So says Bobo, the enigmatic head honcho behind Big Band Records based in Glasgow and up and running for over a year. Fortunately for him and the Big Bang team, they have a cumulative total of almost twenty years in the music business, and aren’t subject to the whims and advice of music know it alls.

Formerly manager of Bizarre Inc. with a million record sales behind their name, Bobo is specific about his forming the predominately house label. “Have you ever been a manager and tried to get a deal with a label and they don’t have your foresight? Once you’ve done it, you might have their ear until the next single, but if it’s your own label then you are in control throughout the board”.

To date the roster of artists include the Liverpudlian based Freaky Baby, an “unashamedly handbag and cheesy house” duo, who record from their own studio called The Cheese Factory and who will shortly release an album with Todd Terry and Hippie Torrales mixes, both New Yorkers hot from recent chart success… then there’s Scotland’s answer to Moby, ambient king Scan who’s music has been described by the press as “a trancy groove underpinned by some Tibetan chanting to great effect”.

Back to England and London’s L’Dopa, a slamming Detroit hard house sound. The rest of Big Bangs stable can be found in as far as Toronto, Ohio, and Texas, Anne Marie Taylor, a Canadian diva hailed as a hybrid between Madonna and Kylie Minogue, Sleepy C, a middle American DJ with his roots firmly in ambient/techno/acid roots and jumping away from the dance scene briefly is a rock and roll project called Dust Radio.

Bobo’s philosophy has always been that good music holds no boundaries and subsequently the company has just released a single of a new signing from Canada, Rude Boy Shaolin with a ragga track bringing comparisons of The Outhere Brothers meets Reel to Reel, watch out for the Tall Paul Newman mix, amongst others. “

Just because we’re based in Scotland doesn’t mean we concentrate solely on what’s happening on our turf”. Indeed in the last month Big Bang has brought over Todd Terry and Hippie Torrales to play in Glasgow’s clubs and give clubbers a chance to hear some slamming sounds from outside the country for a change. Respect to a small label then that flies in the face of the major record companies by bringing class acts up North.

Hippie Torrales, ex Sound Factory DJ and regular mixer at Big Bang feels positive about the future of British independent record companies, “Independents have a better chance here rather than the States, where most of American sales go overseas anyway, because your radio stations aren’t quite so strict and you can get airplay if you have a good song. The only problem seems to be a lack of budget allowing them to compete with the video releases from the big ones. Kids are more likely to buy a record they see on MTV than hear on the radio. Having just spent a week remixing Rude Boy Shaolin, Torrales had a chance to see the Scottish scene first hand and appears impressed, citing a perceptible influence from London of high energy and handbag.

So is it true to say that despite some in London’s view and low in the minority, Scotland does have a vibrant house scene? Bobo is happy to argue it’s case, “I think the House scene up here is a little bit behind but it’s coming, just ask Stuart Crichton, 23rd Precinct, Limbo and Bomba, I am not the first to do it”, he says “London has a lack of education with what’s happening up here and you have to overlook that when you are down South and compete with likes of Perfecto, De-Construction and the Eight Balls”.

Why has Scotland still got this sad rave tag? Well, House is a posy thing especially in London, you dress well, you go and hang out to get the scene, feel the vibe and it’s originated from a lot of Black musical influences. Whereas up here; we’ve bastardised the sound because we lack the melting pot of musical diversity and an afro-caribbean influence in the population to come up with Jock rave you get a situation where a lot of young Scot’s kids who don’t need to dress well or dance to enjoy the music, because they can just get rally full of it”.

Drugs and dance are never far from the headlines particularly in Scotland and last week a scheduled rave at The Scottish Exhibition Centre in Glasgow was cancelled by centre officials fearful of the latest drug bad press. “Had the Irn Bru Experience been a garage or house event the powers that be would still have cancelled because they don’t know the difference, the majority thinks rave music is dance music and it’s a problem”. Bobo reiterates.

So until the attitudes change throughout Britain and the house scene gets the attention it deserves via press, radio, television and even clubnights the image of hockey masks, boiler suited whistle waving – Scotland the Rave will continue. In the meantime the likes of Big Bang will also continue it’s work relentlessly.

1996 is going to be a big year for them with the release of two new albums on the Big Bang label and more planned in conjunction with several majors as well as Big Bang compilation album and a newly published novel released through Harpers & Collins called “The Pop Festival”. It looks like Big Bang will be making a big noise for a long time to come!