Download Side B – 51:15, 117.0 MB

320kbps, 44.1kHz stereo, normalized

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This is a wicked melodic acid trance mix by the legendary Dr. Trance.  I bought a proper legit copy of this tape so the sound is top notch.  These tracks have nice gritty analog synths with a lot of depth and character, plus some great ravey chords and vocal samples.  This is acid trance in a nutshell.

I can’t remember where I bought this thing.  I’ve got no anecdotes nor anything much else worth saying about this one.  How about you?  Please come back and leave a comment about where you were and what you were doing while listening to this mix.

Download Side B – 48:08, 44.0 MB

128kbps, 44.1kHz mono

Stereo channels consolidated, normalized, treble boosted

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I scrounged through my old bedroom the other day and found about two dozen tapes by world famous DJs that I’ll be very excited to share, but I refused to leave until I dug up this treasure. Even though I’ve got mixes by Terry Mullen, Josh Wink, Thee-o, and more in the pile, I was sure to rip this one first.

This is a mix by Toronto’s DJ LeFreak who I’ve met on many occasions. Though we don’t speak often she’s said some things about old skool techno that really rang true and stuck with me. For instance, as is very apparent in old mixes like R.A.W. – Turntable Psycho, old techno is a sort of musical Pangaea before subgenres split off and compartmentalised. Also, she once confessed that there’s something about old skool chord progressions that affect her so deeply it makes her want to cry – something I’ll admit to experiencing on many occasions, and more than once with the songs in this mix.

So then, about the mix! Not only are we treated to many very classic tracks from the likes of Moby and Josh Wink, but LeFreak has selected some of the best remixes of these tracks that I’ve never heard anywhere else. Though the blanket term for this mix would certainly be trance there are inklings of techno, psy, and even hardcore lurking in the undercurrents.

One thing I admire about LeFreak’s sets is that she’s not afraid to fiddle with the pitch control. Side A is quite content at its slow and deliberate tempo, but side B dares to get a little faster every few songs. I like that she’s done this as it gradually introduces a little extra energy without compromising the overall tone and mood. This effectively defines the album as a 90-minute wake-up which helps it succeed so effectively as a summery chill mix.

Pack up some sandwiches and a blanket, find a nice shady spot under a tree (I recommend Grange Park), throw on this tape, and enjoy the summer breeze.

Download Side B – 48:16, 88.3 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Normalized

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This is a very clean studio mix of the world famous British techno DJ Mark E.G. The first half features Mark’s characteristically relentless hard banging techno style, while the second half cools down a bit with some wavy synth trance.

This is a really well arranged mix with some very tight beat matching. Where this mix fails in diversity it succeeds doubly in its energy and its insistance to suck the listener inside. As I listen to the mix once more I find that as soon as I’m done (thoroughly) identifying all the intricacies of one song I’m pleased to hear the next one being mixed in seamlessly.

I loved this tape when I was younger but I’m not so enthused about it anymore. It’s rather monotonous and only a couple of songs stand out (particularly the Jim Morrison sampled track at the end of side A – Acen fans will smirk knowingly at this one) . I really wish the entire tape or at least three quarters was techno as I find the trance selections to be excessively repetitive and rather lifeless and without the heart and soul of good trance. Alternating between hard techno and this minimal trance might have shuffled things up a little more effectively as well, I feel.

What’s missing from this mix more than most is the live experience. I’ve seen Mark E.G. spin a few times and he really knows how to work the crowd. This guy is nuts. I had the great privilege of standing beside him for an entire set in ’99 or ’00 and I was glad to be standing at his side since, A, it’s awesome watching him twiddle knobs like mad and cut into a record he slapped on the deck mere seconds ago, and B, because he had a box of water bottles at his feet and every now and then he’d open one up and throw it into the crowd! He also smashed a few records over his head, and when I saw him at WEMF he actually trashed his 1200s at the end of his set, smashing them on the stage to uproarious applause.

Mark E.G. is the very definition of intensity. He’s always bopping and dancing around, headbanging much more than nodding, and loves to climb up onto the table to scream obscenities at the audience while flipping them off with both hands. He’s rather punky as well with short dreadlocks that quiver with the bass and plenty of facial piercings. His energy is not aggressive though – his demeanour is obviously celebratory like a professional hedonist, and the crowd identifies with it easily and absolutely eats this up. Mark E.G. and his music are one and the same – two facets of that same youthful exuberance we revel in when we dance like no one’s watching.

Mark E.G. “gets it”, and I hope you will too as you enjoy this mix.

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!

Download Side B – 29:37, 54.2 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Preview

This was my second rave tape, given to me by Will in high school. It’s a promo tape that was given away with pre-ordered tickets to the Utopia rave in Toronto in May of 1996. The flyer was super awesome, depicting an enormous eyeball towering over a Utopia logo. This was supposed to be my first rave but my friends chickened out, so we didn’t attend one until Destiny 16 in October of the same year.

This tape is really neat and I’m not sure how it’s mixed – four-tracked, maybe? The liner notes list many DJs which would leave me to believe that it’s just songs composed by the headliner artists, but side B features an overdubbed intro sample for Nicky Blackmarket and later an MC props up Darren Jay so I’m not sure.

Oh, did I neglect to mention that side A is techno and trance while side B is oldskool jump-up and ragga jungle? An odd combination indeed, but I imagine it summed up the party proceedings thoroughly.

On side A the opening is the song that thankfully introduced me to Bjork, and the song coming in at 21:00 has that overbaked TB303 that melts my mind. Side B has some of the choicest cuts of some big jungle anthems that I’ve never heard anywhere else. I especially love this mix of Jungalist.

Enjoy, share, and leave a comment!