Side B - 31:05, 56.9 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

This is a recording of an unlabeled tape by a DJ who doesn’t introduce himself, but it sounds a whole lot to me like the king of Toronto tech-step, one of my fair city’s most oldskool and well-respected DJs, Mystical Influence.  I’m guesstimating the date.

What’s to be said about Mystical Influence?  He and his brother, DJ Sniper, are amongst Toronto’s top DJ talent; the bar by which all our city’s D&B DJs are measured.  Mystical throws down the deep and buzzy basslines with lots scattered and poppy renegade snares, while Sniper’s specialty has been the warm-up, jump-up, more positive and funky, vocal tunes.

The sounds on this recording are classic, unapologetic Mystical.  Expect some dangerous grimey basslines ‘longside mechanical, reliable beats, or low-key dread bass giving way to overcomplex, near-breakcore snare arrangements.  A couple of songs in this mix feature nonstandard syncopation which transform the beat to a nearly 6/8 time signature, and transitions into and out of 4/4 tracks take some serious concentration, familiarity, and raw talent which this DJ has to spare.

I have no particularly noteworthy Mystical Influence stories to share, unfortunately.  The guy is an institution - if there’s a jungle party worth going to, this guy is almost guaranteed to be there.  I’ve been out of the loop long enough that I’m not sure whether Mystical does the rounds anymore, but if he does consider yourself blessed.

One thing that I will say about this guy is that he’s one of the reasons I started caring less and less about headliners.  I’ve bought more than my fair share of lousy one-off mix CDs by the biggest names you can muster, and they don’t hold a candle in professionalism or track selection to any of my random tapes off of Toronto DJs like Mystical Influence.

Bo.

Side B - 25:17, 46.3 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

This is a recording of just another night on DJ Marcus Visionary’s and DJ Prime’s show, The Prophecy, on CIUT 89.5 FM, Toronto, circa 1998.  Three fine jungle DJs grace the decks in this recording - host Marcus, and fellow locals Everfresh and Slide.  The Prophecy show has been a Toronto institution as long as I’d been attending raves and clubs (1996), and likely a lot earlier than even that.

This show is a a little on the chatty side which is a shame.  Marcus is a great DJ whose talents and radio show get better with every passing year, but his show has always been stuffed to the gills with his yammering.  In this 60-minute recording there’s maybe 5 minutes of talking (overtop the beats) so be ye fairly warned, sez I.

It’s cool having 3 DJs in the span on an hour because we’re treated to a good variety of flavours.  Marcus grinds into gear with some grimey tech jungle, and Everfresh and Slide pick up where Marcus leaves off, easing gradually into more ethereal and soothing sounds.  I’m not sure whether it’s Everfresh or Slide who drops it, but side 2 of this mix features my favourite D&B track of all time - Grooverider’s remix of Pacific by 808 State.  Also watch out for Miles From Home by Peshay, one of my favourite jazzy/liquid D&B producers, on the second side.

I’ve always been big on jungle music but it was kind of an also-ran - I’d go to parties to see various headliners playing other genres and I’d traipse into the accompanying jungle room a few times to see what’s up and change the pace.  So, unfortunately, I don’t have any particularly witty tales of wacky exploits related to these DJs.  The best I’ve got is my recollection of a party in Hamilton, Ontario, that I checked out with some of my pals, when we witnessed Marcus snarf a heroic rail off the side of a 1200 before pounding out an enthusiastic set.

The Prophecy is on from 8-10pm Eastern Standard Time and you can listen in on the CIUT live radio stream.  It’s well worth your time too, as Marcus’ style has really evolved a lot over the years, so in addition to the latest jungle styles and white labels you can hear the likes of garage, jazzy breakbeats, and other various percussive treats.

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

This is the one that started it all for me. My buddy Naushad gave me a cassette copy of this CD in grade 8 elementary school and I literally wore it thin. I lucked out by finding the CD used in perfect condition at my corner CD shop, LA Music, and over the years I used and abused it to oblivion as well. I’ve since bought it once again and am happy to share it with you all now that it’s long out of print.

This CD is laden with classic house anthems by some of the best-respected producers. Tracks scale back from the early 90’s all the way to the mid-80’s. The mixing is very studio - quite obviously a made-for-stores compilation, but uncompromising in track selections. This is more than can be said for Chris Sheppard’s later compilations, but many of his early ones were a window into Toronto’s kicking club and rave scene of the day. London, Manchester, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto featured microcosms of each of those scenes, a few city blocks apart, every weekend.

