Week 31: NY Garage

Ok, there's a LOT to discuss before I throw this one out there. First off, big up to Birgitte in Norway, who sparked the idea to do this mix. She requested a mix of '80s soul & R&B; this is the first of two mixes exploring that theme (the other will come in two weeks).

Anyway, this week we have a tape of New York Garage. This is NOT garage rock, and the name has nothing to do with that...the "garage" in question is a sub-genre of disco that came from New York and helped pave the way for house music. It's named after the Paradise Garage, a members-only all-night dance club which existed in New York from 1977 to 1987, and was home to super-big-deal dance music legend Larry Levan. Previous to 1977, Levan had been mentor to "Godfather of House" Frankie Knuckles—in '77 Knuckles moved to Chicago to begin his residency at the Warehouse, and Levan remained in New York, beginning his residency at the Paradise Garage. Much like the distinctive sound of Frankie Knuckles at the Warehouse became known as "house music", Levan's distinct sound became known as "garage".

That having been said, one could basically define "garage" as "stuff Larry Levan liked, or stuff that sounds like Larry Levan would've liked it", but that's not very helpful to people who've never heard any of his productions or DJ sets. Basically, "garage" can be used to describe any mid-tempo American disco or house with heavy piano / vocal / gospel / diva elements. There's often a lot of weirdo stripped-down dubbed-out effects as well.

The word "garage" is still used to describe brand-new New York house tunes in this template, but this week's mix is just focusing on the classics—stuff from 1977-1983 that Larry played as he was defining this new sound. It's far from an exhaustive list, but it's a starting point.

And for those of you wondering where UK Garage (i.e. "garridge") fits in to all this, the lineage is pretty direct: US garage blew up in London around 1989, and throughout the early 1990s you had a scene of UK house producers mimicking the piano/diva/gospel choir sound of US garage. Those were the first "UK garage" releases, and as that scene absorbed more and more jungle/drum&bass/reggae influence, it evolved into 2-step, speed garage, grime, dubstep, bassline, UK funky, and everything else in the "post-garage" spectrum. It's gone on its own distinctly British path, but listen to MJ Cole or Burial and you can still hear Larry peeking through.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 31: New York Garage.

1. Brooklyn Dreams; Street Man (12" Version) (Millenium, 1978)
   
2. The Salsoul Orchestra feat. Jocelyn Brown; Take Some Time Out (For Love) (Salsoul, 1982)
   
3. Ashford & Simpson; Stay Free (Warner Bros., 1979)
   
4. Lamont Dozier; Back To My Roots (Warner Bros., 1977)
   
5. Convertion; Sweet Thing (M&M 12" Mix) (Vanguard, 1982)
   
6. Denroy Morgan; Happy Feeling (Becket Records, 1982)
   
7. The Salsoul Orchestra feat. Loleatta Holloway; Seconds (Shep Pettibone Mix) (Salsoul, 1982)
   
8. Inner Life; I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair) (John Morales 12" Mix) (Prelude, 1979)
   
9. Paul Lewis; Girl, You Need A Change of Mind (Chrissy Re-Edit) (Sunshine Sound Disco, 1979)
   
10. Candido; Dancin' & Prancin' (Salsoul, 1979)
    
11. NYC Peech Boys; Don't Make Me Wait (Larry Levan 12" Mix) (West End, 1982)
    
12. Roy Ayers Ubiquity; Running Away (12" Mix) (Polydor, 1977)
    
13. Chantal Curtis; Get Another Love (Key Records, 1979)
    
14. Loose Joints; Is It All Over My Face? (Larry Levan Mix - Female Vocal) (West End, 1980)
    
15. Sylvester; I Need You (Howard Merritt Mix) (Fantasy, 1980)
    
16. Third World; Now That We Found Love (Disco Mix) (Island, 1978)
    
17. D-Train; Keep On (François K Mix) (Prelude, 1982)
    
18. Instant Funk; Everybody (Larry Levan Mix) (Salsoul, 1980)
    
19. Sinnamon; Thanks To You (Shep Pettibone Mix) (Becket Records, 1982)
    
20. Class Action; Weekend (Chrissy Murderbot Edit) (Sleeping Bag, 1983)
    
21. Dinosaur L; Go Bang! (François K Mix) (Sleeping Bag, 1982)
    
22. Jamaica Girls; Somebody New (Larry Levan & Ron St. Germain Mix) (Sleeping Bag, 1983)

NEXT WEEK: Weed Songs.

Week 30: The Year in Rave—1993

I've done a few of these rave / jungle /happy hardcore tapes already, and here is another. I should've probably called it "the year in UK rave", because there aren't any non-British tracks on here. For those unfamiliar with the whole story arc, 1993 was the year that UK rave really developed into what we would recognize as jungle and happy hardcore. I'm really into stuff from this transitional era, when those two genres existed side-by-side, before they really split from each other. Here's a tape of my fave tunes.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 30: 1993 Rave.

1. DJ Krome & Mr. Time; The Slammer (Suburban Base)
   
2. Johnny Jungle; Flammable (Cloud 9 Remix) (Suburban Base)
   
3. DJ Hype; Shot In The Dark (QBass Remix) (Suburban Base)
   
4. Grooverider; Sinister (The Influence Remix) (Reinforced)
   
5. A Guy Called Gerald; This Is The Right Time (Juice Box)
   
6. QBass; Deepa (NRG Remix) (Suburban Base)
   
7. DJ Vibes; Sing It Loud (Asylum)
   
8. Jump Up Crew; Come Again (Labello Blanco)
   
9. Run Tings; Look No Further (Suburban Base)
   
10. Doc Scott; Street Knowledge (The Lost Track) (Reinforced)
    
11. Nookie; Shining In Da Darkness (Reinforced)
    
12. SMD Volume 1; Untitled (Side A) (white)
    
13. Cloud 9; Mr. Logic (Movin' Shadow)
    
14. DJ Massive; Feel The Rhythm (Labello Blanco)
    
15. DJ Vibes; Obsession (Music's So Wonderful) (Asylum)
    
16. DJ Rap & Aston; Vertigo (QBass Dark Remix) (Suburban Base)
    
17. Red Alert & Mike Slammer; Ruff (Slammin' Vinyl)
    
18. DJ Dubplate; Free Your Soul (Labello Blanco)
    
19. Smokey Joe; Original Bad Boy Riddim (Labello Blanco)
    
20. Q Project; Champion Sound (Alliance Remix) (Legend Records)
    
21. Origin Unknown; Valley Of The Shadows (Long Dark Remix) (Ram Recordings)
    
22. Macka Brown; Beware Of The Bassline (Labello Blanco)
    
23. Citadel of Kaos; Warped (Boombastic Plastic)
    
24. Wax Doctor & Jack Smooth; New Direction (Remix) (Basement)
    
25. Naughty Naughty Volume 1; I Need Your Lovin' (white)
    
26. Acen; Window In The Sky (DJ Krome & Mr. Time Badup Mix) (Production House)
    

NEXT WEEK: New York Garage.

