Download Side B – 45:45, 104 MB

320kbps, 44.1kHz stereo, normalized

Preview

An overdue read-through of the Fantazia Rave Archive tells me what I’ve always inferred from this tape – that the Vibealite parties are by-ravers-for-ravers affairs with only the most accommodating and positive ingredients stirred into the mix.  Between the relentless tempo of the music and the frequency of shoutouts by the clever MCs the chemistry between the DJ, MCs, and crowd is palpable.

Credit where credit’s due, now.  I’m ripping my rave tapes slowly because the majority of them feature such obnoxious, parroty MCs that I can’t bear to listen through them anymore.  Not so, here.  This is one of very few mixtapes where the MCing is every bit as impactful as the DJing.  The names “Peta Pan” and “MC Ice” are bigged up a few times but I can’t tell whether those are the MCs present – their humbleness is unprecedented. (update – DJ Brisk himself confirmed by email that the man the with the most airtime is MC Destruction)  Rhymes are rarely repeated and are many verses long, and voices are clear as a bell thanks to ideal recording at the event.  Press play on the player above to hear an excerpt of some top-notch freestyle lyricism.

The music in this mix is so ideal for MCing that I don’t know whether to call it the focus or the backdrop of this tape.  The tunes are nearly all vocal-free but not-overly-cheery celebrations of chord progressions; melodies that feel meaningful.  It’s a lovely fusion of English and Dutch fundamentals where strategic pauses between sounds imply complexity.  The beatmatching is outstanding and the mixes are concise, often cutting over early during percussive intros to leave the MCs more room to flourish.  This is progressive happycore tuned precisely to my favourite bandwidth – that grey area between hardcore and gabber.

Now, I created the Demodulated Mixtapes blog for the dual purpose of sharing my old rave mixtapes and relaying my personal stories about them, and I do have a story about this tape.  A long story that covers a jubilant yet difficult span of my life.  It’s probably the best rave story I could tell.  I’m not telling it here.  It’s too personal.

Hold tight Pukka Dawn Steve for my favourite happycore tape of all time.

Oh yeah, and it’s Brisk on side A and Stu Allen on the flip.

Download Side B – 32:09, 73.6 MB

320kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Preview

I taped this off the radio one night (CHIN 100.7FM Toronto) during the peak of exposure of electronic music, back when you were guaranteed some sort of reputable techno or cousin thereof on the airwaves at any time of day.  No fun story to share about this tape.  DJ Dominik was one of the members of the Canadian Hardcore Collective;  a group of Torontonian DJs who hosted hardcore techno radio shows.  I’d always figured Toronto Hardcore Collective would have had a more impactful acronym but what do I know.

Dominik is unquestionably a well-respected DJ due to his music, his abrupt juggles and cuts, and especially his musical tastes, specializing in Dutch-style hardcore and gabber.  His style has always been very well defined – very Dominik – and no one else in the city had the records this guy had. This mix is a perfect example of what one could expect from the man at a party or club. That is, if he showed up.

I swear, I went out of my way to score tickets to perhaps 6 parties Dominik was booked at, and he showed up for the gig maybe once.  I’ve also got a 4-tape continuous recording of a flustered DJ Frisky who was supposed to do a tag-team show with Dominik but he never showed up, leaving the poor chap with 6 hours of airtime and 3 hours of records.  Other times I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find him spinning to an empty room, unannounced, at some club or event, leaving plenty of space for me to hop around to his bouncy basslines.

Dominik has played for crowds all over the world so perhaps his fairweather reputation doesn’t leave the city, but it’s the second trait that comes to mind after his outstanding skills.  Regardless, don’t let my jaded, fuzzy recollection of trifling nightlife politics muddy your opinion of this mix.  His transitions and beatmatching are terrific, he plays many gems most hardcore heads have never heard, and what you hear here is consistent with what you can expect when you see the man live.  Dominik is one of Toronto’s most admired and accomplished DJs and one of the true founders of our rave scene.

Download Side B – 47:47, 89.6 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Preview

This is a special tape for many reasons. First and foremost, it was recorded by 2 awesome and versatile Toronto DJs. Second, it was recorded at The SpacE! (aka The E! Space) at 28 Gunns Road which was an institution of the Toronto underground rave scene in the late 90′s. Finally, this mix was recorded during the pre-party for the first Hullabaloo party which became a world famous happy hardcore series.

The track selection is fantastic and the mixing is sloppy. In my opinion this mix really captures the true spirit of Hullabaloo in that its collaboratively mixed arrangement makes for some lighthearted and fun exchanges between the selectors.

The original tape fades out for about a minute and back in again midway through side B which is a real shame since SOS is in the middle of spinning a great trance track. I think they must have changed the DAT or something there. There’s nothing I could do about the fade but I snipped the long pause in post production.

Considering the zillions of times I’ve played this tape I’m astounded at how clear the audio still is. This is a very rare bit of Hullabaloo memorabilia and I’m thrilled to share it with you as my first mixtape submission.

Are you enjoying this mix? Did you attend the E! Space or the Hullabaloo parties? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts!