Week 44: The Year In Rave—1992 (Part 2)

Two weeks ago I posted a mixtape about rave music in '92, and briefly mentioned the existence of a more hardcore side of the scene. These guys were really pretty much over Belgian techno and Italian piano house, and were much more interested in incorporating hip hop and reggae influences into the music. What you got was a very distinctly British form of hardcore rave that was faster, more bass-heavy, and more breakbeat driven than anything that had previously existed in the electronic dance music world. Originally it was just called "UK hardcore" or "hardcore breakbeat techno" or some combination of those words; by late-'92 people were calling it "jungle music". In the next 18 years it would evolve into Drum & Bass, Happy Hardcore, Speed Garage, 2-Step, Grime, Dubstep, and UK Funky (just to name the big ones).

So here's a tape of all my fave UK tunes from '92 that bridged the gap between 1991 and the dance music world as we know it. Enjoy!

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 42: 1992 Rave (Part 2)

1. Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era; Let Your Mind Be Free (Suburban Base)
2. Altern 8; Brutal-8-E (Jungle Brutalism Mix) (Network Records)
3. Soundcorp; Dream Finder Remix (Tone Def Records)
4. The Hypnotist; House Is Mine '92 (Dark Syndicut Remix) (Rising High Records)
5. Blame; Music Takes You (2 Bad Mice Remix) (Movin' Shadow)
6. The House Crew; We Are Hardcore (Magic Fantasy Remix) (Production House)
7. The Criminal Minds; Presence (White House)
8. Altern 8; Respect Is Due (Breakbeat Hysteria Mix) (Network Records)
9. Serotonin; Rumblism (white label)
10. Aurora; Sunshine (Adrenalin)
11. Dance Conspiracy; Dub War (XL Recordings)
12. 4Hero; The Power (Remix) (Reinforced)
13. Noise Factory; My Mind (3rd Party)
14. Cloud 9; You Got Me Burnin' (A.A.S. Remix) (Movin' Shadow)
15. Manix; Oblivion (Reinforced)
16. NRG; Feel The Fury (Chill Records)
17. Nu-Matic; Keep You Movin' (XL Recordings)
18. The Criminal Minds; The Criminal (White House)
19. Acen; Trip 2 The Moon Pt. II (The Darkside) (Production House)
20. DJ Krome & Mr. Time; Manic Stampede (Suburban Base)
21. Wishdokta; Joy (No Bogle Mix) (Kickin' Records)
22. Nebula II; Peacemaker (Reinforced)
23. X Certificate; Bass Nightmare (Limited E)
24. Manix feat. Mark Douglas; Reach Out (Reinforced)
25. SL2; Aftershock (XL Recordings)
26. Run Tings; Something To Dance To (Suburban Base)
27. Neuromancer; Pennywise (Symphony Sound Records)
28. The Prodigy; Everybody In The Place (155 & Rising) (XL Recordings)

NEXT WEEK: '90s Dancehall.

Week 43: Eurodisco

I've mentioned the existence of Eurodisco in passing a few times over the life of this blog, but I figured it was time to give it a proper introduction. In the mid-1970s, as disco left the confines of Philly and NYC to take over the world, you suddenly had record producers all over the world deciding to try their hand at disco.
European record producers like Giorgio Moroder and Jean-Marc Cerrone replaced Philly's R&B string arrangements with fluffy pop hooks and a ton of synths (thus beating the Italians, Quebeckers, and San Franciscans to the punch with the whole "synth disco" thing).
These European tunes started getting imported back into America and blowing up our charts by about 1975—the term "Eurodisco" came into existence shortly thereafter. This stuff pretty much ruled European pop radio (and club life) from that point until the rise of house music in 1986. It was a huge influence in the development of Italo Disco, Quebecois Disco, Hi-NRG, Italian House, Rave, Belgian Techno, and pretty much everything else that's come out of Europe's dance scenes since then.

