Download Side B – 45:45, 104 MB

320kbps, 44.1kHz stereo, normalized

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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 – 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 – 46:09, 84.5 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Perceived peak normalized, treble boosted

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This tape is extra special because it’s the first one I ever bought! I picked this mix up from the second rave I ever attended – a Citrus party if memory serves. I remember taking exception to paying $10 or $15 for what looked like an obvious dub job in a black and white photocopied case, but at the time and for many years afterward Josh Wink was my favourite DJ and my hero, really, so it was a lucky find.

This mix is a bit unconventional as it is a very minimal and groovy arrangement as opposed to a series of songs. Wink starts out with some driving, growly tracks that set a 4:00am-bass-shaking-an-old-warehouse kind of mood, showcasing some really dark and brooding themes. He then opens up a little, introducing some brighter, poppier grooves that lighten the mood but keep up the pace. He closes out with more melodic and tribal sounds which seem to be introduced to take advantage of your fatigue from the unrelenting moods and rhythms, intoxicating you with head-swimming chord progressions, hip-shaking congas, and bubbly acid lines. It’s a real journey that carries you through in barely perceptible steps which is a sign of a very focused and well-practised DJ with a story to tell.

Fans of Josh Wink will recognize his style permeating every song here; so much so that I suspect many of the tracks are his own white labels. Wink is known as quite a tactician of percussion and rhythm and his characteristic open hi-hats, off-beat snares, punchy kicks, and mod wheel tomfoolery are on full display.

You can almost picture Josh straddling the border between house and techno, dangling his dreadlocks on either side. The elements of repetition and monotony of techno are interposed with the melodies and swing of house. I’d heard his singles like Higher State of Consciousness and I Am Ready and his Left Above The Clouds album, but this mixtape revealed to me what I felt was the REAL Josh Wink – something he accomplished in an hour and a half instead of over months. I respected him all the more for it.

This mix is so great that I have to curb myself from yammering on about it. I’ll close with a heads-up to listen out for his great mixing (minimal techno has few reference points so it takes a steady mind to keep the 4/4 straight) and for the two very different and well-implemented remixes of Don’t Laugh. Enjoy, and please leave a comment to tell me how you like 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 – 35:29, 64.9 MB (incomplete)

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Perceived peak independent channels normalized

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When you leave a Toronto nightclub any time after midnight you’re pretty well guaranteed to be bombarded with a flurry of fliers for other events and parties.  In the 90′s it was rare to see any event with house music without the names Peter and Tyrone written near or at the top.  These guys are some of Toronto’s most prolific, consistently booked resident DJs, and for good reason as this mixtape indicates.

The title is a bit of a misnomer as I personally wouldn’t classify most of the songs as hard house per se – the A side is mostly melodic and the B side is chiefly tech and Chicago style post-disco house. However, there are some truly banging tracks that will not disappoint the most dangerous housers.  The mixing is spot-on and obviously handled by a couple of pairs of delicate, skilled hands.  These guys get a lot of practise and it shows.

I was optimistic about the great quality of the audio on this tape, but unfortunately I believe the casing is damaged and squeezes inward a bit.  This makes the reels very difficult to turn about 3/4 of the way through side B – so much so that my tape player stopped in the same place the 3 times I tried to record it.  One time while trying to tighten up the tape by fast-forwarding and rewinding it all the way the tape didn’t disengage from the head and got barfed all over my floor.  It’s a darn good thing I have experience with this as it took me a good 10 minutes to gingerly unhook it from the head and respool it with a pencil.  The tape is a bit wrinkled but luckily it sounded pristine when I recorded it.

This is one of few tapes that includes a track list.  Here it is.  Please leave a comment to let me whether you enjoyed this tape and what your favourite track is.  Mine is Paco Di Bango by Playboy!

Side A (“Hard Side”)

Daft Punk – Around The World (RMX)
Dave Angel – Tokyo Stealth Fighter
Jark Prongo – D.M.S.
Junkheadz – Work On Me Baby
Yello – To The Sea
Peace Division – Back To Back
DJ Sneak – Keep On Groovin (RMX)
Le Patron – Est Devenu Fou
Sneaker Pimps – Six Underground (RMX)

Side B (“Harder Side”)

Studio 54 – Le Sample House
Basement Jaxx – Samba Magic (RMX)
Special Agents – The Slut
Playboy – Paco Di Bango
Rozzo – You Know
Joel Mull – Lusk 001
Music First – Stellarium
Green Flame & Mr. G – Who Knows Dub
Green Velvet – Answering Machine
Svek – What Is The Time

Download Side B – 46:23, 84.9 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Normalized

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Another extremely solid mix by R.A.W. from Los Angeles.  This one is similar in many ways (chiefly its subtle, smooth mixing) to Turntable Psycho but without the intricate post-production.  No Darkness is markedly happier as well, featuring several uplifting piano and vocal tracks interspersed with some more percussive darker jungle.  Certainly my cup of tea but perhaps too scattered for some.

To my great dismay I found this tape to be rather crinkled and mangled in places – probably because I’ve carried it around with me so many times in and out of a case.  Luckily only one side seems to have come out a bit muffled.  I did all I could to restore the sound quality but it ain’t much.  Be sure to listen to the preview to determine whether this is a dealbreaker for you, but if you stick with it you’ll find some fine selections here (particularly some notable pop music remixes) with some highly skillful transitioning.  Enjoy!

Download Side B – 45:55, 84.1 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Stereo rebalanced, normalized, treble boosted

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We’ve got a true classic right here. Though it was released in ’97 this tape almost exclusively features tracks circa 1992 and thereabouts. This is a great era as most genres of techno had yet to branch from the trunk, so to speak, meaning that just about everything was jungle plus inklings of something (or more likely, some things) else.

This is a very solid mix of all kinds of primordeal jungle with near-flawless mixing, some awesome scratching, and some dangerous mashups. What really sets this tape apart is the meticulous post-production work. The concept of using a four-tracker to make mixtapes was explained to me by DJ Shane from LA via IRC which was quite a relief because I almost went nuts trying to find the versions of my favourite tracks from this tape with all the awesome samples superimposed. Keep in mind that this tape was revisited at least once before being published and it will be apparent just how much effort went into this very unique creation.

That’s all I have to say about this awesome tape, except that I’ve got at least one other R.A.W. mix to share (No Darkness). I’d now like to take a moment to recant my tale of the time I saw R.A.W. perform.

‘Twas at the Labyrinth Lounge in downtown Toronto that I had the rare and distinct pleasure of seeing this man grace the decks. He played complex and intelligent jungle with lots of wacky breakbeats and those oldskool chords that make me nuts. However, I’m getting ahead of myself so I’ll start at the beginning.

Having heard that one of my favourite all time DJs, R.A.W. from Los Angeles, would be playing nearby, I rounded up a posse and headed downtown. I got an amazing free parking spot right around the corner. I walked into the venue and was greeted by a representative of the Chills Tobacco Company, asking if I’d like to enter a raffle for a 6 foot bong for a couple of bucks. Why the hell not, I rationalised, and traded a Toonie for half a playing card. The seven of spades or thereabouts as I recall.

So I spent the night bopping around to the great beats of some of Toronto’s finest jungle DJs (and this is a city that knows its jungle). Finally my main man R.A.W. stepped up and totally tore the house down. I didn’t know what to expect, having only heard his old mixtapes and wondering how he’d represent at a jungle party. I’m understating by saying that every track he laid down had me slackjaw-awed. Just as his mixtapes featured tracks with this inexplicable comfortable fit spanning multiple genres, so was his track selection this night.

The music spoke to me that night, saying it was all for me. Every beat, every chord, every snare, just for me. I cannot sufficiently articulate this so I don’t expect you to understand what I mean when I say this. However, perhaps this will give you a clue.

My friends were pooped by 3am and took off, but I was determined to stay for the raffle. Finally, about 45 minutes later, the MC called for the music to stop, produced a handful of playing card halves, and called one out. It wasn’t mine, but no one replied. The MC called out another card. Not mine. No reply from the audience. The third card was the charm – it was mine and I raised my half in the air and approached the stage. I’d won a ridiculously huge and impractical Chills bong with a ludicrously tall red plastic shaft and a green alien head at the base. The crowd applauded.

I was then pulled aside by a photographer from Tribe Magazone – a free Toronto publication focused on the local rave and club scene. I was asked to pose with my new smoking aide and to smile for the camera. I somehow could only oblige one of these requests. The poor photographer took 4 or 5 pictures of me but for the life of me I was simply powerless to curl my lips. I had smiled so much that night that my face was just exhausted and couldn’t muster a grin if my life depended on it. Thankfully the photographer gave up before too long.

On my way out the door I was offered $200 for the bong by a fellow partygoer. I replied in the negative, saying I’d keep it forever to remind me of the night I saw R.A.W. I carried the ridiculous thing out the door and onto Bloor Street, even more thankful at my advantageous parking spot. I went home, stashed it in my bedroom, and had some explaining to do to my parents the next morning regarding my new acquiry.

I now proudly display this piece in my living room and think of this night every time I see it. Perhaps it might have served as more than a display piece were it not significantly longer than the human arm, but the sentimental value alone gets me lifted.

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!