Classic Mix Compilations

[blunt]

besides -- what's the point, really [...] a mix is only interesting when heard the first time around

Hmmm, personally I don't feel that way at all. Certainly nothing beats the visceral thrill of the live mix, warts and all. And I agree with you that white elephant commercial DJ mixes, at least in part, sounded the death knell for 90s dance culture (altho I think it was more symptom than cause).

But surely the quality that defines a "classic mix compilation" is precisely that you can listen to it over and over again, and it still be interesting? And I thought the point of this thread was to try and identify some of them.

Anyway, in my last post on this subject I totally forgot to include Jeff Mills Live at the Liquid Rooms - nuthin' smooth about it, and all the more glorious for it

 

[Rambler]

i-f : mixed up in the hague vol. 1

Seconded!

 

[stelfox]

dominic, that is utter insanity. i really don't understand what the difference between commercially available mixtapes and non-commercial ones. a good mix is a good mix and a bad mix is a bad mix, just as a good record is a good record and a bad record is a bad record, regardless how many or how few people's hands they fall into. this seems to me a case of snooty obscurantism and a decision based on external factors rather than what the music is like. and a mix only being interesting for one listen? what?

anyway, here are a few of my faves.

mills at the liquid room
ratpack at fantazia new year's eve 1989
larry levan live at the paradise garage (the strut double-cd jobber)
m. mayer - fabric 13
stone love 2004 mixtape (boomnoise and matt b can back me up on this)
the greensleeves bobby konders mix
a ridiculous amount of yard tapes i don't know the names of (especially the black chiney one blissblogger gave me that goes all crunk - via lenny kravitz and short dick man!)
z-trip - uneasy listening vol 1
bombshelter djs (z-trip and radar) live at future-primitive sound
dj rectangle - rollin' deep
q-bert - demolitionpumpkinsqueezemuzik
a bunch of old flex tapes off hot 97 from way back when
too many old jungle and 2step garage mixtapes to mention (both big-ass legitimate releases and "underground" ones)
lord of the decks vol 2
aim high vol 2 (the bechmark all grime mixes have to follow now)
essentials - street anthems vol 2
dj screw - june 27th
dj screw - southside ridaz
dj screw - shinnin like tha sun
dj screw - 3 in the mornin'
dj screw - as the world turns slow
dj ideal - the bottom vol 4 hosted by bun b and screwed and chopped by og ron c
og ron c - fuck action 40

 

[dominic]

but i'd dispute that a mix is only interesting the first time.

yes, ahem, well, admittedly, i have downloaded several mixes from bassnation and listened to them several times -- and likely will again in the future -- but it's not "close" listening

and when the everything starts with an e site still worked, i would play the mixes on that site repeatedly

and the ron hardy mixes from the deep house page

etc, etc

so i suppose my target is, as blunt states --

white elephant commercial dj mixes

and i think the solution is to download mixes by amateurs on the internet

or simply not even to download mixes, but listen at your lesiure to what's freely available on sites like the deep house page or, assuming it returns, everything starts with an e -- i.e., sites with mixes of sets recorded at a certain place and time, where the mixing is usually low caliber technically, but the music resonates

or, if you really must, perhaps buy mixes by relatively unknown djs on the street or from an obscure website (if the dj is local or there's some kind of connection)

but to go to a store and buy a mix by jeff mills or some star dj of today's generation??? -- that i would not do

 

[stelfox]

but to go to a store and buy a mix by jeff mills or some star dj of today's generation??? -- that i would not do

you still don't really explain why not

 

[dominic]

that is utter insanity . . . . a good mix is a good mix and a bad mix is a bad mix

what are the reasons for buying a mix cd?

(1) personal or second-hand nostalgia for a time and place -- this is a valid reason in my book -- e.g., ratpack in 89 (as mentioned by stelfox) -- but i'd still cringe at buying such a mix at a commercial outlet

(2) the dj's superior record selection -- possibly a valid reason, but why not track down the records instead?