So yeah, here's a mixtape. I know Giorgio Moroder is woefully underrepresented on this one; that's because I'm planning a Giorgio Moroder mixtape in about a month.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 43: Eurodisco

1. Roboterwerke; High On Tech (RCA Victor, 1981)
2. 202 Machine; Get Up (Rock Your Body) (Baby Records, 1979)
3. Back In Time; El Condor Pasa (Carrere, 1978)
4. Cerrone; Supernature (Malligator, 1977)
5. Nancy Nova; The Force (Hansa, 1981)
6. Risque; The Girls Are Back In Town (Polydor, 1982)
7. Mike Mareen; Double Trouble (Night'n'Day, 1986)
8. The Chaplin Band; Madman's Discotheque (Casey Jones Disconet Remix) (Bovema Negram, 1978)
9. Suzi Lane; Harmony (Oasis, 1979)
10. Sylvia Love; Instant Love (Chrissy Re-Edit) (RCA, 1979)
11. Ottawan; Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart) (Carrere, 1981)
12. Music Machine; Can You Feel My Heartbeat? (Pye Records, 1979)
13. ABBA; Voulez-Vous (Polar Music International, 1979)
14. Mike Mareen; Dancing In The Dark (Galactica Remix) (Night'n'Day, 1984)
15. Rockets; Space Rock (IPG, 1977)
16. Cerrone; Phonic (Malligator, 1985)
17. Harry Thumann; Underwater (Baby Records, 1979)
18. Marc Harris; Airport (Hansa, 1981)
19. Five Letters; Got Got Money (And I Moo) (Malligator, 1979)
20. Queen Samantha; Close Your Eyes (Jonathan, 1983)

NEXT WEEK: The Year In Rave—1992 (Part 2).

Week 42: The Year In Rave—1992 (Part 1)

Ok, so 1992 was pretty much the best year ever for music. The Rave scene was blowing up, and every week it seemed like dozens of amazing records were coming out—way more than little 10-year-old me could buy. This was the year that the UK really took the reins from Belgium & the States w/r/t dance music, and when the idea of "rave music" as a distinct thing from house/techno started to emerge.

Some of the bigger tunes were even getting aired on prime-time American MTV, and the TV coverage of "raving" hadn't yet turned into the hyper-negative anti-rave sensationalism that Hard Copy & other sources would make their bread and butter in the late '90s. There was really a sense that this whole rave thing was gonna take over the world and radically change "normal" society (which half-happened, but certainly not to the extent or in the ways that we'd imagined).

Anyway, the records that came out in 1992 are what got me into dance music, and made me become a musician. I love this stuff, and while a lot of it is VERY dated, I still stand by my statement that 1992 was the best year in the history of electronic dance music.

That being the case, I've decided to devote two mixtapes to it. This week, I'm exploring the more poppy/traditional side of the '92 rave scene: these guys were much more about hazy memories of the '88 acid house parties, super-saccharine feel-good synth lines, and staying true to the Belgian techno and Italian piano house sounds that helped establish the rave scene in the first place.

There was another, more hardcore side to the scene—by 1992 they were already absorbing a lot of reggae influence from England's Jamaican population, and evolving in a direction that would soon be known as jungle. I'll cover them in a couple of weeks.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 42: 1992 Rave (Part 1)

1. Utah Saints; Something Good (FFRR / UK)
2. DJ Seduction; Hardcore Heaven (FFRR / UK)
3. Fierce Ruling Diva; Keep Moving In Time (Vocal Mix) (Lower East Side Records / The Netherlands)
4. Radioactive; The Eliminator (XYMO Records / Belgium)
5. GTO; Love Is Everywhere (Reach For The Sky Mix) (NovaMute / UK)
6. Meat Beat Manifesto; Mindstream (Orbital Remix) (Mute Records / UK)
7. Love Inc.; Trance Atlantic XS (Rising High Records / UK)
8. Bizarre Inc.; Plutonic (Vinyl Solution / UK)
9. Messiah; Temple of Dreams (Kickin' Records / UK)
10. Dream Frequency; Take Me (The Prodigy Remix) (CityBeat / UK) 
11. Opus III; I Talk To The Wind (Transcendent Mix) (PWL International / UK)
12. Mig-31; Mig-31 (Pirate Record / Italy) 
13. Sonic Experience; Protein (Strictly Underground / UK)
14. A Homeboy, A Hippie, & A Funki Dred; Start Da Panik (Rising High Records / UK)
15. Project One feat. Nanisha; Roughneck (Remix) (Rising High Records / UK)
16. Sub Love; One By One (Earth Recordings / UK)
17. Channel X; Channel X (Beat Box International / Belgium)
18. Messiah; 20,000 Hardcore Members (Program 2 Remix) (Kickin' Records / UK)
19. The Prodigy; G-Force (XL Recordings / UK)
20. Praga Khan feat. Jade 4U; Injected With A Poison (MNO Power Remix) (Beat Box International / Belgium)
21. Wishdokta; Teknoskitzo (Kickin' Records / UK)
22. Baby D; Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Production House / UK)
23. Altern 8 feat. Evelyn "Champagne" King; Shame '92 (Network Records / UK)
24. Liquid; Sweet Harmony (XL Recordings / UK)
25. Run Tings; Fires Burning (Suburban Base / UK)
26. Phuture Assassins; Future Sound (Suburban Base / UK)
27. The Prodigy; Fire (Sunrise Version) (XL Recordings / UK) 
28. Program 2 & Joey Beltram; Threshold (Vortex Records / USA)
29. C of E; Church of Extacy (Crucify The Acid Remix) (Rising High Records / UK)

