''[[Between the Beats]]'', which chronicled the early 1990s San Francisco rave subculture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://brokeassstuart.com/2024/10/13/between-the-beats-a-trip-back-to-s-f-s-early-1990s-rave-subculture/ |title="Between The Beats": A Trip Back To S.F.'s Early 1990s Rave Subculture |publisher=Broke-Ass Stuart |date=2024-10-13}}</ref>

==Events and atmosphere==

A Rave Called Sharon held events at warehouse venues in and around San Francisco, including locations in [[Santa Clara, California|Santa Clara]].<ref name=newsweek>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/through-looking-glass-197336 |title=Through the Looking Glass |publisher=[[Newsweek]] |date=1992-04-26}}</ref> Attendees documented in a 1992 ''Newsweek'' feature made their way to events by carpool, reflecting the word-of-mouth, community-organised nature of Bay Area raving at the time.

The events were notable for their theatrical and experiential elements, which set them apart from more straightforward dance nights. These included:

* '''Laser art installations''' featuring messages such as "Sharon Finds Destiny"
* '''Early virtual reality helmets''', through which attendees could experience computer-generated art
* '''Interactive contraptions''' such as a device billed as "Dr. X-Static's Electro Brain Pulverizer," a humming prop framed as a "mind-improvement" machine
* '''Live fluorescent painting''', with a resident artist painting in real time on the dance floor, using pink when the music peaked<ref name=newsweek/>

This blend of technology and spectacle reflected the particular character of the Bay Area scene, which drew heavily from [[Silicon Valley]]'s early tech community. The crowd at A Rave Called Sharon was noted to include many tech workers who had, as ''Newsweek'' observed, recently discovered that the aesthetics of rave culture suited them.<ref name=newsweek/>

One documented event, '''Sharon Finds Destiny''', took place in June 1992.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://flyers.synthesizer.org/ |title=Synthesizer Flyer Archive |accessdate=2024}}</ref>

==Music==

The musical palette of A Rave Called Sharon was rooted in the [[house music]] and [[electronic dance music]] styles dominant in the early Bay Area rave scene. Acts associated with the broader milieu included [[Happy Mondays]], [[808 State]], and [[The Shamen]] — acts whose output was described at the time as synthetic funk heavy on bass lines. Virtue characterised the night's spirit as one of unqualified positivity and togetherness, an ethos that extended to the music programming.<ref name=newsweek/>

==Cultural context==

A Rave Called Sharon is regarded as one of a cluster of seminal San Francisco Bay Area rave events active in the early 1990s. It is cited alongside parties such as [[Toon Town (rave)|Toon Town]], Come Unity, Full Moon Raves, Stompy, Funky Tekno Tribe, and events run by the [[Wicked (rave collective)|Wicked]] crew as having helped define the character of the local scene.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.okayfuture.com/features/throwback-thursdays-san-francisco-raves-1990s.html |title=Throwback Thursdays: San Francisco Raves in the 1990s Pt. 1 |publisher=Okay Future |date=2014-06-12}}</ref>

The event received national attention when it was featured in a 1992 ''[[Newsweek]]'' article, "Through the Looking Glass," one of the mainstream press's early attempts to document and explain American rave culture to a general audience. The article used A Rave Called Sharon as its central case study, framing the San Francisco scene as distinctly optimistic and technologically curious compared to rave cultures developing elsewhere in the United States.<ref name=newsweek/>

Sharon Virtue was among the women who played significant organising roles in the Bay Area scene at a time when its history was often recorded with a primarily male focus. Her inclusion in the documentary ''Between the Beats'' (2024) was noted as part of that film's effort to recover a more complete picture of who built the scene.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://48hills.org/2024/10/sf-rave-doc-between-the-beats-finally-hits-the-streets/ |title=SF rave doc 'Between the Beats' finally hits the streets |publisher=48 Hills |date=2024-10-31}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[San Francisco rave scene]]
* [[Toon Town (rave)]]
* [[Between the Beats]] (2024 documentary)
* [[Rave culture in the United States]]
* [[PLUR]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://flyers.synthesizer.org/ Synthesizer Flyer Archive] — Bay Area rave flyer archive including A Rave Called Sharon materials
* [https://www.newsweek.com/through-looking-glass-197336 "Through the Looking Glass"], ''Newsweek'', April 1992