(3) you're not well versed in the music but want to get a sample of the sounds -- e.g., i will buy dancehall mixes at street fairs from time to time just to get an idea of what's going down -- and in my book (whereby everything i do is just!) this is a fairly good reason

(4) something like dj screw which is sui generis

(5) the dj's superior techinical skill -- not a valid reason

 

[bassnation]

(5) the dj's superior techinical skill -- not a valid reason

funny you should mention that, i just thought of another of my favourite mixes - that dj godfather bomb mix which i posted up here a few months back. that mix is a good example of technical skill and i'd have definitely bought it but its not the kind of thing that gets sold from commercial record outlets unfortunately.

that mix has endless replay value, pity the others in the series weren't as good - less sped up hip hop and more custom-built ghettotech, not as intereresting and unique, but there you go.

 

[3underscore]

the Boomkat mixtapes, although not under this boards radar,are great(no one surley likes every one-but they are fun as a series).

Really, labrat? I have looked at them when using the site, but am not much of a mix listener, so kind of drifted away from them. Any you highly recommend?

As for mixes - yeah, they're a good medium. I don't buy many (very few in truth), but do like the way that they bring people to listen to all sorts of things, and have a vibe to them.

All the same, the worst sin in the world is releasing a mixed vinyl. It is a thing for CDs and tapes, not for vinyl ever.

 

[DJL]

and when the everything starts with an e site still worked, i would play the mixes on that site repeatedly

The mixes from that site are now on www.hardcorewillneverdie.com along with tons more mixes from 89-94. Another one to add to the classics list is the legendary Top Buzz set from Fantazia NYE 91/92 which is streamable from that site. They also have made an effort to compile track listings for some of the better mixes.

 

[stelfox]

oh and i'm totally forgetting john eden and paul meme's lyric maker

 

[droid]

what are the reasons for buying a mix cd?

(1) personal or second-hand nostalgia for a time and place -- this is a valid reason in my book -- e.g., ratpack in 89 (as mentioned by stelfox) -- but i'd still cringe at buying such a mix at a commercial outlet

(2) the dj's superior record selection -- possibly a valid reason, but why not track down the records instead?

(3) you're not well versed in the music but want to get a sample of the sounds -- e.g., i will buy dancehall mixes at street fairs from time to time just to get an idea of what's going down -- and in my book (whereby everything i do is just!) this is a fairly good reason

(4) something like dj screw which is sui generis

(5) the dj's superior techinical skill -- not a valid reason

Theres one thing missing from this list - the fact that most dance music is/was made specifically to be mixed. You could probably make a convincing case that most producers intend for the vast majority of their audience to hear their tunes 'in the mix', and not in isolation, and that when a tune appears in a DJ set, its fulfilling its natural 'built in' function...

 

[hint]

Theres one thing missing from this list - the fact that most dance music is/was made specifically to be mixed. You could probably make a convincing case that most producers intend for the vast majority of their audience to hear their tunes 'in the mix', and not in isolation, and that when a tune appears in a DJ set, its fulfilling its natural 'built in' function...

Absolutely... that 64-bar stripped-down drum intro is often there for a reason.

 

[DigitalDjigit]

Any mix that has a lower average density than 1 track / 3 minutes is disqualified (goodbye Sasha, Oakenfold, etc.). If you don't put more than 20 tracks on your mix cd you are not a dj and we don't want to hear your shiz anyway. I guess an exception could be made for trance music (the real shit where tracks are 10 minutes long) but even then it shouldn't be called a mix cd but a compilation.

Oh, forgot to list some mixes:

Alexander Robotnick - The Discotheque of Alexander Robotnick. Not really a dj mix, obviously done in a studio with equipment. Classic tracks re-edited and re-eqed for maximum dancefloor damage and a healthy doze of new electro circa 2002.

I really like Poker Flat Volume 2 from Martin Landsky but not because of the mixing but just because the tracks are so killer.

I absolutely caned Richie Hawtin's DE9:Closer to the Edit throughout 2003.

My favorite ever mix: DJ Ratty @ Phantazia NYE '91-'92. Definitely not afraid to get dirty and make a mess. 2 Bad Mice at +8 kicks it off and it just goes mental from there. Scratching, backspins and something I still can't figure out. It sounds like he has 3 decks because at one point there are snippets of about 5 different tunes rapidly following each other. Not perfect but raw and energetic. Even the MC is a lot of fun. Top tunage too, from the height of the rave era. I would say that the New Years Eve events of dec. '91 had the best music ever.

