Lost Gems!!
SUPPORT YOUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS. BUY THE TRACKS ON DOWNLOAD!!!
Some of you will own them. Some of you might not. Some of you will recognize them from the tapes that are gathering dust in your attic. But for those that have never heard 'em.....IT'S YOURS!!
Before you loose yourself in the music please bare in mind, this list will NEVER be finished!!! (so if it ain't there yet, it soon will be!) And please also remember, all comments are purely my own and are written either from memory, or from other published sources that I am assuming to be correct. If you can legitemately prove correctness over my own, hit me up. This is a site of historical interest after all!!
Donna Summer - I Feel Love - Casablanca - 1977
Disco officianados might disagree, but I'm not a Disco officianado, I'm an old skool raver, and this track did things to my infantile mind in the late 70's and early '80's that no record has done before or since. Break this track down while you listen and the crudeness of the mixdown is astounding, and yet the psycholigical and emotional impact of this record is untold. Not only was Donna Summer very beautiful, she had a voice that bordered on the angelic. Us Technoheads owe our Disco forefathers the world. Georgio Moroder was a grounbreaking pioneer with an acute sense of technological manipulation. This track proves it. Of course, I'm spouting shit forth from a purely personal standpoint, so forgive me folks!! And Dad, thanks eternally, this is where it all started for me!
Lords of Acid - I Sit on Acid - Kaos Dance - 1988
No words could ever do it enough justice. Way ahead of its time. The Godfather of all Belgian Techno records. 21 years later this is still absolutely immense in terms of depth and stature. Listen to this on your headphones, AND DO IT LOUD!!!!
Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid - Westside - 1988
Brian Duggan, one half of The Future Sound of London on this absolutely slamming release
Fast Eddie - Acid Thunder - DJ International - 1998
Undisputed trend setter from Fast Eddy. Chicago Illinois Acid.
Tyree - Acid Crash - House Musik - 1988
Unstoppable Acid Trance from Chicago's Tyree Cooper.
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray - Rham - 1989
If the discogs discription for this track is to be believed, this ground breaking record was licensed to Warlock records in America by Rham in '88, yet wasn't released here on Rham until '89. It is also said that the vocal sample was taken from a track by Blues legend Bo Diddley, and the full sample should have said Voodoo Rage. Due to the tiny memory in the sampler Gerald was using at the time, the final section of the vocal snippet was literally chopped off, and what was left was Voodoo Ra, hence the title Voodoo Ray. Whatever the story, this monumental record has gone down in history, maybe more than any other pre-rave Acid House track out there. A timeless classic. Gerald now resides n Germany making bad ass Drum and Bass. Check out his amazing album Black Secret Technolgy for Voodoo Ray tinged mid 90's Jungle.
Maurice - This Is Acid - ZYX - 1989
Seminal, minimal, tranceable, danceable..........
Rhythm Device - Acid Rock - Music Man - 1989
"Once there was a time when Rock and Roll was easy"............
One for the marching crew! Another New Beat monster from legendary Belgian producer Frank De Wulfe. Doesn't need any more of an introduction than that!
Shut Up And Dance - £10 to get in - SUAD - 1989
Acid, Breakbeat, Toasting, Whoah!! The alternate sound of the UK undergound scene at the time, and a direct response to the music Belgium and the Netherlands had been pumping in to England in '89. Originally a Rap/Hip-Hop outfit, London based SUAD assault their sampler and make history in this early warehouse rave classic.
Shut Up And Dance - £20 to get in - SUAD - 1989
Follow up or remix? Cleaner and crisper, this 3rd SUAD release saw PJ and Smiley really getting their production technique down. Legendary M25 Track.
808 State - Pacific State - ZTT - 1989
808 State were the first true British Techno band to achieve mainstream success, but there music has never been seen as sell out material. This quality Techno track is beautifully composed, and paved the way for many, many other rave acts. Sublime and highly influential.
Renegade Soundwave - The Phantom - Mute 1990
The Ragga Twins - Spliffhead - SUAD - 1990
Way ahead of its time, spliffhead combined Reggae bass and vocal samples with thunderous breakbeats and authentic toasting to create what is easily the true precursor to the Junglist movement. An all time classic, instantly recognisable by the infamous Ragga Twins vocal style and its uplifting 2 chord sequence, this track upped the ante for UK producers and made SUAD a label not just to be reckoned with, but to be feared!!!
Kicksquad - What You Searchin' For - Kickin' 1990
Adamski - The Bassline Changed My Life - MCA - 1990
And it did!!!!!!!! The first star of the UK rave scene, Adamski set a new standard with this tune.
