It was a pleasure to be invited to DJ a set at a private venue, I was given a fairly free choice of tracks to play, given only a few criteria, it was a result from several conversations over time with the friend whose event it was. The set theme had to be old skool blending into some recent current house tracks. Over the last few weeks as I prepared for this set I had been literally living a past back to the early days of the House Genres and concluded that the scene of 88-89 was a fitting set start rather than the earlier Freestyle/Electro style of the early Eighties, even though your notice a track or...
It was a pleasure to be invited to DJ a set at a private venue, I was given a fairly free choice of tracks to play, given only a few criteria, it was a result from several conversations over time with the friend whose event it was. The set theme had to be old skool blending into some recent current house tracks. Over the last few weeks as I prepared for this set I had been literally living a past back to the early days of the House Genres and concluded that the scene of 88-89 was a fitting set start rather than the earlier Freestyle/Electro style of the early Eighties, even though your notice a track or two that probably originated from back then.
So pivoting around the acid and rave era I love and enjoy, my problem was how to keep it from going cheesy, as I don't do cheese of any sort!
I needed to also add a perspective to it to keep the set on key. So basing it on the house tracks from '88, Jack and Piano house, evolving into acid house and then rave. Iconic tunes of that time that already haunt me, as one of my favourite tracks is from ’88. Developing a route to modern house without doing a complete anthropology of house genres that was created and diversified from that era was going to be hard, so I decided on a hard and fast leap.
The result is what was DJ-ed, recorded and uploaded for your listening pleasure and reminisce, for the love of House!!!
During my track selection and practice preparation, it reminded me of the past how hard it was to mix on the 1,2's with vinyl due to pretty much the inconsistencies confined to that media, it has been a long while indeed for mixing this genres. But with the modern abilities of both pre-processing on the PC and the excellence of Pioneer XDJ-RXs, I was able to experiment and achieve mixing that would be very difficult for even the apt top Vinyl DJ. It was made a challenge by the inclusion of certain tracks, which many are NOT DJ friendly by being far too busy at the beginning or the end. Using sampling and reproducing parts of the song I was able to get round a few, the rest was down to a bit of magic, experimenting and a few learned tricks. Add this to changing the genres slightly in a progression and it made it a very enjoyable set, many of my fears for using old skool tracks have been for the moment eased. I do fully understand now why many pub/bar and private venue DJ's simply don’t mix tracks, wedding DJ's are a typical example of this as the broad spectrum of genres and difficult tracks would need an exceptional skill. Then again many are just plain lazy unskilled and don’t prepare.
I have this time decided to put the track list together with notes both why I chose the track and its importance as well as the technics used to deal with mixing issues, a short insight into why DJing for me is a passion!
. 1: Kariya - Let Me Love You Tonight [‘88 Extended Mix] -One of the best tracks of all time, certainly mine. Piano/Freestyle house fore-fronting the acid/rave scene, added sampled intro. 2: Nitro Deluxe – Let’s Get Brutal [’87 Brutal House Mix] -Classic track with extreme dance vibe, light and easy,...