Week 29: Bassline

This week's mixtape features a genre that has consistently been one of my favorites over the past couple of years: Bassline.
It's British, it's mostly from the North, and it's essentially a second wave of '90s Speed Garage (which itself was a style of uptempo, bass-heavy house music drawing from 2-Step, Jungle, and R&B). Much like Dubstep, Bassline is a new reinterpretation of these influences. It sounds pretty much like the name: fast, garridgey house tunes with HUGE basslines.
Sadly, Bassline seems to be on the wane. In London & the rest of the south it's been completely supplanted by UK Funky; I imagine it's still got a strong fanbase Up North, but I couldn't say for sure.
Anywho, here's a little retrospective of what I've been listening to in the past couple of years. By no means a definitive look at the "classics" of the genre—just what I think is good.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 29: Bassline.

1. Piddy Py feat. MNT; Get Loco
   
2. Mr. Virgo; Hypnotiq
   
3. The Wideboys feat. Sarah Saville; What You're Thinking (Up Norf Dutty Mix)
   
4. Jagged Edge; Walked Outta Heaven (Burgaboy Remix)
   
5. Wittyboy; Curry House
   
6. Dexplicit; Karma (Dex Mix)
   
7. A1 Bassline feat. Safi; Girl Thing
   
8. Jinder; Youth Blood (Squire of Gothos Remix)
   
9. Brett Maverick feat. NE1; Chop Of Them
   
10. DS1; Lock Off
    
11. DJ Murkz; Datz Me
    
12. N.B. Funky; Nutz (Bassline Remix)
    
13. Ace Of Base; All That She Wants (Dexplicit Remix)
    
14. Blackstar; Time & Time Again
    
15. Dizzee Rascal; Sirens (Big Ang Remix)
    
16. Mr. V; Motherfuckers
    
17. Luniz; I Got 5 On It (B.U.N. Remix)
    
18. Mask; Gangster
    
19. DJ Q; Gangsters
    
20. Subzero; Bring It Back
    
21. Perempay & Dee feat. Katie Pearl; In The Air (Rekless Mix)
    
22. The Wideboys; Project Bassline
    
23. Rubi Dan & The Heatwave / DJ Q; Walk & Wine (Dutty Wine)
    
24. DJ Q; Love Like This
    
25. Diamond feat. Terri Walker; I Think I'm In Love (Burgaboy Remix)
    
26. Piddy Py; Leekers
    
27. Natasha Bedingfield; Single (Delinquent Remix)
    
28. WunnaDemWuns; I Feel (Wittyboy Remix)

NEXT WEEK: The Year in Rave—1993.

Week 28: Knockin' Boots

Here's a tape about fuckin'.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 28: Knockin' Boots

1. Akinyele; Put It In Your Mouth
   
2. 504 Boyz; I Can Tell You Wanna Fuck
   
3. Major Lazer feat. Amanda Blank & Einstein; What U Like
   
4. Minnie Ripperton; Inside My Love
   
5. Missy Elliott; Pussycat
   
6. Xrabit & DMG$; Party In My Pants
   
7. LL Cool J; Doin' It
   
8. Squarepusher; My Red Hot Car
   
9. 69 Boyz feat. Disco & The City Boyz; Pass The Puddie
   
10. Outkast; Spread
    
11. Kanye West; Take Yo Pants Off (Gant Man Refix)
    
12. Otto Von Schiroch; STD Me
    
13. Bell Biv Devoe; Do Me!
    
14. Madonna; Erotica (Kenlou B-Boy Mix)
    
15. Khia; My Neck, My Back
    
16. Akinyele; Do You Wanna
    
17. Candyman; Knockin' Boots
    
18. Lee "Scratch" Perry; Bed-Jamming
    
19. Clarence Carter; Strokin'
    
20. S.L.Y.; I Need A Freak (Black Freak Mix)
    
21. Mike Dunn presents Mr. 69; Phreaky MF
    
22. Teddy Pendergrass; Turn Off The Lights
    
23. H-Town; Knockin' The Boots
    
24. Public Announcement; Body Bumpin' (Mike Dunn Remix)
    
25. Parris Mitchell Project; Bitches & Money
    
26. King Force; Doggie Style (Sterling Void Remix)
    
27. Armand Van Helden; To Be A Freak
    
28. Sexual Harrassment; I Need A Freak
    
29. Egyptian Lover; Kinky Nation (Kingdom Kum)
    
30. 2 Live Crew; The Fuck Shop
    
31. Sylvester; Sex (Ian Levine Remix)
    
32. Gwen Jonae; Red Light Lover
    
33. Sarah Dash; Lucky Tonight
    
34. Jamie Principle; Baby Wants To Ride
    
35. Ragtyme feat. T.C. Roper; Fix It Man (Chrissy Re-Edit)
    
36. Shy FX & T Power feat. Noel McCoy; Sheets
    
37. Daddy Woody; Punany Chemist
    
38. Mad Cobra; Oh Yes

NEXT WEEK: Bassline House.

Week 27: Quebecois Disco

This one is for Grammar Hammer, who got all excited about Lime when I announced the Hi-NRG tape, only to be cruelly deprived of even a SINGLE Lime song. And for the people who came to the show in Québec this weekend.

Most people aren't aware of this, but for a brief period in the 1980s Montreal was like the WORLD CAPITOL OF DISCO. Or one of a handful of capitols, anyway. This was right after everything disco-related in New York clubland and the US record industry had ground to a halt and become terribly unhip (the so-called "Death of Disco", to hear rock critics speak of it), but before Europe's Hi-NRG and Eurobeat scenes really took over. It was a weird transitional phase, wherein electronics gradually took over for live instruments—a crucial step on the road from disco to house.
Much like its close relative Italo-disco, a lot of the Québécois Disco stuff is still big with house DJs here in Chicago. I found out about it through bargain-bin shopping as I was growing up in Kansas City, and it's always been one of my very favorite musical styles. And before you discophobes start yelping: Yes, it's corny. Yes, the lyrics are ridiculous. Yes, it's saccharine and blatantly commercial and synthetic and manufactured and all that junk we're taught to hate about music. But it's also amazing. It's really forward-thinking. And INSANELY catchy. Enjoy.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 27: Quebecois Disco

1. Suzy Q; Get Into The Funky Music Now (J.C. Records, 1982)
   
2. Karen Silver; Nobody Else (Quality Records Ltd., 1981)
   
3. Nightlife Unlimited; Do Me Tonight (Unidisc, 1979)
   
4. Nancy Martin; Can't Believe (Neige, 1982)
   
5. Misty Lane; Energy (Celsius, 1983)
   
6. Lime; Don't You Wanna Do It (Matra, 1984)
   
7. Motion; Don't Stop (Tojo, 1983)
   
8. Lime; You're My Magician (Matra; 1981)
   
9. Gino Soccio; Dancer (Warner Bros., 1979)
   
10. Bob-A-Rella; Spend The Night (Channel, 1979)
    
11. Carol Jiani, Ask Me (Matra, 1982)
    
12. Sweet Brandy; Stoned Love (J.C. Records, 1982)
    
13. Lime; I Don't Wanna Lose You (Matra, 1984)
    
14. Jade; I'm Gonna Get Your Love (Disconet Remix) (Rams Horn, 1982)
    
15. Sunbelt; Spin It (Rio, 1982)
    
16. Kebekelektrik; Magic Fly (Tom Moulton Mix) (Salsoul, 1977)
    
17. Lime; Give Me Your Body (Matra, 1984)
    
18. Vera; Baby Won't You Dance With Me (Matra, 1982)
    
19. Trans-X; Living On Video (Illusion, 1983)
    
20. Susan Stevens; This Is Love (Tojo, 1983)
    
21. Kendra; Helping Myself (Dub) (J.C. Records, 1983)
    
22. Denis LePage; Magnum (Celsius, 1979)
    
23. Nightlife Unlimited; Disco Choo Choo (Howard Merit Mix) (Unidisc, 1979)
    
24. Jump; Does It Feel Good (Unidisc, 1979)
    
25. Ann Joy; Love Now Hurt Later (Unidisc, 1978)
    
26. Voggue; Roller Boogie (Celsius, 1981)
    
27. Lime; Help Yourself (Matra, 1982)
    
28. Susan Stevens; Boogie Walk (Rams Horn, 1983)

NEXT WEEK: Knockin' Boots.