NEXT WEEK: Eurodisco.

Week 41: Synth Pop

I don't really see the need to wax historic on this one, as I think most people are on board with what happened here. In the late 1970s/early 1980s there were some (mostly British) people who were really into Kraftwerk, Northern Soul, Post-Punk, etc., and set out to combine all these things into a new kind of synth-heavy pop music that pretty much conquered the world for the next decade or so. Then a bunch of other people jumped on the bandwagon; some were awesome, some were decidedly un-awesome. Ho hum.

Anyway, I've compiled a mix here of a lot of my favorite Synth Pop tunes...for the most part I've left out the super-huge mega-hits we all know and love because a) everybody already knows them, b) you can find them 9850239705239 other places, and c) I'm frankly fucking worn out on 'Blue Monday' and 'Just Can't Get Enough' and 'Take On Me'. Sorry guys.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 41: Synth Pop

1. Blancmange; The Day Before You Came (London Records, 1984)
2. Wham!; Everything She Wants (Remix) (Columbia, 1984)
3. The Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield; What Have I Done To Deserve This? (Shep Pettibone Disco Mix) (Parlophone, 1987)
4. Erasure; Chains Of Love (Truly In Love With The Marks Bros. Remix) (Mute Records, 1988)
5. Book Of Love; Pretty Boys And Pretty Girls (Extended Mix) (Sire Records, 1988)
6. Depeche Mode; Shout (Rio Mix) (Mute Records, 1981) 
7. The Human League; Do Or Die (Chrissy Edit) (Virgin, 1981)
8. New Order; 586 (Chrissy Edit) (Factory, 1983)
9. The Bridge; Love Dance (Second Vision, 1984)
10. 52nd Street; Can't Afford (Factory Benelux, 1984)
11. Vision; Love Dance (Chrissy Edit) (MVM Records, 1983)
12. Secession; Touch (Part 4) (Beggars Banquet, 1984)
13. Experimental Products; Glowing In The Dark (Short Circuit Records, 1984)
14. Tuxedomoon; What Use? (Remix) (Ralph Records, 1980)
15. Crash Course In Science; Cardboard Lamb (Press Records, 1981)
16. Visage; Frequency 7 (Dance Mix) (Polydor, 1981)
17. A-Ha; Train Of Thought (WEA, 1985)
18. Home Service; Only Men Fall In Love (Chrissy Edit) (Cachalot Records, 1981)
19. Joe Jackson; Steppin' Out (A&M Records, 1982)
20. Ultravox; Sleepwalk (Chrysalis, 1980)
21. Berlin; The Metro (M.A.O. Records, 1981)
22. Yello; Bimbo (Ralph Records, 1980)
23. Devo; Going Under (Warner Bros., 1981)
24. Soft Cell; Frustration (Some Bizarre, 1980)
25. Depeche Mode; Now, This Is Fun (Extended) (Mute Records, 1982)

NEXT WEEK: 1992 Rave.

Week 40: Juke

This week we have a mixtape of a genre very dear to my heart—Juke. It's a type of uptempo dance music from Chicago that grew out of Ghetto House, much like ghettotech from Detroit. The two scenes have a lot in common—overlapping musical heritage, an overlapping set of big hit tunes, and similar footwork-oriented dance styles, but actual juke & ghettotech are different in some key ways:

1. Juke is (usually) from Chicago, Ghettotech is (usually) from Detroit.

2. Juke uses a lot of tom tom drums, Ghettotech doesn't.

3. A lot of juke tracks use the bass drum as a melodic element as well as a rhythmic element, pitching it up and down to define the chord structure of the track. Ghettotech usually doesn't do this either.

