Uptempo: 67 records that have passed through the crate

The story of Uptempo

Uptempo was set up in Barcelona in 1999 and closed in 2003. Four years exactly, not one more, and in that time it took its place alongside Bit Music, Vale Music, DJs At Work and Max Music among the houses holding up Spanish Makina back when Makina was what half the country danced to.

What we have in the crate matches that to the millimetre: sixty-seven references, all between 1999 and 2003, and an overwhelming majority of Makina with hardcore and hard house peeking out at the edges. There is no earlier or later stretch because there never was one.

The UT prefix

Every reference starts with UT and carries four figures and the MX suffix: UT7013MX, UT7033MX. It is one of the easiest labels to identify without a sleeve, because the number carries the brand inside it and the four-figure block grows in an orderly way with the years. A low two-figure UT70 puts you in 1999.

The record to start with

How Uptempo sounds in our crate

67 different releases on Uptempo have passed through beatdo, 93 copies counting duplicates, pressed between 1999 and 2003.

What comes up most often, in this order: Makina, Hardcore, and Hard House.

Nothing is left in the crate right now, but the listings stay published with their condition, their year and their catalogue number.

How to recognise a Uptempo release

The catalogue numbers we have seen follow the pattern UT. It is the first thing to check on the centre label when a record comes with no sleeve, which in this repertoire is the norm.

The archive: 67 releases on Uptempo