Week 26: Classic Ragga Jungle

Ok, first things first. I AM HALF-WAY DONE. One half-year of mixtapes successfully hammered out. wheee!

Anyhoo, to mark the half-way point I figured I'd throw in a mix that a lot of people have been asking for (droon, joe joe, matthew e., and others)—a mix of ragga jungle. This is really the genre that got me started as a touring DJ / producer in the global sense: my first releases were ragga jungle records, and my first international gigs were ragga jungle gigs (hi guido & jak & tim & beni!)

So yeah, I decided to throw together a mix of classic ragga jungle tunes. For those of you wondering what the hell "ragga jungle" even means, let me break it down into its components:
Jungle music is a fast, breaks-oriented, bass-heavy genre of British dance music that emerged in the early '90s and later evolved into drum & bass, UK garage, grime, dubstep, bassline, & UK funky.
Ragga is another word for the big, brash, hip-hop influenced dancehall reggae of the 1990s—the stuff where the vocals sound a lot more like rapping than traditional reggae singing.
Add those together & there you go.

It was pretty big in the early-mid-1990s (I'm using "pretty big" in the same sense that dubstep is "pretty big" right now), and its heavy use of reggae samples made it somewhat divisive in the proper reggae scene. As a fun little side note, here are two dancehall tunes from 1995 (both on the WigWam riddim by A-Class Crew) that demonstrate the controversy jungle caused in the UK reggae scene:

Starkey Banton; Jungle Bungle
Tenor Fly; Don't Dis The Jungle

And now here's the mix. Oh, and for the people who are undoubtedly going to be all "WHERE IS CONGO NATTY?!?!", I'm basically limiting myself to tracks that came out in 1994 and 1995. A mix of newer / second-wave ragga jungle will come later. It will include Congo Natty, so calm down already.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 26: Ragga Jungle

1. Greenwood; Hold It Down (Inner City Dance)
   
2. DMS & The Boneman X; Sweet Vibrations (FX Recordings)
   
3. M-Beat feat. General Levy; Incredible (Renk)
   
4. The New Cru feat. General Pecos; Run Come (Labello Blanco)
   
5. Bounty Killer & Beenie Man; Borderline Mobster (Sensi Crew Remix) (Greensleeves)
   
6. The Dream Team aka Bizzy B & Pugwash); Stamina (Suburban Base)
   
7. Hardware; Yout Man (Frontline)
   
8. Skeng Gee; Connections (Marvellous Cain Remix) (Suburban Base)
   
9. Firefox & 4 Tree; Warning (Powder Mix) (Philly Blunt)
   
10. Smokey Joe; Gimmi My Gun (Desired State Remix) (Labello Blanco)
    
11. L Double; Little Rollers vol. 1 (Flex)
    
12. Barrington Levy & Mega Banton; She's Mine (Sensi Crew Remix) (Greensleeves)
    
13. General Degree; Papa Lover (Stretch Remix) (Jet Star Records)
    
14. Remarc; R.I.P. (Suburban Base)
    
15. Dextrous & Teebone; Selectors Roll VIP (Subliminal / unreleased)
    
16. Conquering Lion; Code Red (X Project)
    
17. R-Type; Love Is Blind (Hyper Records)
    
18. Shy FX & UK Apachi; Original Nuttah (S.O.U.R.)
    
19. Chakademus & Pliers; Gal Wine Drum & Bass (Greensleeves)
    
20. Dextrous; Wanted Dead Or Alive (Subversive)
    
21. Marvellous Cain; The Hitman (Dream Team Remix) (Suburban Base)
    
22. Cutty Ranks; Limb By Limb (DJ SS Remix) (Suburban Base)
    
23. Ellis D feat. The Specialist; Nice Up Your Scene (White House)
    
24. Studio 1; Dancing Feet (Strictly Underground)
    
25. Dawn Penn & Bounty Killer; You Don't Love Me No No No (Ambient Jungle Lick) (Greensleeves)
    
26. Barrington Levy; Here I Come (Ridley Don Remix) (Greensleeves)
    
27. Mad Cobra; Tek Him (B-Line Remix) (Jet Star)
    
28. Shy FX; Simple Tings (S.O.U.R.)

NEXT WEEK: Quebecois Disco.

Week 25: New Disco

Over the last decade-and-a-half there's been a big disco revival afoot in the dance music (and, really, rock music) communities. Maybe you've noticed: since about 1997, a lot of music has borrowed really heavily from disco, whether it's French house acts like Daft Punk or Dimitri from Paris, or dance rock bands like The Rapture, The Juan MacLean, or even Franz Ferdinand, or next-big-thing dance genres like Electroclash & Blog House. I'm a huge disco person, but to be frank a lot of the disco-influenced output of the last several years has struck me as pretty obnoxious: unoriginal, derivative, shamelessly trendy, etc. Anyway, I've thrown together a little mix of disco revival stuff I've liked over the last decade. Enjoy!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 25: New Disco

1. DJ Hell & Erlend Øye; Keep On Waiting (International Deejay Gigolo Records, 2003)
   
2. MSTRKRFT; Easy Love (Last Gang Records, 2006)
   
3. The Rapture; House of Jealous Lovers (Morgan Geist Version) (DFA, 2002)
   
4. Ssion; Credit In The Straight World (unreleased, 2009)
   
5. The Juan MacLean; One Day (DFA, 2009)
   
6. DMX Krew; Lies Inside (Ghostly International, 2002)
   
7. Scream Club; I'm Going Crazy (Rock Machine Records, 2006)
   
8. Sally Shapiro; He Keeps Me Alive (Extended Mix) (Diskokaine, 2007)
   
9. Max Fresh; Intro (Loungin' Recordings, 2005)
   
10. Kerrier District 2; Ce Porte (Rephlex, 2006)
    
11. Codebreaker; Dream Lover (Disco Demolition, 2008)
    
12. Hercules & Love Affair, You Belong (DFA, 2008)
    
13. Cosmo Vitelli; Party Day (Disques Solid, 2001)
    
14. Ssion; Wolves Eye (Sleazetone, 2008)
    
15. The Juan MacLean; You Can't Have It Both Ways (Live) (DFA, 2002)
    
16. Low Foney; Glow (Same Soul Different Body Imprint, 2008)
    
17. The Polyamorous Affair; Face Control (Manimal Vinyl Records, 2009)
    
18. Ssion; Ah Ma (Chrissy Murderbot Remix) (Sleazetone, 2009)
    
19. Kerrier District; Let's Dance & Freak (Rephlex, 2004)
    
20. Zongamin; Tunnel Music (XL Recordings, 2001)
    
21. Bangkok Impact; Premature Ejaculation (Crème Organization,2008)
    
22. The Knife; Like A Pen (12" Version) (Rabid Records, 2006)
    
23. Miss Kittin & The Hacker; 1000 Dreams (Radio) (Nobody's Bizzness,2009)
    
24. Legowelt; 2002 (Ghostly International, 2002)
    
25. Alexander Robotnick; Obsession For The Disco Freaks (Fool's Gold, 2009)
    
26. Kerrier District; Yesco (Rephlex, 2004)
    
27. !!!; Me & Giuliani Down By The School Yard (A True Story) (Touch & Go, 2003)
    
