Mixtape - "Another Hard House Experience".

1995 and I put out this promo mix tape. I still think it’s about my best work. I remember spending ages on track selection and programming, but I think I got the actual mix down in one take on tape on only the first or second try. My mixer was pretty simple, 2 channel faders and nothing else, so don’t expect any fancy FX work.
As is usual for me, it’s a mix of pumping progressive house, techno and rave music. Music to dance to, not trance out to. Me and my mates called it hard house because no other genre fitted it at the time, but that was before the likes of Tony Di Vit came along and claimed ‘hard house’ for themselves. Have a listen and decide what it is for yourself; get back to me with your imaginative genre ideas at withinaconstantgroove@gmail.com. Winners notified by registered mail. Or not.

side a ... Download @ 128kbps here: mediafire
1. Marine Boy - Creation, Light, Energy. Total Music, UK (1994)
2. Sublime - TGV (Paris-Marseille Mix). Limbo, UK (1994)
3. Epik - The Blob. Chug N Bump Records, UK (1994)
4. Circle City - Moments Of Inertia. Warp Records, UK (1993)
5. MikeroBenics - Julika (Comes Too Late Mix). Harthouse, Germany (1994)
6. Melt - Be Liquid (Transformer 2 Remix).  DFC (1993)
7. F.W. Noie - The Original Movement. Opium, UK (1994)
8. Richard Brown - Flange-O-Matic. Tippy Tappy Bollocks, UK (1994)
9. Lekker Vet - Fuzzy Logic. Whoop, UK (1994)
10. Epik - Driver. Chug N Bump Records, UK (1994)
11. Whitestorm - Bongos And B-Line. Bedhopper Recordings, UK (1994)

Another Hardhouse Experience - Side A by Withinaconstantgroove on Mixcloud

side b ... Download @ 128kbps here: mediafire
1. Whitestorm - Bongos And B-Line (Bedhopper Recordings, UK 1994)
2. unknown
3. Esco B - Free Your Mind (Oscilator, Belgium 1993)
4. Ultrahigh - Primitive Love (Force Inc. Music Works, Germany 1994)
5. Marine Boy - Creation, Light, Energy (Total Music, UK 1994)
6. Man With No Name - Teleport (Dragonfly, UK 1994)
7. Vinyl Blair - Horsework (Hard Hands, UK 1994)
8. Shi-Take - Don't Look Back In Anger (Zoom, UK 1994)
9. Stereogen - Hi-Q (Vinyl Addiction, UK 1992)
10. Marine Boy - Fluid (Ohm, UK 1994)
11. Clockwork - Supplanter (X-Gate Records, UK 1994)

Another Hardhouse Experience - Side A by Withinaconstantgroove on Mixcloud

Two massive German B-sides from 1994.

Harthouse and Eye Q - giants of trance. Most of their decent releases have found their way on to various compilations and re-releases over the years, but as far as I can tell, these two tracks have only ever appeared on vinyl as b-sides.

Discogs
B1 Skyline (Sky Mix)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire

Absolutely rocking hard trance; the melody won't leave your head for days.

Discogs

B1 Desire (Tronic Mix)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire

The a-side is a bit cheesy, with some girl whispering something about feeling her desire - not my cup of tea. The Tronic mix is proper trance; killer bassline, some nice pads and a main melody that's not too dissimilar to Sourmash's "Pilgrimage To Paradise" (released the year before). But unlike Sourmash (which was veering towards the hard house side of trance), the melody on this mix of "Desire" sounds like it was written by aliens to fuck with your acid dazzled mind.

My favourite Eye Q track.

Microglobe - Think & Dance E.P. - Vol. 1

Techno rave with a message - not as much of a crock as you might imagine. Microglobe's Mijk van Dijk is king of pumping early 90s trance, just check "High On Hope" or another project of his, Marmion's "Schöneberg" for the evidence.
Here we have a brief spoken word intro about the youthful responsibility of saving the world that our parents have almost destroyed before the the track erupts into true peak time madness. Big message, big tune!

Discogs

A1 Environ-Mentality (Act 1)

A2 Environ-Mentality (Act 2)

B1 Pro-Tection (Rubber Mix)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire

Mr Monday - Rave Legend.

Simon Monday was an early member of the UK acid house scene, and pretty early on it seems he was contributing studio skills. He helped to pull the soundtrack of the monumental techno video project “Stakker – Eurotechno” together when Brian Dougans (of Humanoid and Future Sound Of London fame, and a techno legend of the highest order) quit the project. You’ll also spot a lot of his input in the first “Live At The Brain” compilation.

His solo work begins here with 1989’s piano house “Appreciate/Keep On”, and then follows with the b-sides to his masterpiece, funnily enough (or not) produced by Judge Jules. "Future" was released on Roy The Roach’s Elevation Inc. label in 1990; I think only about 500 copies were pressed, but this was enough to get it out and about. Tony Humphries cained it for ages, and Mr Monday played live PAs at some of that year’s biggest parties.

In Melbourne, "Future" was a fucking massive track and was probably played at every party and event running into 1992. I see it called a piano house stormer a lot, but I always thought the main melody had more of a latin guitar rhythm to it... anyway, I like "Future" most for the killer main break and turbo powered kick off. The synth stab patterns are magic too – best since “Strings Of Life”. I’d still put “Future” up there in my all time top 3 tracks (the other two move around a bit but at the moment “Pacific State” and “Multifunction” come to mind as contenders).

You won't find "Future" linked here - it's still available to buy, but the b-side “Pushing” is a bit of vocal house gem – even if it is a bloke doing the singing.

1991’s remixes of “Future” didn’t have a chance of equalling the original – although the Mellow Mix isn’t too bad (and they’re all a darn sight better than those that came out on Ministry Of Sound’s Open imprint in the mid 90s).
1992’s Power/Knowledge EP didn’t really go anywhere new and I lost interest in his work after that. But 20 years on, “Future” is still a class tune. So respect (and thanks too Simon, where ever you are nowadays).

Discogs

A1 Appreciate

B1 Keep On (Piano Groove)

B2 Keep On (Piano Groove)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire

Discogs

A1 Future

B1 Pushing (Full Up Mix)

B2 Pushing (Edit)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire

Discogs

A1 Future (Re-Energised)

B1 Future (Mellow Mix)

B2 Stop It My Ears Are Bleeding (Def Mix)

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire

Discogs

A1 Busy Going Crazy

A2  Daybreak

B1 Listen N' Weep

B2 I Can't Breath When I Look At You

Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ... mediafire