The KLF - It's Grim Up North - KLF Communications - 1990
Before they became famous for their unique brand of cheesy dance pop and setting fire to a million pounds sterling for the sake of Art, the KLF produced some of the most blinding Techno tracks of the era. This was one of the earliest.
Guru Josh - Infinity - Deconstruction - 1990
A chart smash for the Guru, and a change of consciousness for Britains' Yoof!!
Urban Hype - Teknologi - Reachin' - 1990
Orbital - Chime - ffrr - 1990
Full Frequency Range Recordings must have been very, very pleased when this M25 classic went Top 20 in 1990. Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll went on to become one of the biggest selling electronic/techno acts the UK produced (alongside The Prodigy and The Orb), but in 1990 (and before it charted) this record was the epitome of the illegal rave sound.
Nexus 21 - Together - Network - 1990
GTO - Pure Energy - Go Bang Records - 1990
With elements of their other classic, The Bullfrog (and is it me, or is that main riff very simlar but totally different to Pigbag? I'm not kidding. Listen to it!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8FXuvuCCxw ) . This is Nwman and Wells at their very best, before they wanted to be a hippy and wanted to get stoned. Amazing.
Bassix - Close Encounters - Champion - 1990
Quadrophonia - Quadrophonia - ARS - 1990
With their trademark burbling basslines and Belgian stabs, this along with T99 was probably one of the tracks that set the Belgian seed into UK rave soil. A banging choon too!!
808 State - Cubik - ZTT - 1990
This was one of a few tracks that signalled a change in direction for the scene, with the development of the Hardcore synth riff, and a slight departure from the mellow Techno sound that Acid House had been mutating away from. The birth of Hardcore as a musical entity?
Adamski - NRG - MCA - 1990
'Nuff Said !!!!!
The Shamen - ProGen - One Little Indian - 1990
Classic warehouse track from the days before The Shamen became a pop band, which was a travesty when they could have carried on churning out amazing productions like this.
Cybersonik - Technarchy - Champion - 1990
The bounciest Techno track of 1990? This track set a precedent with growling synths not unlike Codine - Pologue (see below). From Richie Hawtin et al...
Nexus 21 - Still (life keeps moving)-(Kevin "Reese" Saunderson Remix) - Network - 1990
What Altern8 did before they became Hardcore demi gods. And didn't they do it well!! Kevin Saunderson gives it the Inner City touch. You could drop this even today. Class.
Eon - The Spice -Vinyl Solution - 1990
This is the one!! Using the classic Human League synth blip also used in The Horn Track in '92, this sums up the hardcore sound of 1990.
LFO - LFO - WARP - 1990
Low Frequency Oscillation from The North. This track has stood the test of time like no other. An absolute classic in every sense of the word. Musical, melodic, dark and DEEP!!!! The sub bass on this has rarely been equalled.
The Mackensie - Chicago Trip - Mackenzie Records - 1990
Awesome chicago style tripper form the Mackenzie stable
A Homeby, A Hippy And A Funky Dred - Total Confusion - Tam Tam - 1990
M.I.C - OOBE 1 - Planet Pacific - 1990
Cained by Everyone all over everywhere!!!! Classic 1990 stomping choon.
Rhythmatic - Take Me Back - Network - 1990
Before Network hit the financial jackpot with Altern8, they were spewing forth enigmatic Detroit style masterpieces like this, WITH SUB-BASS!!!
Digital Boy - OK Alright - Music Man - 1990
The Scientist - The Bee - Kickin' - 1990
DJ Hype produced floater. Dreamy, melodic early hardcore at its best.
Genaside 2 - The Alchemist - Jumpin' & Pumpin' - 1990
Hardcore!!!!!!!!!! Heavy sampler abuse on this classic 1990 release.
The Mackensie - Children Of The Future - Mackensie Records - 1990
Dark, hard Techno trance. Full of energy with a snare that makes you wanna dance hard!!
Psychotropic - Hypnosis - 02 - 1990
Cained by the likes of Mikey B, DJ Face, Mr Clubman etc back in 1990, this track is instantly recognisable with its trippy hook and mellow breakbeat. About as melodic as it gets.
Kicksquad - Soundclash - Kickin' - 1990
The Scientist - The Exorcist - Kickin' - 1990
Tekno Too - Feel the Power - D-Zone - 1990
D-Zone defined the UK hardcore sound. Coming straight outta Ilford, their influential early releases utilised the sampled breakbeat and deep sub-bass sound to devastating effect. This track is a prime example. Turn up the volume, and you can't help but Feel the Power. With tones of Shades of Rhythm and LFO in the mix, this and the other early D-Zone releases were the real pre-cursors to the Jungle movement. Pure brock out material.