28. LCD Soundsystem; Yeah (Crass Version) (DFA, 2003)
    

NEXT WEEK: Ragga Jungle Classics

Week 24: Ghettotech

This week I've got a tape of Ghettotech, which for you uninitiated folks is a genre of uptempo dance music we have here in the Midwest. The music (and the name "ghettotech" itself) originated in Detroit, and is essentially sped-up Detroit techno with a heavy dose of Miami bass music and Chicago ghetto house influence. It's fast, it's bass-heavy, it's got a lot of dirty words—it's similar to Juke, but there are some key differences that a lot of people overlook: ghettotech tends to stick to either four-on-the-floor style drum patterns or traditional Miami bass electro drum patterns, whereas juke is a lot more all over the place rhythmically; ghettotech makes a lot less use of the tom tom drum as a melodic instrument; and ghettotech tends to be "techier" or more futuristic sounding, whereas juke has a lot more of a pronounced soul, hip hop, and R&B influence. The last few years have seen a lot of music press types failing to understand this distinction, so take note. Anyway, here's the tape!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 24: Ghettotech

1. DJ At Will; Don't Stop
   
2. Detroit Grand Pubahs; The Clapper
   
3. Santone; D-Tech
   
4. Technasia feat. DJ Godfather & DJ Omega; Ghett-O-Freak
   
5. Drexciya; Water Walker
   
6. Bitch Ass Darius; Bang Dat Butt
   
7. Aux 88; We Make Beats
   
8. De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig; Watskeburt (Inst. Remix)
   
9. Coon Daddy; Down 4 A Creep
   
10. DJ Assault; Deep
    
11. Jkamata; I Like 2 Ride U
    
12. Mr. Dé; Time Space Scrilla
    
13. Disco D; Keys To The Whip
    
14. Electric Soul; X²
    
15. DJ Godfather & Coon Daddy; One Time On The Mic
    
16. AJ McGhee; Why You Lookin' At Me
    
17. DJ Godfather; Get Down
    
18. Detroit Grand Pubahs; Ride
    
19. Drexciya; Bubble Metropolis
    
20. Aux 88; Direct Drive
    
21. DJ Marquis; Bounce It
    
22. DJ Godfather & Coon Daddy; Player Haters In This House
    
23. DJ Assault; Mouth Blew Out
    
24. DJ Assault; Weave Pulled Out
    
25. DJ Omega; All The Way Down
    
26. DJ Guy; Freak It All Night
    
27. Craig Diamonds; Freaky Wit U
    
28. DJ Baddmixx; White Tees Remix
    
29. Los Hermanos; Quetzal
    
30. Erotek; Guess Your Weight
    
31. Bitch Ass Darius; Ride
    
32. DJ Godfather; Let's Go
    
33. DJ Godfather; It's Yo Birthday
    
34. DJ Guy; The Runner
    
35. Blake Baxter; Ride 'Em Boy
    
36. DJ Omega; Pop Dat
    
37. DJ Godfather & Coon Daddy; I'm Everywhere
38. Starski & Clutch; Bounce
39. DJ Assault; Who's Fuckin' Tonight
    
40. Mr. Dé & Sixfoe; Throw
    
41. DJ Assault; Ass N Titties
    
42. Disco D feat. BG; Hottest Of The Hot
43. Erotek; Jit Shit
    
44. Raziek; Shella Ju
    
45. DJ Omega; Go For What You Know
46. DJ Assault; Shake It, Work It
47. Goon & Koyote; Let Me Lick You Up & Down
    
48. DJ Nasty; King of Kings
    
49. Coon Daddy; Big Baller
    
50. Bryan Cox; Let's Go To Work (Kaptain Kadillac Remix)

NEXT WEEK: New Disco.

Week 23: Hi-NRG

This week I've got a mixtape of one of my personal fave genres: Hi-NRG. This was a style of disco that developed in the late 1970s-early 1980s in San Francisco, New York City, and London. Primarily a gay bar staple, Hi-NRG predicted rave culture in a lot of ways: it was a faster, harder, more synth-driven form of disco, tailor-made to the club drugs in fashion at the gay discos where it developed: cocaine, LSD, amphetamines, poppers, quaaludes, ecstasy, and really just about anything else (but those were the biggies).

As New York Hi-NRG DJ / remixer Casey Jones said in David Diebold's book Tribal Rites, “It was a druggy sound. It was an ‘up’ sound. The whole scene in San Francisco at the time pretty much revolved around ‘up’ drugs. The entire gay disco scene has in fact, since the mid to late seventies, been influenced by music which would complement their drug highs.”

For better or worse, a lot of the clichés that permeate both dance music and gay music were really invented in this era (the down-up-down-up eighth-note bassline; the use of bizarro sweepy synth noises as transition devices; the whole concept of "synth stabs"—those short little synth notes on the off beat—which would later evolve into "putting a donk on it"; and the general upward shift in dance music tempos since the disco era, to name a few). I've started this tape with the tune that solidified the genre's name, and taken it from there. Enjoy!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 23: Hi-NRG

1. Evelyn Thomas; High Energy (Record Shack Record)
   
2. Romance f. Jessica Williams; Tie Me Down (Harem Records)
   
3. Paul Parker; Right On Target (Megatone Records)
   
4. Patrick Cowley; If You Feel It (Megatone Records)
   
5. Carol Jiani; Hit 'N' Run Lover (Moby Dick Mix) (Moby Dick Records)
   
6. Jessica Williams; (They Call Me The) Queen Of Fools (Passion Records)
   
7. Marcia Raven; Catch Me (I'm Falling In Love) (Passion Records)
   
8. Hazell Dean; Searchin' (I Gotta Find A Man) (Ian Levine Remix) (Proto Records)
   
9. Miquel Brown; So Many Men So Little Time (Record Shack Records)
   
10. Sheryl Lee Ralph; In The Evening (Chrissy Re-Edit) (The New York Music Company)
    
11. Earlene Bentley & Sylvester; Stargazing (Record Shack Record)
    
12. Evelyn Thomas; Masquerade (Record Shack Records)
    
13. Nina Schiller; Without Your Love (R.E.M.I.X.) (Moby Dick Records)
    
14. Sylvester; Don't Stop (Megatone Records)
    
15. Tina Fabrique; Alive With Love (Prism Records)
    
16. Liquid Gold; Don't Panic (Polo Records)
    
17. Modern Rocketry; I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone (Megatone Records)
    
18. Charade; Break Me (Hi-NRG Mix) (Passion Records)
    
19. Climax Orchestra; Interaction (LSD Mix) (Challenge Records)
    
20. Sylvester & Patrick Cowley; Do Ya Wanna Funk (Megatone Records)
    
21. Modern Rocketry; Thank God For Men (Chrissy Re-Edit) (Megatone Records)
    
22. Scherrie Payne; One Night Only (Megatone Records)
    
23. Loverde; My World Is Empty (Without You) (Moby Dick Records)
    
24. Richie; Whip Up The Dancefloor (Hot & Sticky Mix) (Challenge Records)
    
25. Diebold & Co.; US NRG (Aerobics High Impact Mix) (Megatone Records)
    
26. Sylvester; Lovin' Is Really My Game (Remix) (Megatone Records)

NEXT WEEK: Ghettotech.