. 1: Kariya - Let Me Love You Tonight [‘88 Extended Mix] -One of the best tracks of all time, certainly mine. Piano/Freestyle house fore-fronting the acid/rave scene, added sampled intro. 2: Nitro Deluxe – Let’s Get Brutal [’87 Brutal House Mix] -Classic track with extreme dance vibe, light and easy, mass of progressive movements and sampling, definitive inclusion, origins of many House tracks which followed. Mixing: 2 minute mix over from track 1, only the use of “highs” reduction blending in slowly, leaving unspoilt vocals and synths from first track, same BPM used. 3: Debbie Malone – Rescue Me [’89 Vocal Mix] - Ahead of its time, uses a deep under-toned sub-bass as a drive as in garage, excellent vocals, the deep bass is a good representation of move from Jack house into a much deeper dance genres. Mixing issues to say the least, severe need to equalize out the bass, to prevent the deep bassline overpowering the blend from the start, bringing it back in gradually from a -30 db attenuation, also vocals come in far too early. Still managed a 75 second mix-over from previous track with increasing BPM 4: Raze - Break 4 Love [’88 Drop The Panties Mix] - Another Classic House track, I chose this version as it is the best, also the most decadent! Unique bassline which beat structure is shifted from the norm, deep and overpowering on blend, bass cut and graduation needed, if you get it right it works magic, add previous tracks issues with sub bass phonics and you have extreme bass control needed, perfect 135 second mix-over with vocal blends from Rescue Me, appreciate and enjoy! 5: Lil Louis The World ft. Shawn Christopher - French Kiss (The Songbird Sings Extended Mix) - Needs no introduction, banned and indecent, this is the English vocalised version with full on breathing and saxophone chorus, extended and reworked a little. True heritage of the genres we now know as progressive house. Its inclusion is without question, primal, invocative and timeless. Difficult mixing technic, high & bass graduating cuts out to previous track, strong treble cut to prevent synth repetition ruining mix, graduated 90 seconds high blend evolves as track gains momentum. 6: Sha-lor – I’m In Love [’88 Caught Up Version] - Big Club House/Dance song, classic without the cheesy taste, an excellent example of its genres. Mixing, Slight high cuts on French Kiss, simple graduated volume blend in and out over 90 seconds, had to be resampled and looped to extend track before new lyrics crashed the progressive synths from French Kiss, otherwise the excellent voice of Sha-lor is lost. 7: Patti Day – Right Before My Eyes [’89 House Vocal Mix] - One of my favourite matured Piano house tunes of ‘89, made famous by N’R’G and their speed garage version next decade. Reworked again for later Garage scene Severe Mixing issue, vocal blast from the get go, high prominent synths without noticeable bassline, un-blendable without serious rework, resampling impossible due to piano synths! Needed track as excellent mix into following track already practiced. Resolve was a break type cut typical of piano house songs themselves, both are piano house, similar keynote and same BPM (saved!) 8: E-Zee Possee ft. MC Kinky - Everything Starts with an 'E' [’89 Sir Frederick Leighton Remix] - Had to be included, prime example of progressive house, the Wiggy rap, samples to die for, a gem of its era, led to scene ‘E’volving to Rave, both euphoric and motive. No words needed! Clean 70 second mix over, total reason track before was used, perfect reference example of track selection requisites. 9: Together feat. Trigga & Sushy - Hardcore Uproar (Lee Mortimer 2011 Vocal Remix) - Remake of original Rave version, extreme rave and still has original qualities, preferred the enhancements on this track, modernised and vocalised. Excellent! Now we are raving!!! Mixing out previous track required progressive bass cut due to hard bass of hardcore uproar, simple volume drops to previous track to keep vocals , 90 seconds of perfection… Enjoy !!! 