N-JOI - Techno Gangsters - Deconstruction - 1990
Toxic - The Toxic EP - D-Zone - 1990
Another D-Zone classic. Melodic and deadly, with a sub bass hook that just wanted to kill your bass bins for the fun of it.
2 For Joy - In A State - Mercury - 1990
The KLF - What time is Love? - KLF Communications - 1991
Superb. Influential. Pure Trance.
John & Julie - Circles - XL -1991
GTO in one of their other incarnations. Lots of proper frequency abuse on this Tech Acid stomper.
Dimension 5 - Utopia - Perception - 1991
A warehouse classic released on the label run by the people who really put legal all-night parties on the map. Top drawer.
N-JOI - Malfunction - RCA - 1991
To this track is a melting pot of everything that was really happening in 1991 would an understatement. A classic in every sense of the word.
Tekno Too - Jet Star - D-Zone - 1991
That infamous blend of hard and happee was never blended with better effect on a D-Zone release than here.
Tronik House - Up Tempo - KMS - 1991
Another Kevin Saunderson touch on the classic mentasm hoover sound, this time blended perfectly in a Jungle Techno/Detroit cross over stylee. Marching Brock out?
Moby - Go - Outer Rhythm - 1991
No list like this would be complete without the inclusion of this monumental excursion from the man that later went on to become one of the worlds top selling artists. Borrowing the opening chord sequence from the music to cult American TV serial Twin Peaks, this chugging, wriggling, acidic in places techno trance masterpiece became an all time rave anthem. Arguably one of the most important records of 1991.
World Dominance - Compression - Power Traxx - 1991
SIL - Windows - Rhythm Records - 1991
N-JOI - Mindflux - RCA - 1991
More synth driven techno stomping from the prolific Essex based collective.
808 State - In Yer Face (remix) - ZTT - 1991
808's last big rave track before the scene became a place where the breakbeat ruled. This link is the remix, but the orignal is less cluttered, and has bigger impact (I couldn't find it though. Watch this space).
2 For Joy - Let The Bass Kick - All around The World - 1991
Amen!!!
Angel Ice - Je N'aime Que Toi - Beat Box International - 1991
With a repetative, icy synth riff and muck lady lyrics, this was a pure rushing tune. From the Praga Khan/Oliver Adams stable. Had a weird cover that you could spend hours making faces out of too.
Altern8 - Infiltrate 202 - Network -1991
Stafford boys Altern8 made a real statement when they created this masterpiece. Every second of the 7 plus minutes on this perfect record screams quality. Nothing short of amazing.
Tuff Little Unit - Join the Future - WARP - 1991
On the mellow tip, but when that bassline drops halfway, it kills your subs!!
Angel Ice - Paranoid - Beat Box International - 1991
Getting closer to the Praga Khan sound, but still has a lovely riff on the break. A Belgian Belter.
TC 91 - Berry - Union City - 1991
Italian Techno stormer with the most elongated synth tease on vinyl (at the time). One for the 3 'o' clock crew.
The Ragga Twins - Hooligan 69 - SUAD - 1991
Nearly 55,000 hits on YouTube says it all!!
Epitome of Hype - Ladies with an Attitude - Big Life - 1991
Breakage!!!!!! If you didn't know any better, I'd say you could easily mistake this for early SUAD.
DJ DD Hass - Hi Tek Muuusic - Underground Connection - 1991
Using the reverb laden break that later went on to be used and abused in both The Sound of The Underground, and Antheama, this ground breaking record thundered into the scene, with its Keep the Fires Burning style deep bass blobs and high pitched synth scratches. A real rushing track, with no piano in sight. Ahead of its time.
Bug Khan & The Plastic Jam - Made in 2 Minutes - Optimum Dance - 1991
This track was un-escapable in 1991. Now wonder. It's pure kick ass.
Doc Scott - Surgery (NHS EP) - Absolute 2 - 1991
Coventry based DJ Doc Scott made such a big impact with this immense track in 1991. Borrowing Mentasm and 808 State samples to form what would today be known as a Mash Up, this Belgian style UK rave anthem shows early signs of drum/break trickery in the opening 32 bars that signalled a change in attitude towars the humble 4 bar breakbeat loop. Surgery represents the point where the UK and Belgium go head to head in the studio to devastating effect.
Neon - Waves - Rave55 - 1991
A mind mashing, wuzzy synth shape thrower. The Techno mix is far harder, but until somebody uploas a copy, you'll have to make do with the house mix. Still loving those layered hoover riffs and the 16ths kick drum roll on the drop.........