Week 22: The Year In Happy Hardcore—1994

This week we're tackling a touchy subject: Happy Hardcore. This genre, defined by its fast tempo, stompy drums, and aggressively optimistic piano rave melodies, is perhaps one of the most maligned genres ever. Much like disco, it's trashed mostly out of ignorance.
Happy hardcore grew out of UK rave at the same time as jungle, and was really delightful for the first few years of its existence. It then went on a pretty fast downward slide, losing a lot of the original rave/jungle elements that made it so great—this later-era cheeseball stuff is a big part of the reason for happy hardcore's bad rap. I still stand by the tunes that came out in 1993-1997, and I plan on featuring them in a few mixes over the course of the year. The first is a bunch of tunes from '94.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 22: The Year in Happy Hardcore—1994.

1. Sy Project; Emotions (Quosh Records)
   
2. Vibes & Wishdokta; Feel Good (Asylum Music )
   
3. Higher Level; Visions of Light (Zodiac Records)
   
4. Naughty Naughty vol. 9; Pride (white)
   
5. Ravers Choice vol. 1; Feel Real Good (white)
   
6. The Beatmen; Seventh Way (4 The Floor Recordings)
   
7. Naughty Naughty vol. 10; Voodoo Ray (white)
   
8. Spicelab; The Spirit of Fear (Harthouse)
   
9. Higher Level; Feel The Sky (Zodiac Records)
   
10. Slipmatt; Hear Me (Awesome Records)
    
11. Naughty Naughty vol. 5; Stay Here (white)
    
12. SMD Vol. 2; Side B (white)
    
13. Higher Level; I Need You Now (Zodiac Records)
    
14. 4 The Floor vol. 5; Side A (4 The Floor Recordings)
    
15. DJ Seduction; My Own (Slipmatt Remix) (Impact Records)
    
16. Naughty Naughty vol. 7; Where Love Lives (white)
    
17. Bass Selective; Blow Out Jungle VIP (S.O.U.R.)
    
18. VW001; Sweet Love (white)
    
19. SMD vol. 3; Vol. 1 Remix (white)
    
20. S&A; Peaked Up (4 The Floor Recordings)
    
21. Force & Evoluion; Perfect Dreams (Vibes & Wishdokta Remix) (Knite Force)

NEXT WEEK: Hi-NRG.

Week 21: '90s Dance Pop

Ten weeks ago, I made a mixtape of classic 1990s vocal house tunes. In my little introductory blurb, I wrote the following:

"Oh, and before you mention it, here's what I have NOT included: What is Love, Rhythm is a Dancer, Another Night, For What You Dream Of, Mr. Vain, Strike It Up, Be My Lover, The Vengabus, or Barbie Girl. That is not house music. I love it, but it is not house music. Another day, another tape."

Ladies and gentlemen, here is that tape.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 21: '90s Dance Pop.

1. Snap!; The Power
   
2. C+C Music Factory feat. Freedom Williams; Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
   
3. Black Box; Strike It Up
   
4. Madonna; Vogue
   
5. Crystal Waters; 100% Pure Love
   
6. Black Box; Everybody Everybody (Le Freak Mix)
   
7. Technotronic; Move This
   
8. Deee-Lite; Groove Is In The Heart (Chrissy Re-Edit)
   
9. Robin S; Show Me Love (12" Mix)
   
10. Army Of Lovers; Crucified (Chrissy Re-Edit)
    
11. The KLF; 3AM Eternal (Live At The SSL)
    
12. Technotronic; Pump Up The Jam
    
13. Snap!; Rhythm Is A Dancer
    
14. Haddaway; What Is Love?
    
15. Bloodhound Gang; The Bad Touch
    
16. Everything But The Girl; Missing (Todd Terry Remix)
    
17. Bizarre Inc. feat. Angie Brown; I'm Gonna Get You
    
18. Technotronic; Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over)
    
19. 2 Unlimited; Twilight Zone
    
20. Rozalla; Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)
    
21. Jimmy Somerville; Heartbeat
    
22. Bedrock feat. KYO; For What You Dream Of
    
23. Gigi D'Agostino; The Riddle
    
24. Culture Beat; Mr. Vain
    
25. The Real McCoy; Another Night
    
26. Corona; The Rhythm of the Night
    
27. Aqua; Barbie Girl
    
28. La Bouche; Be My Lover
    
29. Alice Deejay; Better Off Alone
    
30. ATC; Around The World
    
31. Sonique; It Feels So Good
    
32. The Real McCoy; Run Away
    
33. Ace of Base; Beautiful Life
    
34. The Vengaboys; Boom Boom Boom Boom
    
35. The Vengaboys; We Like To Party (The Vengabus)
    
36. Pharao; I Show You Secrets
    
37. Aqua; Lollipop
    

NEXT WEEK: The Year in Happy Hardcore—1994.

Week 19: Kraftwerk

These famous steely Germans are the most important and influential European music act of the 20th century, period. (I am prepared to go to the mat over this statement.) Without them, there would be no techno, no synth pop, no new wave, and no hip-hop as we know them (which isn't to say that they invented any of those; they didn't. They just ended up having a big influence on the people who did go on to invent them). Basically, they started out as proggy art-rock band, got into electronics, started making their own instruments and by 1974 were making super-rigid 100% electronic pop tunes. By 1977, said pop tunes got picked up by New York disco DJs, who were always hunting for something new and different and odd and pulsating and yadda yadda yadda. Among these were the first wave of hip hop DJs (Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, etc.), who absolutely ate the stuff up. As Detroit techno legend Carl Craig said, "Kraftwerk were so stiff, they were funky."

So Kraftwerk became part of a sea-change in the then-fledgling hip hop scene: things moved away from party raps over disco records, and toward sparse futuristic compositions made from scratch with drum machines, synths, and samplers. 30 years later, mainstream hip hop still has as much in common with Kraftwerk as it does with, say, Motown.

It's a similar story with techno, in fact—as well as with synth pop, new wave, and a long list of other genres: disco + Kraftwerk = bizarre new hybrid genre with lots of crazy electronic gadgets and a bunch of futuristic posturing. Like many artists lucky enough to have a nearly 40-year career, Kraftwerk have had an interesting career arc: they've gone from being groundbreaking visionaries who changed modern music to largely mimicking the new styles they helped inspire. While their new records can't be called innovative, they're often still quite good.

