Vinyl Vandals
Don't Ever Stop / New York New York

Listening notes

Vinyl Vandals released this two-track single in 1997 on their own self-titled imprint, catalogued as Vandals 002. The catalog number alone tells us something useful: this was the label's second release, suggesting a small operation with at least some organizational intent behind it.

The record carries two tracks across its two sides. The A-side, "Don't Ever Stop," runs seven minutes and twenty-six seconds, while the AA-side, "New York New York," comes in at six minutes and thirty-six seconds. Both durations are consistent with the functional demands of floor-oriented music, where extended running times give DJs room to work with a track.

Discogs classifies the release across three genre tags — Electronic, Hard House, and House — which places it within a specific and relatively defined corner of the late 1990s UK and European dance music scene. Hard House as a genre was finding its footing during this period, distinguishing itself from broader house music through harder kick drums and more compressed, driving arrangements, though nothing in the available documentation speaks to how this particular release sits within that spectrum.

Self-releasing on a label bearing your own name was a practical route for artists working in underground dance music at the time, allowing direct control over distribution and keeping the release outside major label structures. Whether Vandals 002 circulated widely or remained a local or regional item is not something the available facts can confirm.

This is a draft for fact-checking purposes. No claims have been made here regarding personnel, recording circumstances, sound quality, pressing details, rarity, market value, or critical reception, as none of that information was available for verification.