Love Decade - Dream On (Is This a Dream) - All Around The World -1991
What Exctacy was really invented for.
The Prodigy - Pandemonium (Charly EP) - XL - 1991
Charly realy opened the world up to The Prodigy, but as good as it was, it overshadowed the other excellent tracks on the EP. Pandemonium is on of them. Hardcore, you know the score!!!!!!!!
N-JOI - Anthem - Deconstruction - 1991
Title says it all!! Essex was a hotbed of creativity throughout the early 90's. N-Joi were one of the counties leading exponents, and this track shows why.........
Love Decade - So Real - All Around The World - 1991
What a fucking RUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seen sooooooooo many people loose their nut to this track. IMMENSE!
Bizzare Inc - Playing With Knives - Vinyl Solution - 1991
This absolute, bona fide all time classic really needs no introduction. So just listen instead of reading this crap that I'm spouting.
Congress - 40 Miles - Inner Rhythm - 1991
Mellow and beautiful.
Mental Cube - Q (so this is love EP) - Debut - 1991
The Future Sound of London in one of their many alternative guises. Q is a bleepy Techno belter of epic proportions. This track killed dancefloors in '91.
Messiah - Prince of Darkness - De Ja Vu Recordings - 1991
Messiah's first release on Middlesex based De Ja Vu Recordings. Unlike their later releases, this Breakbeat driven slab is dark and skippy all at the same time. Messiah had an excellent talent for fusing film script edits into their music, and the title of this tune really does describe the feeling of this track perfectly.
Isotonik - Different Strokes - ffrr - 1991
Chris Paul, the man behind the infamous Orange raves at The Rocket and The Hippodrome (London) in his guise as Isotonik. This was one of those tracks that charted, but never seemed to loose its appeal to the purists. You might say this was on the mellow tip.
SL2- DJ's Take Control - XL - 1991
Superbly produced Hardcore anthem from London based DJ's Slipmatt and Lime. Atmospheric Hardcore that just took you there (and still does).
Cubic 22 - Night in Motion - XL - 1991
Originally released on Big Time International, this HUGE anthem was spawned by Belgian producers Peter Ramson and Danny Van Wauwe, of Nightbird and Set up System fame.
N-JOI - The Adrenalin EP - deconstruction - 1991
4 to the floor acid synth belter from Essex based N-JOI. Classic.
Skin Up - Blockbuster - Love - 1991
Love it or hate it, it was a big tune! (I thought it was alright me self)
Human Resource - Dominator - R&S - 1991
The mother of all hoover records, and maybe the one responsible for bringing Belgian Techno to the fore of the UK conscience? This one had an unusually low pressing volume, but still proved to literally dominate UK DJ sets for almost all of 1991.
The Future - Locked in Madness - Music Man - 1991
You could march all night to this. This track is so empty that you can almost see through it, but it didn't half mesmerise the dancefloor.
Messiah - There Is No Law - Kickin' - 1991
Messiah blended UK Breakbeat and European Techno perfectly on this most amazing record. Hardcore in its purest form. And who could forget that brilliant Junior Tomlinson cover?
Out-Phaze - Reactivate - Fully Loaded - 1991
M17 - Rockin' Down The House - Chill - 1991
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friends of Matthew - The Calling - Pulse-8 - 1991
Sampling what I think is a lyric sung by Karen Carpenter, this superb record blended the depth and space of Purist Techno with hard hitting drums beats and Sci-Fi sounds. Awesome., haunting, melodic and beautiful all at the same time.
Ravesignal 3 - Horsepower - R&S - 1991
CJ Bolland in control of this fantastic R&S EP. More mind melting phasing on this close your eyes and realise you're across the other side of the room when you open them techno trancer.
Ravesignal 3 - Mindwar - R&S - 1991
The equally as inventive flipside. One for the purists. And the marching crew.
Set Up System - Fairy Dust - Big Time Records - 1991
This is probably the epitome of the Belgian Techno sound. Scratchy synths and that instantly recognisable beat. Written and produced by the same team that brought you Nightbird (see below). An all time favourite originally released on Belgian import and then signed by XL Recordings.
Convert - Nightbird - Big Time International -1991.
A Belgian classic. It's tracks like this that made 1991 such an amazing year for dance music. Belgian Techno was everywhere in '91. It influenced the entire UK scene, dominated it almost. Some of it was deep and hard and some of it was uplifting. This timeless classic falls into the latter catagory. If this choon can't put a smile on your face, nothing will.