Anyway, I've whipped up a mix which I hope will appeal to both hardcore Kraftwerk fans, people who hate Kraftwerk, and people who know nothing about Kraftwerk. Part one contains most of the really essential Kraftwerk tunes: the stuff you NEED to be familiar with to be considered culturally literate tbh. The second part is all the stuff that has borrowed from Kraftwerk. Some of it is good, some of it is terrible, all of it is beyond what these four Germans could've imagined in 1977.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 19, Part 1: What you absolutely must know of Kraftwerk.

1. Kraftwerk; Trans-Europe Express (1977)
   
2. Kraftwerk; The Model (1978)
   
3. Kraftwerk; The Robots (1978)
   
4. Kraftwerk; The Man Machine (1978)
   
5. Kraftwerk; It's More Fun To Compute / Home Computer (1981)
   
6. Kraftwerk; Numbers / Computer World 2 (1981)
   
7. Kraftwerk; Tour De France (François K. Remix) (1983)
   
8. Kraftwerk; Computer Love (Remix) (1991)

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 19, Part 2: Kraftwerk's influence on the rest of us.

1. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force; Planet Rock (Tommy Boy, 1982)
   
2. The Egyptian Lover; Egypt Egypt (Freak Beat Records, 1984)
   
3. B.O.S.E.; Rock The World (Rock Well, 1987)
   
4. Techmaster P.E.B.; Bass Computer (Newtown Music, 1991)
   
5. Fergie; Fergalicious (A&M, 2006)
   
6. 2 Live Crew; D.K. Almighty (Luke Skyywalker, 1989)
   
7. The Fearless Four; Rockin' It (Enjoy Records, 1982)
   
8. MC A.D.E.; Bass Rock Express (4 Sight Records, 1985)
   
9. Coldplay; Talk (EMI, 2005)
   
10. Big Black; The Model (Touch & Go, 1987)
    
11. Miss Kittin & The Hacker; Uno (International Deejay Gigolo Records, 1999)
    
12. Frank De Wulf presents B-Sides Vol. 1; Reforced (Music Man, 1990)
    
13. Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto; Home Computer (Emperor Norton; 1999)
    
14. 6Blocc; Digits (LoDubs, 2007)
    
15. Turf Talk f. Kaveo & Young Mugzi; Do The Robot (Sick Wid'It Records, 2004)
    
16. DJ Rashad; Compute (Juke Trax, 2007)
    
17. Godz of the Quad; We Comin' (Cut It Up Def, 1998)
    

Week 17: Philly Soul / Philly Disco

So back in the 1960s you had Soul music—a terribly vague term encompassing a lot of things, but a designation that still gets used nonetheless. The industry was pretty fragmented during this pre-internet era, and pretty much every major city with a sizeable African-American population—Detroit, Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, etc.—had a distinct local scene and sound. Philadelphia was no exception.

The Philly sound, pioneered by songwriter/producers like Thom Bell, Norman Harris, Ron Baker, Gamble & Huff, and McFadden & Whitehead, really came into its own in the mid-late 1960s, and was a marked contrast to the Motown sound that had typified the previous decade. Philly soul was more mature, more lyrically complex, less saccharine, and a lot bigger: horn sections, string sections, and even full-on orchestras took a front-and-center role in the Philly sound.

Philly continued to dominate soul music into the 1970s, giving the world acts like Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Delfonics, and The O'Jays. Around 1974, Philly producers started moving in a more dance-oriented direction; beefing up the kick drum in their records, focusing more on the bass line, and creating longer songs geared for the dancefloor. This was the birth of disco.

As the rest of the world moved on, inventing countless good and bad disco sub-genres, Philly kept its distinctive sound: pulsating, dancefloor-friendly records driven by big bass and lush string arrangements. This week's mixtape is a two-parter: a side of the earlier soul stuff, followed up by a good chunk of proper classic Philly disco.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 17, Side A: Philly Soul

1. The Delfonics; Seventeen And In Love (Philly Groove)
   
2. The O'Jays; Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International)
   
3. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes feat. Teddy Pendergrass; Where Are All My Friends (Philadelphia International)
   
4. Love Committee; One Day Of Peace (Golden Fleece)
   
5. The Stylistics; People Make The World Go Round (Avco)
   
6. The Delfonics; Round & Round (Philly Groove)
   
7. First Choice; One Step Away (Philly Groove)
   
8. Gloria Gaynor; Searchin' (Tom Moulton Mix) (MGM)
   
9. Blue Magic; Welcome To The Club (ATCO)
   
10. The Invitations; Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart (Silver Blue)
    
11. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes feat.Teddy Pendergrass; Nobody Could Take Your Place (Philadelphia International)
    
12. Ecstasy, Passion, & Pain; Good Things Don't Last Forever (Roulette)
    
13. The Three Degrees; Long Lost Lover (Philadelphia International)
    
14. First Choice; Armed & Extremely Dangerous (Philly Groove)

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 17, Side B: Philly Disco

1. Double Exposure; Everyman (Danny Krivit Re-Edit) (Salsoul / Strut)
   
2. People's Choice; Do It Any Way You Wanna (Philadelphia International)
   
3. McFadden & Whitehead; Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now (Philadelphia International)
   
4. First Choice; Love Thang (Tee Scott Mix) (Gold Mind Records)
   
5. Double Exposure; My Love Is Free (Tom Moulton Mix) (Salsoul)
   
6. Ecstasy, Passion, & Pain feat. Barbara Roy; Touch & Go (Tom Moulton Mix) (Roulette)
   
7. First Choice; Double Cross (Bobby "DJ" Guttadaro Mix) (Gold Mind Records)
   
8. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes feat. Teddy Pendergrass; Bad Luck (Philadelphia International)
   
9. The Trammps; Can We Come Together (Tom Moulton Mix) (Atlantic)
   
10. MFSB; Love Is The Message (Larry Levan Re-Edit) (Philadelphia International)
    
11. First Choice; Let No Man Put Asunder (Shep Pettibone Mix) (Salsoul)
    
12. The Trammps; Body Contact Contract (Tom Moulton Mix) (Atlantic)
    
13. Blue Magic; We're On The Right Track (ATCO)
    
14. Direct Current; Nothing Can Stop Us (TEC)
    
15. Billy Paul; Only The Strong Survive (Philadelphia International)
    

Week 16: Hardstep

My buddy kyleklip (who you may remember as the dude who requested the New Jack Swing tape) asked me for a hardstep tape, so here is a hardstep tape.
"BUT WHAT IS THIS HARDSTEP OF WHICH YOU SPEAK?!" I hear you asking:

Well back in the early-mid 1990s you had this thing called Jungle (I know I'm going way slow but some people have catching up to do). It was a sped-up british rave subgenre revolving around heavy bass, lots of reggae & hip hop influence, and a ton of really intricate drum programming—taking a drum loop, chopping it up, and rearranging it into infinite different permutations. Super-fun and energetic, but all that variation in the drums made it a bit of a daunting dance style to the uninitiated.
DJs picked up on the fact that this stuff could be tricky to dance to; by 1995 you had some people streamlining those drums to make something a little more dancefloor-friendly. They preserved the heavy bass, amped up the hip hop influence, and streamlined the classic jungle drumwork to something a little more danceable without completely homogenizing or sanitizing it (that would happen later). They called it hardstep (among other things), and it lasted from about 1995-1999. I really love this era of stuff, so when Kyle suggested the mix I couldn't resist. Here goes!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 16: Hardstep