4. Ghettotech tends to adhere either to a four-on-the-floor rhythm pattern or a Miami Bass / Booty Bass / Electro rhythm pattern. Juke is a lot more varied, rhythmically.

The lines between the two are blurry, and certain things are a bit of both. Still, they are very different styles, and a lot of people miss that. Anyway, here is a tape to catch you up on the last ten (or so) years of juke.

Chrissy's Year of Mixtapes Week 40: Juke.

1. DJ Nephets; Juke N Money
   
2. Paul Johnson / DJ Puncho; Get Get Down Low (DJ Gant-Man Remix)
   
3. DJ Nephets; Down To The Ground
   
4. DJ D-Man; One, Two, Three, Four
   
5. DJ Deeon; Per-Cu-L8
   
6. Parris Mitchell Project feat. Waxmaster; Ghetto Shout Out
   
7. M.A.W. feat. India; I Can't Get No Sleep (DJ Gant-Man Remix)
   
8. DJ Nephets; Wanna Party
   
9. DJ Deeon; Freak U Rite
   
10. Juketastrafe; Work Baby
    
11. Beta SP; Bacteria (Chrissy Murderbot Remix)
    
12. Green Velvet feat. Russoul; Walk (DJ Gant-Man Remix)
    
13. N.O.R.E.; Nothin' (DJ Nephets Remix)
    
14. Waxmaster; Footwork
    
15. DJ Nephets; Juke Somebody
    
16. DJ Nephets & Lil Wish; Pop Drop
    
17. DJ Gant-Man vs. BBD; Poison (Juked Out Remix)
    
18. Mike Love; Nappy Headed Hoes
    
19. Chrissy Murderbot & DJ Gant-Man; I Nutted In You
    
20. Justice; Let There Be Light (DJ Funk Bounce That Ass Remix)
    
21. DJ Rashad & DJ Gant-Man; Juke Dat Juke Dat
    
22. Mic Terror; Juke Dem Hoes (Maddjazz Remix)
    
23. DJ Chip; Do The 40s
    
24. Twista; Pimp Like Me
    
25. DJ Lil Tal; Pop Yo Back
    
26. Kid Sister; Damn Girl (DJ Gant-Man Remix)
    
27. DJ Chip; Juke Slide
    
28. R. Kelly; Through The Hood (DJ Nephets Remix)
    
29. Waxmaster; Work Out
    
30. DJ Deeon; The Freaks (Remix)
    
31. DJ Slugo; Where The Rats
    
32. Chrissy Murderbot feat. Tha Basix; Red Bone (The Yoshi Track)
    
33. Dude N Nem; Watch My Feet (Remix feat. BNC)
    
34. Waxmaster; You Big Dummy
    
35. DJ Rashad & DJ Chi Boogie; Ay Yo Yo
    
36. DJ Pillsbury; Sugar Plum Fairy Dance
    
37. DJ Rashad; Get It Shorty
    
38. DJ Chi Boogie; 1,2,3,4
    
39. Three 6 Mafia; Don't Call Me No More (DJ D-Block Remix)
    
40. Traxman; Pac-Man
    
41. DJ Spinn & DJ Rashad; Bob It Low
    
42. Juketastrafe; Juke Dat Juicy Booty
    
43. DJ Rashad; Roy Ayers Show
    
44. DJ Spinn; Bounce N Break Yo Back
    
45. DJ Solo; Let Me See You Bounce
    
46. DJ Remi; Get Down On Tha Ground
    
47. DJ Rashad; Deep Inside '06
    
48. DJ Rashad; In Da Club Before 11 O'Clock
    
49. DJ Deeon; Like We Do
    
50. Maddjazz; Beeper Juke Remix
    
51. DJ Diamond; Footwork Twist Em Up
    
52. DJ Gant-Man; Juke Dat Girl From The Back (DJ Rashad Remix)
    
53. DJ Spinn; Feelin' U
    
54. Juketastrafe; Get Retarded
    
55. DJ Deeon; Debo Juke Slide
    
56. DJ Spinn & DJ Rashad; That Booty
    
57. DJ Spinn; Mario Revenge
    
58. Traxman; Newports
    
59. DJ Slugo; 114799 (The Godzilla Track)
    
60. Mariah Carey; Always Be My Baby (Thunderous Olympian Remix)

NEXT WEEK: Synth-Pop.