[[Category:Rave events]]
[[Category:Music events in San Francisco]]
[[Category:1990s in San Francisco]]
[[Category:Electronic dance music in the United States]]
[[Category:Underground culture]]
```

Giant Step Records

2026-05-24T23:34:39Z

Jasongeek: Created page with "{{Infobox record label | name = Giant Step Records | image = | parent = MCA Records / GRP Records (1995–c. 2000, imprint) Independent (2000–present) | founded = {{start date|1995}} | founder = Maurice Bernstein Jonathan Rudnick | defunct = | status = Active (independent releases) | genre = Acid jazz, Neo soul, Hip hop, House, Latin jazz | country = United States | loca..."

{{Infobox record label
| name = Giant Step Records
| image =
| parent = [[MCA Records]] / [[GRP Records]] (1995–c. 2000, imprint) Independent (2000–present)
| founded = {{start date|1995}}
| founder = Maurice Bernstein Jonathan Rudnick
| defunct =
| status = Active (independent releases)
| genre = [[Acid jazz]], [[Neo soul]], [[Hip hop]], [[House music|House]], [[Latin jazz]]
| country = United States
| location = [[New York City]], New York, U.S.
| website = {{URL|giantstep.net}}
}}

'''Giant Step Records''' is an American [[independent record label]] based in [[New York City]]. Founded in 1995 by Maurice Bernstein and Jonathan Rudnick as an imprint of [[MCA Records]]' jazz division [[GRP Records]], it grew out of the influential underground club night and events brand of the same name. The label became known for championing the careers of artists working at the intersection of jazz, soul, hip hop, and electronic music, and played a significant role in shaping the [[neo soul]] and [[acid jazz]] movements of the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2000, Giant Step launched a fully independent label after parting ways with major-label corporate structures.

==Background and origins==

Giant Step traces its roots to 1990, when British promoter Maurice Bernstein and his South African partner Jonathan Rudnick began staging live music events in [[New York City]] under the name '''Groove Academy''', with the slogan "Dedicated to the Preservation of Funk." Unable to secure traditional bank financing, the pair borrowed startup funds to book acts and venues. Their early concerts featured funk and soul legends including [[Maceo Parker]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[The Ohio Players]], and [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]], rediscovering artists whose records were being widely sampled but who were rarely presented in a live setting.

The events evolved into a weekly club night renamed '''Giant Step''', inspired by [[John Coltrane]]'s landmark album ''[[Giant Steps]]''. The new format distinguished itself by blending live [[jazz]] with [[hip hop]], offering a stage where visiting rappers and jazz musicians improvised over prerecorded hip-hop and funk alongside the regular Giant Step house band. The party was heavily influenced by the [[acid jazz]] club scene developing concurrently in England, particularly [[Gilles Peterson]]'s ''Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Something'' nights.

The Giant Step club night originally took place at [[SOBs|SOB's]] in [[Manhattan]] before moving through a succession of venues including Metropolis Café, Supper Club, Shine, New Music Café, and [[The Village Gate]]. Weekly events ran until 2002, when the party was discontinued; it was later revived at the [[Hudson Hotel]]. At its peak, Giant Step events expanded to [[Los Angeles]], [[Miami]], [[Chicago]], and [[Washington, D.C.]]

==Early career launches==

The Giant Step club night became a celebrated launching pad for artists who would go on to international recognition. Among those who debuted or gained early exposure through Giant Step events were:

* [[Jamiroquai]]
* [[The Roots]]
* [[Massive Attack]]
* [[Digable Planets]]
* [[The Fugees]]
* [[Gang Starr]]
* [[Mark Ronson]]
* [[Daft Punk]]
* [[Gilles Peterson]]

The club's fusion of genres and commitment to live instrumentation helped foster what would later be recognized as the [[neo soul]] and [[alternative hip hop]] movements.

==Artist management (early 1990s)==

As the club events expanded in the mid-1990s, Bernstein and Rudnick moved into artist management. They signed and secured [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Brothers]] record deals for:

* '''Dana Bryant''' – New York poet and spoken-word artist
* '''[[Repercussions (band)|Repercussions]]''' – described at the time as "America's answer to [[The Brand New Heavies]]"
* '''[[Groove Collective]]''' – a New York jazz-meets-dance collective whose sound grew organically from the Giant Step club band

Giant Step also secured a deal with [[Geffen Records]] for the UK act '''[[Raw Stylus]]'''. During this period, Giant Step collaborated with producer [[Gary Katz]] — best known for his work with [[Steely Dan]] — to help produce albums for Groove Collective, Repercussions, and Raw Stylus.

==Giant Step Records as an imprint (1995)==

In 1995, legendary jazz record producer [[Tommy LiPuma]] took over [[GRP Records]] at [[MCA Records]] and invited Giant Step to establish itself as an imprint label within the GRP/[[Impulse! Records|Impulse]] family. The first act signed to the label under this arrangement was [[Groove Collective]].