1. Rude Bwoy Monty; Warp 9 Mr. Zulu (Heavyweight Mix) (Ganja)
   
2. Remarc; Single Finga Killa (Suburban Base)
   
3. Pharoahe Monch; Simon Says (Roni Size & DJ Die Remix) (Rawkus)
   
4. DJ Zinc; So Damn Fresh (Remix) (Ganja)
   
5. Evil vol. III; Mad Real (white)
   
6. DJ Dextrous; This Situation (Subversive Records)
   
7. Dr. Octagon; Blue Flowers (DJ Hype Remix) (Mo'Wax)
   
8. DJ Krome & Mr. Time; Hip Hop Ride (Tearin' Vinyl)
   
9. Shy FX; Bambaataa (Funksta Revisited) (Ebony)
   
10. Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott; Beep Me 911 (Ganja Kru Remix) (EastWest)
    
11. Wosh & King Tut; Throat (Joker Records)
    
12. DJ Phantasy; .44 Mag (Easy Records)
    
13. DJ Zinc feat. MC GQ; Bring The Danger (Tru Playaz)
    
14. Prisoners of Technology; Trick of Technology (Fresh Kutt)
    
15. The Fugees; Ready or Not (DJ Zinc Remix) (white)
    
16. Capone; Massive (HardLeaders)
    
17. Timebase; War Zone (Tearin' Vinyl)
    
18. Dillinja; Muthafucka (Fire Fox Relick) (Philly Blunt)
    
19. DJ Hype; On That Dust (Regulators Remix by Dextrous & Teebone) (Ganja)
    
20. Mos Def; Universal Magnetic (IQ Collective Remix) (Rawkus / Trouble on Vinyl)
    
21. Mental Power; Deep Soul (Formation)
    
22. Dred Bass feat. The JB; World Of Music (Remix) (Back II Basics)
    
23. The Dream Team; Scandalize (Joker Records)
    
24. DJ Zinc; It's Like Dat (Remix) (Frontline)
    
25. Aphrodite; Woman That Rolls (Urban Takeover)
    
26. DJ Rap; Hardstep (Proper Talent)

NEXT WEEK: Philly Soul / Philly Disco.

Week 15: Belgian Rave, 1991

Here's the promised follow-up to the 1991 UK Rave tape from a few weeks back: a tape of 1991 rave classics from Belgium (with a couple of tunes from the Netherlands thrown in for good measure). Although the states invented techno and the UK invented raving, Belgium was really where Europe's electronic dance music scene as we know it first kicked off. The Belgians have a rich history of electronic dance music, starting with a big hi-NRG scene and experimental bands like Telex, then continuing on to EBM & New Beat (which I will get to later in the year—in the meantime find some more info here and here).

Anyway, suffice it to say that the Belgians were early adopters of American house & techno, and they really ran with it, creating a distinctive sound and style long before the British managed to. As in England, however, 1991-1992 were really the prime years for Belgian techno. So here's a tape!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 15: 1991 Belgian Rave Tunes

1. Digital Orgasm; Moog Eruption (Trance Mission)
   
2. Daydreamer; Happy Dreams (Dance Opera)
   
3. The Outlander; Vamp (R&S Records)
   
4. Channel X; Double Defused (Beat Box International)
   
5. Automaton; Inside Your Mind (R&S Records)
   
6. EDC; No Pills (Tink!)
   
7. Air of Gloom; Meditation (Astro Mix) (Beat Box International)
   
8. Code Red; In Your Dreams (Chrissy Re-Edit) (Mental Radio)
   
9. Human Resource; Dominator (Frank De Wulf Mix #2) (R&S Records)
   
10. R.T.Z. Belgium; Dance Your Ass Off (Chrissy Instrumental Edit) (Decadance)
    
11. Ottorongo; Five O'Clock My Ass (Holy Hole Music)
    
12. Channel X; Groove To Move (Instrumental) (Beat Box International)
    
13. 2 Unlimited; Get Ready For This (Orchestral Mix) (Byte Records)
    
14. Set Up System; Fairy Dust (Big Time International)
    
15. Laura D; Be Allright (Music Man)
    
16. Praga Khan; Rave Alarm (Underground Mix) (Beat Box International)
    
17. Fun Lab; Wave (Trance Mission)
    
18. CJ Bolland presents Ravesignal III; Mindwar (R&S Records)
    
19. Plexus; Cactus Rhythm (DiKi Records)
    
20. Rave Crusader; World Destiny (Flying Piano Mix) (Beat Box International)
    
21. Master Minds; E.M.F. (Mackenzie)
    
22. Meng Syndicate; Sonar System (Music Man)
    
23. Lords of Acid; Take Control (Complete Kaos)
    
24. Angel Ice; Je N'aime Que Toi (Love Mix) (Beat Box International)
    
25. The Mackenzie; Cyclotron (Atomic Kick) (Mackenzie)
    
26. Neon; Waves (Techno Mix) (Rave 55)
    
27. Frequency; Kiss The Sky (Lower East Side Records)
    

NEXT WEEK: Hardstep.

Week 14: Neue Deutsche Welle

So a couple of weeks ago my pal Laura from Portland wrote on my Facebook wall:
"yours truly would like to request a neue deutsche welle mixkassette, bitte."

And then I played this Portland gig, and long story short there was a nightmarish planning mishap that left me stranded in the airport for 10+ hours. Laura came and rescued me, then proceeded to feed and entertain me until it was time for me to return to the airport. For future reference, this is the best possible way to get me to make a mixtape.

Anyway, Neue Deutsche Welle was a genre of music that came out of Germany (and, to a lesser extent, Austria) from about 1978 until the mid-1980s. The name literally translates to "New German Wave", and stylistically it drew heavily from punk, new wave, early industrial music, and musique concrète, but presented it in a distinctly German fashion, mostly in the German language. By about 1983, the sound had started to pick up enough that you had a lot of bad poppy imitations flooding the market, and things started to fall apart. Most of the original artists had moved on by '85, but the genre's influence can still be felt in EBM, New Beat, Industrial, Darkwave, Electroclash, Dance Punk, Minimal Techno, and whatever the kids are doing in Berlin these days. Here's a tape of my faves.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 14: Neue Deutsche Welle

1. Robert Görl; Mit Dir (Mute)
   
2. Alphaville; Summer In Berlin (WEA)
   
3. Robert Görl feat. Annie Lennox; Darling Don't Leave Me (12" Version) (Mute)
   
4. Neon; Neon (Heimat)
   
5. Joachim Witt; Goldener Reiter (WEA)
   
6. Andreas Dorau & Die Marinas; Fred Vom Jupiter (Ata Tak)
   
7. Der Plan; Ampel (Ata Tak)
   
8. Grauzone; Film 2 (Welt-Rekord)
   
9. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft; Verschwende Deine Jugend (Virgin)
   
10. Blindgänger; Spiel Ohne Worte (Wirklick Optimal)
    
11. Gleitzeit; Ich Komme Aus Der DDR (Robot Records)
    
12. 1. Futurologischer Congress; Rote Autos (Wagner Tonträger)
    
13. Propaganda; Dr. Mabuse (ZTT)
    
14. Der Plan; Commerce Exterieur Mondial Sentimentale (Ata Tak)
    
15. 1. Futurologischer Congress; Stoned Im Dschungel (Wagner Tonträger)
16. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft; Im Dschungel Der Liebe (Virgin)
    
17. Andy Giorbino; Modernes Japan (Zickzack)
    
18. Palais Schaumburg; Telephon (Zickzack)
    
19. Peter Schilling; Major Tom (WEA)
    
20. Robert Görl; Berührt Verführt (Mute)
    
21. Boytronic; Red Chips (Mercury)
    
22. Alphaville; Forever Young (WEA)
    

NEXT WEEK: Belgian Rave, 1991.

