Youngstar — The Formula / Bongo
DDJs Productions · DDJs 002 · original 12-inch UK garage / proto-grime instrumental release
2002 (specialist-supported) · ★ Gold Star object
Original DDJs Productions 12-inch pairing Youngstar’s instrumentals The Formula and Bongo, catalogue DDJs 002. The A-side label identifies Youngstar and credits the record as written and produced by Youngstar aka 3DX; the B-side carries DDJs Productions branding.
Read the catalogue note →- Release year
- 2002
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Label
- DDJs Productions
- Catalogue number
- DDJs 002
- Sides
- Two sides; both centre labels photographed
- Condition
- Good appearance from supplied photographs — ungraded vinyl.
- Completeness
- One 12-inch vinyl record with both centre labels photographed, housed in a plain generic card sleeve. No printed outer sleeve, insert or other component is evidenced or claimed.
Catalogue note
Original DDJs Productions 12-inch pairing Youngstar’s instrumentals The Formula and Bongo, catalogue DDJs 002. The A-side label identifies Youngstar and credits the record as written and produced by Youngstar aka 3DX; the B-side carries DDJs Productions branding. Specialist discographic evidence supports a 2002 release date. Both tracks belong to the formative early-2000s London garage-to-grime continuum: later interviews with Youngstar identify Formula and Bongo among the durable tracks in his catalogue, alongside the foundational Pulse X. This surviving copy is visibly well-used, with extensive surface marks that materially reflect its life as a functional DJ-format record.
Cultural significance: The Formula and Bongo are formative Youngstar instrumentals from the early grime/garage continuum. Youngstar later discussed both tracks as enduring parts of his catalogue alongside Pulse X.
Circulation context: DJ-oriented independent 12-inch vinyl. This copy shows substantial visible use, scuffing and hairlines consistent with working record circulation.
Audio / sides: A. The Formula · B. Bongo
Attribution / research note: A-side label physically credits “Written & Produced by YOUNGSTAR aka 3DX”. The etched DDJs 002 matrix is visible in the supplied close-up. No additional creator attribution is inferred beyond the label evidence.
Confidence / uncertainty: A-side label states Written & Produced by YOUNGSTAR aka 3DX. Release year 2002 is specialist-supported rather than printed on the record. Hand-etched DDJs 002 is visible in the supplied runout close-up; remaining runout characters/side suffix are not confidently transcribed. Plain card sleeve is treated as generic housing.
Why this object matters
The original DDJs 002 pairing preserves two formative Youngstar instrumentals in their DJ-oriented material context. Retain high Gold below Pulse X and I Luv U, whose foundational influence has the stronger retained case. The label, matrix and recorded artist testimony support this judgement; surface wear is not treated as proof of a particular DJ's ownership.
Evidence limits: No new physical inspection or collation was performed. Copy-specific conclusions remain limited to the retained catalogue and accession evidence.
Score and assessment method
Archive Importance: 9.4 / 10 · Gold Star.
This is a curatorial judgement, not a measurement accurate to one tenth or a market valuation. Read the explanation and its evidence limits together.
How Archive Importance is assessed →Use this record
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Connections use the catalogue’s named people, organisations and themes.