A Brief history behind Mark Ryder / Strictly Underground

Mark Ryder was Born in south east London (SE13). He moved to Essex at the tender age of 16 to live with his father having spent his early years with his mother and sisters. Not being academic in school Mark spent hours on his passion for music and focused on becoming a skilful turntable DJ. Mark started with just one rubber band driven turntable and a cassette tape recorder but he taught himself the skills he needed to mix and scratch and was soon making DJ remixes for radio broadcast using nothing more than that equipment.

This was the very early days of electronic dance breakdance and rap were just coming to light and the music scene was very underground Mark soon got noticed for his turntable skills and he began performing at weekend house parties.

Jumping forward quite a bit and Mark was doing everything that involved music, his skills as a DJ became very sort after all across London and Essex, getting paid more for 1 hours work than the resident DJ’s would get for a weeks work. Mark was on the cutting edge of the music underground and was loving his new found direction.

Mark has spent his whole life in music having set up his Strictly Underground Record label way back in 1988. His first release was a massive success and since then he has never looked back. Everything Mark seems to do becomes successful and to date Mark has yet to release a single record that did not make money and create a following.

Although this might sound like he has the midas touch when it comes to music, there is actually a very dark and lonely side to being creative and determined as Mark can enjoy the success of his music but he can not, and hates many of the trimmings and baggage that success brings.

Mark suffers from depression which makes him very sensitive to haters and those that would cause negative issues towards him and he is a deep thinker so is not exactly extrovert or someone that enjoys the lime light. His wish is for global unity and understanding in the world which is a big wish and he believes people can find that place when the right music is being played.

Nothing in life is ever quite what it seems.

The music business is more fake than most people would ever realise.

Most things you hear, read or see is nothing more than Hype (Fake).
Fakery of success and money is the dark lie of the music industry.
Mark loathes the fakery of the music industry and he relies on nothing more than his total independence and musical skills to achieve a real and lasting fan base of supporters.

Success is a contradiction in Mark’s world as he needs some success to survive, but it brings with it more of what he loathes as it connects him with so many fakers.

True success is in the depth of your achievements over the years, not a five minute flash of hype.

Your support for Mark is all he has to get his music to new audiences as there can be no hype or fakery involved.
If you like it enough hopefully you will want to spread the word.
Please help do that if you can.