De Underground Records was at 18 Sebert Road, Forest Gate, London. It was both a recording studio and a record shop and operated from 1991 until 1996.

Owned by Mike De Underground, his brother Cool Hand Flex, Uncle 22 and DJ Randall, this independent business became one of the cornerstones in the development of the UK hardcore, jungle and drum and bass scene. The wider De Underground family included A-Sides, MC Fats, Marly Marl and Wacko. De Underground became synonymous with this sound and many well-known releases, including Lennie De Ice’s We Are IE Uncle 22’s Six Million Ways to Die, and Cool Hand Flex’s Melody Madness, were associated with the shop and its labels.

Whilst the shop was highly influential and its owners were entrepreneurial creatives, there is little organised history recording their contribution. As part of Newham Heritage Month, the project Crate Digging: The Influence of De Underground Records by Rendezvous Projects, aims to celebrate, share and preserve the cultural history of this Forest Gate institution.