10: Adonis - Do It Properly (’87 No Way Back) AA version - Chicago Jack/Piano house at its best! Needs no intro or excuse, it’s on my list! Mixing… Errm pass, tried many technics near impossible with the previous hardcore basslines till the end, no resampling without full reproduction in Auditions, decided on a jack style break. Exemplified it! 11: Breach Ft. Andreya Triana – Everything You Never Had (We Had It All) - Excellent modern supposedly deephouse track, more so a floor filling pogressive dance track, excellent vocal track, Basslines change/samples ’88 style scene. - Note* My first ever inclusion in a DJ set, I have Dedicated this to my first love of my life, Niki. - Mix, straight beautiful blend in and out on both tracks sounds magic, short intro on Breach’s production work prevented my usual 90+ secs, already resampled/looped to get 75 secs 12: Frankie Knuckles – Your Love [’88 Extended 12” Mix] VINYL - Classic track, needs no justification, its IN! From Vinyl via audio feed, careful reduction in speed, volume and trebles on controller, blend in volume and reduce treble cut from start. Old skool styleeeeee! Worked, but noticeable, noise also evident from a well overplayed almost 30 years old disc! Not doing that again! 13: Mr Lee – Pump up London [’88 Club Mix] - My first true acid track listed here, prime example of acid house! Love it! - Mix out on phono supply from 1210 deck playing “Your Love”, graduated treble cut also beat matched and blend in volume on this track, worked nice. 14: Maurice - This Is Acid (A New Dance Craze) [’88 12” Version] - Second example of acid house, was a request but is justified being included. At least 2 minutes of mix over, clean and sweet!!! Blend in and out… simples! 15: Krystal Klear - One Night Only (Low Steppa Remix) 2015 - Requested by clients girlfriend, deep bass, vocal and Housey!!! Love it! Massive re-sampling and looping to gain long enough intro to mix sweet, prepared prior to set. 16: Zhu – Faded ( Original ) 2014 - Excellent deephouse/dance example of Zhus work! Prime Cut, Floor filler!!!! Severe rework/re-sampling/loops to gain intro, dropped nice with simple mix over, fairly large BPM drop worked well over the short 60 secs crossover. I am not wasted but… I’d like an ‘E’ Bob! :-D 17: Sam Smith - Like I Can (Jonas Rathsman Remix) 2014 - Into my comfort zone now! Kicking bass-lines, future bass, vocal, electro house, nice piano synths, Progressive volume work to crossover in 90 secs, cutting vocals early. 18: Caribou - Your Love Will Set You Free (C2's Set U Free RMX) 2015 - More future bass, electro extended mixes, top of the night floor fillers, Deep Bass extreme! Used natural fade at end of song for mixing… nice! 19: Jessie Ware - You & I (Forever) (Shift K3Y Remix) 2015 - Exemplary Tune! Just listen! Killer Vocals from Jessie, to die for…. rework/sample/loops to gain enough intro again! Do like long mix-overs, speeding up now. 20: Meditate - What You Do (Jade Blue Remix) - More female vocals, deep monster bass drops! Killer tune on the floor, Almost grindy! Cut out early of previous tune for clean mix, vocal clash issues as per normal in type tracks. 21: Shannon - Let The Music Play (Pain Rossini Remix) 2007 - The original 1993 version is my favourite track of all time, I have always said this could never be remixed and maintain the excellence, and I have plenty of examples where it fails miserable. This Italian producer changed that, also there is a 2nd remix since which I have to admit sounds awesome, its recent too, next time!!! (Progressive dance/electro house version.) - Shannon has always been a difficult vocalist/freestyle artist to mix her tracks well, this rework only needed treble cut and blend on previous track to work it in nicely. 22: Clay, DJ Lewi ft. Marcella Woods – Let Me Love You For Tonight (Soul Avengerz Club Soda Mix) - I wanted to finish on this track but it ends like someone just cut the power, you may realise it’s a rework of the same title of track 1 by Kariya, it credits this final part of the set, history repeats! Highest BPM so far over 10% faster than the original, clean mix in! 23: Sandy Rivera – Physical (original ) 2015 - Dropping it hard and bassy, breaks, full electro deep pumping vibe! Heart attack material! - Ending on a passive dropout ready for next DJ to follow (prepared), difficult mix in, aggressive. Kept short, picked mix over spots on both tracks well, pre-marked timing on tracks to assist. Probably the only real digital assistance I relied on heavily in whole set, bumped together nice!
I hoped you enjoyed my 2 hour journey from the depths of the acid/rave scene forward into the deep bass underground style of music which I have developed into through the years. As I have said many times take me back to ’89. The "summers of love" that followed was the beginning of an era, and a changed in a nation’s aptitude towards music, it also tailored dance music into many spin off genres, most of which owe their heritage to that early house and freestyle music prior to it.