The imprint gave Giant Step greater access to major-label resources while retaining its curatorial identity, allowing it to sign and develop artists that reflected the label's ethos of soulful, genre-crossing music.

==Nuyorican Soul (1997)==

In early 1997, Giant Step achieved widespread critical acclaim through its collaboration with '''[[Nuyorican Soul]]''' and a transatlantic partnership with [[Gilles Peterson]]'s UK label [[Talking Loud]]. Nuyorican Soul was a studio project led by Latin house DJs '''[[Louie Vega|"Little" Louie Vega]]''' and '''[[Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez]]''', collectively known as [[Masters at Work]].

Unlike much contemporary dance music of the era, Nuyorican Soul was built around performances by real musicians rather than sampled or synthesized sounds. Contributors to the project included:

* [[George Benson]]
* [[Tito Puente]]
* [[Roy Ayers]]
* [[DJ Jazzy Jeff]]
* [[Jocelyn Brown]]
* India (salsa vocalist)

Three singles from the debut ''Nuyorican Soul'' album reached the top of the [[Billboard charts]]: ''"Runaway"'', ''"You Can Do It (Baby)"'', and ''"I Am The Black Gold of the Sun."'' The album sold over 50,000 units within months of its release.

==Move to Epic Records==

The success of the Nuyorican Soul campaign attracted the attention of [[Epic Records]], which approached Bernstein and Rudnick with a partnership offer. Crucially, Epic was primarily interested in Giant Step's capabilities as a music marketing operation rather than its label roster. The company was offered a retainer arrangement in which the record label became a secondary priority.

Giant Step's first major project under this arrangement was the launch of singer [[Macy Gray]], followed by [[Jill Scott]] and the re-launch of [[Sade (band)|Sade]]. The promotion of Macy Gray — placing her music in cafés, clubs, and restaurants — was cited by Epic Records VP of A&R Rose Noone as reaching listeners in unexpected ways. Giant Step went on to assist [[Def Jam Records]] in breaking [[Musiq Soulchild]], whose debut album sold 55,000 copies in its first week.

==Independent label (2000)==

Frustrated with the constraints of corporate imprint deals — particularly the repeated refusal to approve signings such as [[India.Arie]] and Donnie — Bernstein and Rudnick relaunched Giant Step Records as a fully independent label in 2000. The independent label released music on 12" vinyl aligned with the sonic identity of the weekly club night, championing artists such as:

* [[India.Arie]]
* Donnie
* [[Carl Hancock Rux]]
* [[Zap Mama]]
* [[Groove Collective]]
* [[Nuyorican Soul]]

In 2001, Jonathan Rudnick departed the company to pursue other interests, leaving Bernstein as the driving force behind the Giant Step brand.

==Legacy and later activities==

Giant Step's influence on American popular music in the 1990s is widely acknowledged. The label and club brand played a formative role in bringing acid jazz, neo soul, and Latin house to mainstream audiences in the United States, and served as a critical bridge between underground club culture and commercial recognition for a generation of artists.

The broader Giant Step company evolved into a music media and marketing agency, operating two primary divisions:

* '''Giant Step''' – the events and music promotion brand
* '''Giant Step Marketing''' – a creative agency providing marketing services to consumer brands

Giant Step Marketing went on to work with major record labels and brands beyond its original music focus, leveraging the cultural credibility built during the club's heyday.

==Discography (selected)==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Artist !! Title !! Notes
|-
| 1995 || [[Groove Collective]] || ''We the People'' || First GRP/Giant Step imprint release
|-
| 1997 || [[Nuyorican Soul]] || ''Nuyorican Soul'' || With [[Talking Loud]]; features George Benson, Tito Puente, Roy Ayers
|-
| 2000 || Various Artists || ''Giant Step presents...'' || Independent label launch releases
|-
| 2001 || [[India.Arie]] || Early singles || Championed prior to major-label signing
|-
| 2001 || Donnie || Early releases || Signed after corporate imprint declined the artist
|}

==See also==

* [[Giant Step]] (parent company and events brand)
* [[Acid jazz]]
* [[Neo soul]]
* [[Groove Collective]]
* [[Nuyorican Soul]]
* [[Masters at Work]]
* [[GRP Records]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://www.giantstep.net Official website]
* {{Discogs label|name=Giant Step Records}}

[[Category:Record labels established in 1995]]
[[Category:Independent record labels]]
[[Category:Jazz record labels]]
[[Category:Neo soul record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels based in New York City]]
[[Category:American record labels]]

2026-04-12T17:16:32Z

Jasongeek: Created page with "{{Infobox organization | name = Ministry of Sound | image = | caption = | type = Multimedia entertainment business | founded = {{Start date|1991|9|21}} | founders = Justin Berkmann James Palumbo Humphrey Waterhouse | location = 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant and Castle, London, England | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Lohan Presencer (Chairman) Justin Berkmann (Co-founder) James Palumbo (Co-fo..."