Beltram - Energy Flash -R&S - 1991
I would say there isn't a single raver from '91 who doesn't remember the very first time they heard this tune. DJ's melted people with this track! Joey Beltram, American born but residing in Belgium was just 19 when he produced this all time classic Belgian Techno tune. He couldn't possibly have known what a monster he'd created. Drawing you in and locking you into that hypnotic bi-level bass warble, then mashing your brain with its metallic flashes of psychedelic sound, this track was all about levels. Non existant ones, that people threw shapes too. Watching a crowd loose themselves to this was a sight in itself. A true classic.
Second Phase - Mentasm - R&S - 1991
I'm sure that Joey Beltram would never have believed that 18 years after he produced this all time classic with Mundo Muzique, people would still be sampling that amazing sound that has now become recognized the world over as Hoover. Hardcore, Drum and Bass and Hardhouse producers have all pillaged this sacred sound, and to good effect. I would even hazard a guess and say this is probably one of the most sampled rave tracks out there. Mentasm is the stuff of legend. And still makes you wanna turn off the living room lights and wear a hole in the carpet.
Frequency - Kiss the Sky - Lower East Side - 1991
Mesmerising and ultra powerful, this Dutch belter still sounds amazing. The Kiss the Sky vocal was sampled from the classic Jimi Hendrix track Purple Haze. This link is the original with that sample, before it had to be re-released without it due to licensing laws.
MNO - God of Abraham - Trance Mission - 1991
This is just crackers.
DJPC - Insomniak - ******* - 1991
Classic Belgian rave anthem, well known to DJ's for the loop that never really looped properly. Listen. Every mixers worst nightmare. Also well known for the fact that youcold spin the 'I must sleep' smle backwards and it said 'Insomniak'. Weird.
Trilithon - Children Of The Future - XYZ - 1991
Awesome choral trancer for the Beligian Empire.
The Nightripper - Phuture - ESP - 1991
Orlando Voorn at the helm as alter ego The Nightripper. I remember losing it to this in a big way several times!!
Mig 29 - Mig 29 - Pirate - 1991
While the Belgians were dominating the UK raves, the Italians were busy beavering away on their own turf and churned out some amazingly original material. There were a number of highly successful Mig releases, and the breakdown on this Italo House classic is sublime to say the very least.
Carl Cox - I Want You (forever) - Perfecto - 1991
Before he became a worldwide authority on all things Techno related, Carl Cox was one of the busiest and most sought after Hardcore DJ's on the circuit. This release on Paul Oakenfolds Perfecto label put him on the map as a producer too.
Rozalla - Everybody's Free - ***** - 1991
One of the bounciest basslines comitted to vinyl. A hands in the air classic.
Genaside 2 - Narra Mine - Jumpin' & Pumpin' - 1991
Vocals, Breaks, Bass, this ones got it all!
Blame - Music Takes You - Moving Shadow - 1991
The original featured a vocal sample by Seal - "Music takes you round and round and round and round and round" - Fetching big money now, and very sought after. This link is identical bar the sample, and really shows the high level of foresight that Moving Shadow were showing at the time. This track spawned a whole host of imitations, but none could step up to the mark. This track set a precedent. Blame is now a top flight Drum and Bass artist.
Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era - Far Out - Suburban Base - 1991
Not the full version, but well worth losing the xtra minutes for the video. Classic!
Science Lab - Flesh and Blood - Mental Radio - 1991
Orgasmic trancer. Just listen..........Very different from the material this crew (Praga Khan, Jade 4 U etc) usually put out. One of my all time favourites, so forgive my self indulgnce!
Toxic Too - Rave Generator - PWL - 1991
Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea - Jumpin' & Pumpin' - 1991
Needs no introduction. And the video on this link is amazing.
Shut Up And Dance - The Green Man - SUAD - 1991
SUAD had major success with this classical music sampling raver. A Big, Big tune.
SL2 - Way In My Brain - XL - 1991
One of the first Ragga Rave excursions, before Jungle Tekno bceame a bona fide sub genre. Dark and full of energy.
Austin - I Get High - Suburban Base - 1991
Austin Reynolds was a top drawer producer/engineer during the early 90's (and might still be?), and made some brilliant records, just like this one. Full of sub-bass and 1990 style Techno bleepage. Classic Suburban Base.
Urban Shakedown -Some Justice - Urban Shakedown - 1991
Mickey Finn, Aphrodite and Claudio Giussani (who later went on to release some monumental original Trance tracks on the mighty Platipus label) smashed the scene to pieces with this track. One of the first Jungle tracks EVER!! (and spawned many imitators with that immense bass wobble)