So who is Chris Sheppard? Truth be told, he’s kind of a weenie. He’s a great Canadian hoser who practised a sultry British accent just long enough to be opaque to e-tards. His actual mixing skills are dubious if present at all (I’ve not seen him live but have heard stories of breaking needles on the first mix and pulling the wrong record off a turntable) but the man’s got an ear, and that’s what’s most important. He turned me on, I tuned in, and I’ve never turned back. For me, Chris Sheppard was rock’s executioner.

I’m thrilled to share this mix with you. I think it stands the test of time just as well as the songs that make it up. Even if you’re not interested in house music I encourage you to at least press play on the sample above. It’s the song I consider my anthem, “Living My Life Underground” by Mind Readers featuring Malik Hart. I always adored this song and I ended up growing into it. It was about me before I fit the mold.

See discogs.com for track listing and more info.

Side B - 35:29, 64.9 MB (incomplete)

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Perceived peak independent channels normalized

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

Side B - 46:09, 84.5 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Perceived peak normalized, treble boosted

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!

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

I picked this CD up from Numb on Queen West in Toronto a few years back. I recall asking for some “good techno” and this was pretty much the only disc they had. The store used to have a pretty voluminous collection of mix sets for sale but it’s been in decline these past few years (probably since DJs are turning to the Internet for marketing). Regardless, I’d heard some Adam Beyer tracks and I dug his psychedelic techno style so I was curious to see what his turntables had to say.

Truthfully, I find this mix to be kind of a snore. It’s a solid minimal techno affair with little variation and only subtle progressions. Transitions are competent and often transparent which is a plus with minimal techno but a minus in variety. Were I there in Brussels watching him mix I’d be anxious to hear what track he had planned next, waiting to explode into dance, but upon hearing it would remain impatiently shuffling.

This mix is labelled Part 1, of parts unknown, but I had little motivation to seek out the next volume. Fans of Beyer’s productions will likely be disappointed by this very sobering performance. In the bakery of Beyer this mix is stale Melba Toast.

Side B - 46:23, 84.9 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Normalized

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!

Side B - 32:44, 59.9 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Normalized

Acid lovers rejoice!!

This tape is a recording of Dr. Trance’s show “Technopolis” from Global Groove Radio, 100.7 FM, Toronto. This mix is a real testament to mixtape culture since it’s really just an ordinary night from a weekly radio show, indiscriminately recorded, yet it features some utterly remarkable music.

The good Doctor is joined by well established Toronto rave pioneer DJ James St. Bass, opening up a time warp to the mid-80’s with some unbelievably amazing old skool acid techno. Dr. Trance precedes the Teebee treats with some techno, opening with an awesome speed garage track. Despite the candidness of the show the mixing is surprisingly top-calibre.

Be forewarned that there’s a bit of radio banter, but no more than 5 minutes worth. There’s mention of the very popular, now extinct, Effective rave company which was founded by Dr. Trance.

For those who don’t know, Dr. Trance, aka Don Berns, is an institution of the Toronto rave scene. He’s been in the radio and broadcasting biz for about 40 years and knows his way around the decks and the industry. Looking at this overweight, middle-aged man, one could never guess he was right at home coaxing 3000 kids to dance to the world’s most underground tunes at 4:00am. Like all good things, seeing is believing. The Doctor could always be found at raves either down in the trenches chatting with party-goers, or up in the VIP areas yucking it up with the world’s finest electronica talent.

Canadians should pay close attention to this man’s voice as it should sound familiar. Berns does a lot of TV and radio voiceover work (his vocal timbre reveals that he was born to work in radio) and can be heard in many commercials and TV station identification clips.

Here’s a great interview with Dr. Trance about his then upcoming performance at Toronto’s Idance festival - a public daylight rave event held in 2 consecutive years to bring public awareness to the then media-shunned rave scene.

If the sound of the Roland TB303 makes your heart skip a beat as it does mine you’ll go topsy turvy over this wonderful collection of very early acid tracks. Enjoy, and leave a comment if you’d like to share your thoughts on this mix.

Side B - 48:16, 88.3 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Normalized

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.

Side B - 48:08, 44.0 MB

128kbps, 44.1kHz mono

Stereo channels consolidated, normalized, treble boosted

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.