 

[ewmy]

i-f : mixed up in the hague vol. 1

Thirded

I would also like to rep Osymyso's Back To The Basics Mix, and the "Nervous Ragga" Mix was the one thing above all others that got me into dancehall (I can't find the link any more though...).

Regarding mixes in general, I don't think anyone would disagree that there is a lot of tripe, especially in the shops. Don't big-name DJs often just put their name on a mix that was knocked up with Pro-Tools by someone else in a studio? Or is this an Mixmag-spread urban myth?

For me it just comes down to a preference towards listening to dance music when it's mixed together (as just mentioned). That goes for whether I'm listening to vinyl at home or on a night out - it just sounds better.

 

[dominic]

Theres one thing missing from this list - the fact that most dance music is/was made specifically to be mixed . . . . and that when a tune appears in a DJ set, its fulfilling its natural 'built in' function...

agreed

with the proviso that the listener should be located on the dancefloor and actively dancing, i.e., completely and utterly lost in the music -- not sitting at home listening to some mix tape

and as for driving around in your car -- if you have a car -- then that's where pirate radio comes in --unless, like me, you live in america

really the tapes that had the most impact on me were:

(1) tapes of this show in hartford, ct, called "hillbilly house" -- a mix of uk hardcore, belgian stuff, and american house and techno -- where the records weren't mixed, save for the last eight bars

(2) mixed tapes that i copied off this guy from england who was travelling the united states selling posters in the summer of 91 -- tapes of stu allen, sean holmes (balearic dj from south), some london pirates -- but these were like alien transmissions, sorta similar to what could be heard on hartford radio, but at the end of the day very different

but this was all before the internet -- today you can simply go on the internet and hear the latest grime sounds on rinse fm or something -- why the need to buy a mix tape if you get the live pirate energy on the rinse archives?

 

[bassnation]

Regarding mixes in general, I don't think anyone would disagree that there is a lot of tripe, especially in the shops. Don't big-name DJs often just put their name on a mix that was knocked up with Pro-Tools by someone else in a studio? Or is this an Mixmag-spread urban myth?

no, thats generally what happens. wandering off topic somewhat, but even rock bands use pro-tools for putting an album together these days - its influence is all pervasive.

don't know if you've ever used it, but its a serious processor hog. industry standard though, would be a handy thing to know how to use.

 

[mms]

regarding big name dj mix cds - a mate of mine used to work for warners licencing all the music for the mixes and most of the time djs just put their name to mixes done by some unknown , one of their mates or something like that.
But if the selection is ok i don't really see the problem with this as long as their skills are up to it.
Personally i love mixes whenever and wherever.

 

[DigitalDjigit]

I think that in general anyone who doesn't use Pro Tools or something similar to put together a mix cd is being lazy or foolish. Why should anyone fork over $15 for something if it's not a quality product. The mixes must be perfect and thoughtfully put together, with edits in the right places. Generally not something you can accomplish with 2 decks. I think Tiga's DJ Kicks CD sets a baseline standard in this regard. Oh yeah, that's another great mix CD.

 

[ewmy]

I really don't have a problem with Pro Tools (or whatever) being used. The Hawtin mixes or Radio Soulwax could never have existed without technology, and I'm sure most of the mix CDs I own have been heavily re-edited and re-mastered.

It was more the somewhat mercenary attitude of the superstar DJ who just makes a quick buck off the back of a CD compiled and mixed by someone else. I bet all the mixes mentioned on this thread didn't fall into this category...

 

[droid]

I think that in general anyone who doesn't use Pro Tools or something similar to put together a mix cd is being lazy or foolish. Why should anyone fork over $15 for something if it's not a quality product. The mixes must be perfect and thoughtfully put together, with edits in the right places. Generally not something you can accomplish with 2 decks. I think Tiga's DJ Kicks CD sets a baseline standard in this regard. Oh yeah, that's another great mix CD.

I disagree.

Nothing wrong with a bit of post production mastering in soundforge to get all the levels to CD quality sound, but you can do a 99% perfect mix on two decks/CDrs without resorting to any pro-tools trickery. The only thing that justifies that is when your mix would be impossible to produce with normal techniques and equipment (like a mix with 5 tunes playing at once, or a set that has a new tune mixed in every 8 bars...)

Ive heard amateur DJ's do near-perfect sets (and then give their mixes away for free). So the professionals should well be able to. (IMHO)