Week 13: A last-ditch attempt to hang on to Summer

So it's late August, and I don't know about you, but here in Chicago we didn't really have much of a Summer. It was actually kind of nice—I hate the excessively hot Midwestern Summers, and I was delighted to have a whole year where we barely broke into the 90s (that's the 30s for you celsius people). I played a Portland gig a couple of weeks ago, and apparently they had the opposite problem—the Pacific Northwest was host to the hottest Summer in memory this year (104° in a region where nobody has A/C)—so I'm counting my blessings that I didn't end up downright miserable like them.

Nevertheless, it feels like I missed something. So here's a tape of Summer anthems, BBQ tunes, and porch party bumpers to blare out of your jeep. Some of these are specifically summer-referential; others are just huge summer mega-anthems of years past that remind me of public pools, fireworks, and 120 degree automobile interiors. Enjoy!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 13: Summer Anthems

1. Nelly; Hot In Herre (Universal)
   
2. Busta Rhymes; Fire It Up (Remix) (Elektra)
   
3. South Rakkas Crew feat. Kid Foreigner & Bigga Boss; Hotter Than Them (Mad Decent)
   
4. Heatwave; Too Hot To Handle (Epic)
   
5. Tasha Thomas; Hot Buttered Boogie (Atlantic)
   
6. Vicki Sue Robinson; Hot Summer Night (Dub) (Prelude Records)
   
7. The Sugarhill Gang; Hot Hot Summer Day (Sugar Hill Records)
   
8. Shirley Lites; Heat You Up (Melt You Down) (West End Records)
   
9. Risqué; Burn It Up Mr. DJ (Chrissy Re-Edit) (Polydor)
   
10. Klinte Jones; In The Heat Of The Night (Oh My! Records)
    
11. Martha & The Vandellas; Heatwave (Motown)
    
12. Tony Curtis; Rollin' (Flabba Music)
    
13. Natural Black; Beautiful Morning (Flabba Music)
    
14. Lady G; Good Man Short (Main St.)
    
15. Beenie Man; Who Am I? (Greensleeves)
    
16. Dutty Cup Crew; Stick-Up (Greensleeves)
    
17. Mr. Vegas; Nike Air (Greensleeves)
    
18. Sean Paul; Infiltrate (Greensleeves)
    
19. Spragga Benz; Strong Performer (Greensleeves)
    
20. New Young Pony Club feat. Rubi Dan; Ice Cream (The Heatwave Remix) (unreleased)
    
21. Sammy Bananas; Summer Bounce (Fools Gold)
    
22. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince; Summertime (Jive)
    
23. Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell; Beautiful (Priority)
    
24. The Art of Noise feat. Rakim; Metaforce (Rhythm Masters Remix) (ZTT)
    
25. Basement Jaxx; Red Alert (Jaxx Club Mix) (XL)
    
26. MK; Burning (Mr. Roy's Sezoo Vocal Mix) (Activ)
    
27. Frankie Knuckles; The Whistle Song (Sound Factory 12") (Virgin)
    
28. Erykah Badu / Dandruff Truckers; Way Back (Bar-B-Q)
    
29. The Underdog Project; Summer Jam (Loop Dance Constructions)
    
30. Soft Tigers / Waxmaster Maurice / DJ Pillsbury; Ice Cream (Chrissy Blend) (unreleased)

NEXT WEEK: Neue Deutsche Welle.

Week 12: UK Rave, 1991

This week I've put together a tape of British rave tunes from 1991. I was gonna make a tape of just rave classics in general dating from 1991, but then I realized that there is just SO MUCH STUFF that I'd have to narrow it down somehow. There will be a Belgian/Dutch 1991 tape coming in a few weeks, and 1992 will get a similar treatment later in the year.

A little historical context: As you may or may not know, the concept of the "rave" is a British invention. The English took our good old-fashioned American techno and house, and fashioned an entirely new culture around it (with heavy influence from the sound system culture brought to the UK by immigrants from the Caribbean). Initially the DJs in England were mostly playing Midwestern techno & house imports (and pale British imitations of the aforementioned), but by the 1990s Britain was clearly developing its own musical styles and genres (see the Bleep tape I posted earlier in the year). If you ask me, 1991 was really the year that England came into its own with regard to dance music (with '92 being the real artistic peak of British rave, before it splintered into scores of tiny sub-scenes and micro-genres in 1993-1997). That having been said, here's what I consider to be the cream of the crop from '91.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 12: 1991 UK Rave Tunes

1. Orbital; Chime (FFRR / Internal)
   
2. Baby D; Day Dreaming (Can You Handle It Mix) (Production House)
   
3. The Shamen; Move Any Mountain (Devil Mix) (One Little Indian / Epic)
   
4. The KLF; Last Train To Trancentral (KLF)
   
5. The Art of Noise; Shades of Paranoimia (Carl Cox Remix) (China)
   
6. Rhythm On The Loose; Break Of Dawn (The One After D)
   
7. Orbital; Choice (FFRR / Internal)
   
8. 808 State; Cubik (Ex:El Version) (ZTT)
   
9. Soundsource; Take Me Up (Chrissy Re-Edit) (FFRR)
   
10. MIDI Rain; Eyes (Bizarre Inc. Remix) (Vinyl Solution)
    
11. Opus III; It's A Fine Day (EastWest)
    
12. Dream Frequency; Feel So Real (CityBeat)
    
13. Smart Systems; The Tingler (Remix) (Jumpin' & Pumpin')
    
14. Eon; Fear: The Mindkiller (Vinyl Solution)
    
15. Zero Zero; Zeroxed (Kickin')
    
16. Nexus 21; Sychologic P.S.P. (Network)
    
17. Isotonik; Different Strokes (Ffrreedom)
    
18. Altern 8; Infiltrate 202 (Altern 8 vs. Astrix & Space Re-Remix) (Network)
    
19. The Prodigy; Charly (Alley Cat Mix) (XL)
    
20. Phuture Assassins; Shot Like Dis (Suburban Base)
    
21. Shut Up & Dance; Green Man (Rum & Black Mix) (Shut Up & Dance)
    
22. SL2; DJs Take Control (XL)
    
23. Bizarre Inc.; Playing With Knives (Quadrant Mix) (Vinyl Solution)
    
24. Alternative Dance Indulgence; Testify (white)
    
25. 2 Bad Mice; Bombscare (Movin' Shadow)
    
26. SL2; The Noise (Remix) (XL)
    
27. Altern 8; Activ-8 (Network)
    
28. The Prodigy; Your Love (XL)
    

NEXT WEEK: A last-ditch attempt to hang on to Summer.