This is my rave tape! A retrospective look into my UK rave culture roots.

‘I remember vividly when I heard my first ever rave tape. It was 1992 & my friend gave me the cassette to play in my walkman after school. When I put it on my whole world changed. I'd never heard anything like it before & instantly was hooked. That tape was DJ Seduction & Jumping Jack Frost at Perception Wonderland July '92. It's still one of my favourites.

My school friends & I used to collect all the rave tape packs when they came out, getting the bus to Swindon & going to the 'rave shop' as we called it. At this time we weren't old enough to go to the actual parties. Our favourites were from the Universe parties which were happening quite closer to where I grew up in Wiltshire. We had others from Dreamscape, Fantasia, Obsession, Amnesia House & Helter Skelter. The walls of my bedroom were covered in rave flyer. I’d often drift off to sleep & dream about going to some of them.

When I got a bit older, but probably not old enough, I was able to go to the parties myself. I used to regularly go to Devotion at Golddiggers, Fusion in Bath, The Brunel Rooms where D.I.Y hosted a room, Helter Skelter at The Sanctuary, United Dance, Slammin' Vinyl & free parties like Spiral Tribe. These were some of the best days & had a huge influence on my musical taste & style. I’d always say to myself ‘one day that will be me on the decks up there’.

My first ever gig was at a club called The Depot in Bristol which hosted a night called Death Row Techno. At the time I was playing what we'd now call jungle techno. It was a little before UK rave music split into happy hardcore & jungle/DnB. The night I played was a rave (I can’t remember the name of the event) that had Bristol’s own jungle legend Ronnie Size & one of the scenes best hardcore DJs Brisk playing. So you could say that rave is in my blood.

For years I've been saying I'm going to make my own rave tape. A collection of all the tunes that, when I hear them, I can recall exactly where I was, who I was with & where we were in the crowd. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!'

Track listing:
N-Joi - 'Anthem'
Xpansions - 'Move Your Body'
Snap! - 'Do You See The Light' (Hypnotic Base Line Mix)
Strike - 'U Sure Do'
House Pimps - 'Zulu Nation' (Andronicius Discus Remix)
Bizarre INC - 'Playing With Knives'
Terrorize - 'It's Just A Feeling'
Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era - 'Far Out'
DJ Seduction - 'Hardcore Heaven'
Awesome One - 'Don't Go'
2 Bad Mice - 'Bombscare'
Zero B - 'Lock Up'
Jonny L - 'Hurt You So'
Gordon Edge - 'Compunded'
Top Buzz - 'Living In Darkness'
Nookie & Cloud 9 - 'Give A Little Love'
The Vibe Controller - 'Gurn N Glow'
D-Force - 'Ruff!!!'
DJ Red Alert & Mike Slammer - 'In Effect'
Ramos, Supreme & Sunset Regime - 'Gotta Believe' (Heaven Mix)
Nookie & Cloud 9 - Gonna Be Alright (Nookie Remix)
DJ Seduction - 'Sample Mania'
DJ Brisk - 'Airhead' (SMD Remix)
Origin Unknown - 'Valley Of The Shadow'
Omni Trio - 'Renegade Snares'
DJ Zinc - 'Ready Or Not'
DJ SS - 'The Lighter'
Ray Keith - 'Renegade'
The Ratpack - 'Sweet Harmony vs Promised Land'

I've made a playlist of a load of the rave tape I'm talking about so you can hear them for yourself: soundcloud.com/d-funk/sets/rave-tapes-raves-i-went-to

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