320kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

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I own this one.. somewhere.. but haven’t been able to dig it up out of my many boxes of CDs.  Lost in the ether, I suppose, like so many fondly remembered but never again found albums.  I can’t thank “Kevin” enough for so generously supplying me with this top-notch quality rip for the purpose of sharing publicly.

Volume 2 had the very toughest of acts to follow.  Whereas Chris Sheppard’s Pirate Radio Sessions Volume 1 was such an ambitious microcosm encapsulating a diverse decade of house music, this album was much more tightly focused with a narrower and more cohesive spectrum.  I think this represented too great of a shift for me, as I had very high hopes that this series would continue exhibiting this diversity.  As such, I never got into this CD.

Listening to it again a decade later I have a lot more appreciation for it.  Although the release dates of the songs are consistently current, there’s still an assorted but samey mix of house, club anthems, and trance.  The mixing is unquestionably a lot tighter and a bit more like a DJ set than the first album (though with some obvious studio edits), and this was a concept completely lost on me at the tender age of 16 when this CD came out.  Whereas the first album was a history lesson, this one is firmly improsoned in 1994.  Fluxland.. nuff said, right?

I share this with you all in the hopes that the nostalgia will be meaningful to you.  Me, I didn’t start attending clubs and raves for another couple of years so my memories are of being a goody two-shoes in high school, still only familiarizing myself with electronic music and soaking up as much as I could like an insatiable sponge.  Although this period made an enormous impression on me and on my musical tastes for the rest of my life, even back then I still had an opinion of songs that were harmonically and technically impressive versus simplistic and derivative ones, and much of this album falls into the latter description. (though the production quality of The Real Thing by Tony Dibart is very impressive)

I know I’m missing a piece of the puzzle, though.  Had I been there in person watching Shep spin at RPM perhaps I might have found some hidden significance, an underlying theme or charm, or otherwise fond memories of crowd reactions or of having heard some of these songs in context, perhaps then I would be singing a different tune here today.  Alas, in a year where I was opening my mind to the likes of Acen, L.A. Style, 808 State, Moby, Bassheads, and Nine Inch Nails, these vapid club anthems were everpresent but soon forgotten.

Anyway, that’s enough sour grapes for now.  What are your memories of this era?  What was it like basking in the glory of Chris Sheppard, Toronto superstar and poster child for Canadian dance culture?  What did I miss?

P.s., that Junior Vasquez track at the end is a real slammer!!

1       Hope   -        Tree Frog      4:34
2     Maxx  –      Get-A-Way (Original Mix)     3:34
3     Quench  –      Dreams     3:04
4     XL  –      Fluxland     3:09
5     Ramp  –      Rock The Discotek     3:52
6     2 Minds  –      We’ve Got Ya     2:25
7     Mellow Mellow  –      One 4 Love     6:17
8     Sonic Surfers  –      Don’t Give It Up     3:48
9     R.M. Project  –      Rock To The Beat     3:39
10     Tony Di Bart  –      The Real Thing (If I Can’t Have You)     4:25
11     Reel 2 Real  –      Go On Move (Judge Jules & Michael Scream Up Remix)     4:58
Remix – Jules & Skins
12     Liberty City  –      If You Really Love Somebody (Original Mix)     2:37
13     Funky Green Dogs  –      High Up     2:39
14     Legion Of Boom  –      Reach For Me     2:45
Featuring – Sonja
15     Direct 2 Disc  –      Back Stab     3:40
Vocals – Crystal Waters
16     Junior Vasquez  –      X (Sound Factory Mix)     5:41

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

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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 – 30:54, 70.7 MB

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Oi oooooooi!!

Ratpack is the DJ Everson (or Evenson?) Allen ‘longside MC Lipmaster Mark – mainstays of the English rave scene since pretty well the beginning.  The duo had been performing for years (not sure how many) even at the time of this 1993 recording.  They’ve served as frontmen for the UK rave scene and especially for what would be known as oldskool breakbeat hardcore, staying true to this style throughout their careers, and helping bring awareness and popularity to this and other electronic music genres.

These guys are really special to me.  I’ve got a lot of their tapes (all bootlegs as the real McCoy is tough to come by all the way overseas) and am surprised and delighted to be able to say that I actually look forward to this DJ/MC combo.  It’s so rare to find this sort of duo that plays off eachother so well.  I understand these Fantazia events accommodated well over 10,000 screaming ravers so it’s to be expected the mixing is a little on the sloppy side, but the horns and whistles and cheers, and especially the lyrical work of Lipmaster Mark, prove sufficient even on this poorish-quality recording to bring the listener in to this world of noise and excess.  Mark is a joyous, enthusiastic MC who addresses his DJ and his crowd alike, and his gravelly pipes shine through as he sings along or improvises in tandem with what would become oldskool anthems.

This tape is a collector’s piece, plain and simple.  I’ve done my best to restore the audio quality, but check out the preview sample above to see whether it passes muster.

I was handed this tape, as well as several others, by DJ Virus from Toronto, Canada.  He and I traded a lot of music back in the day and I’m pretty sure we left off not having returned everything to its rightful owner, but them’s the breaks if you’ll forgive a pun.

Adam and I hung out many times and I accompanied him to several parties over the years, meeting him by chance at others, and providing him a fortuitous ride home when he had no contingency plan from time to time.  He started out an above-average happy hardcore DJ who has evolved into an outstanding one, playing gigs for perhaps 13 years now or more.  He was a quiet and reserved guy who would sport the fattest pants you’ve ever seen, but seem a little self-conscious about wearing them.  The man’s track selections have always been tight, bringing a flavour of oldskool into the latest hardcore trends (I really dig the resurgence of breakbeats), and he’s worked very hard for all the gigs and respect and clout he’s so rightfully earned.

So this tape rip goes out to you, Virus.  This is probably one of the tapes you loaned me and I never gave back, so better late than never, right?

Download Side B – 32:09, 73.6 MB

320kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

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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 – 31:05, 56.9 MB

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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.

Download Side B – 25:17, 46.3 MB

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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

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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.

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 – 46:09, 84.5 MB

256kbps, 44.1kHz stereo

Perceived peak normalized, treble boosted

Preview

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!