Another one from the vault that was pretty popular when I first put it online. Then I was still revisiting what I danced to more than a decade earlier, for whatever reason. I was probably just missing a similar vibe. I am still very happy with the intro, a Jack Nicholson monologue lifted from the soundtrack of Five Easy Pieces. “Auspicious beginnings”. Bless soundtracks which contain snippets from the movie. You can do a lot of fine things with such. Also notable, the track that follows. It was from an album compilation of the NYC label Hit-N-Run. I first heard it played at Unit club in Hamburg in 89 or so, and pre-internet it took me quite a while to track it down. It has this mysterious feeling of good Nu Groove Records, but a really original sound. As mentioned, an album track. Once a guy claiming to be behind the label asked me to rip it via Discogs because he had lost all of his masters, but I did not believe him. In any case, this screams reissue with good mastering right in your face. The Rhythm Workshop track is a bit obscure too. The rest are classics. But hey, they are classics for a reason.
New-Ro – Music Trance Rhythm Workshop – Aftershock Aphrodisiac – Song To The Siren The Outerlimit – Dance In A Daze Sandée – Notice Me E.S.P. – It’s You Master C&J – In The City Pal Joey – Partytime A Bitch Called Joanna – I’m a Bitch House 2 House – Hypnotize Me KC Flightt – Planet E Arthur Baker And The Backbeat Disciples – Silly Games Freedom Authority – Expressions The Vision – Shardé Frankie Knuckles – Whistle Song Lil Louis – Do U Luv Me
So there I was in Berlin, surrounded by all these clubs and buzz, and I was adapting quite well actually. But dear me, the minimal hype at that time was difficult for me. I was ready to party, but hours upon hours of reduced subtlety was not what I was really hoping for. This mix was a reaction to that. I recorded it late at night, and it consists mainly of some personal favourites that I used to play at my residency at Tanzdiele in my hometown Kiel. I was not exactly homesick. But I was slowly getting the notion that there was maybe more fiction than fact with the celebrated Berlin scene. Sure, there was a whole lot happening, but I missed the musical variety I experienced in other cities. Strangely enough this mix became quite well loved, so there was hope. Still had no plans to go back into DJing though.
Sensorama – Helgoland DJ Duke – Escape From New York Soylent Green – Untitled Isoleé – Initiate 2 Johnny L – This Time DJ Linus – Pleasure Forever Sweet – Untitled Reset – Robodisco Prescription Underground – Untitled Jon Cutler Feat. E-Man – It’s Yours Johnick – Don’t Stop DJ Sneak – Manos Que Tocan Sensorama – Harzzeit The Untouchables – Something Bugged Orkestra Galaktika Feat. Michael Fewtrell – She Brings The Rain Saint Etienne – How We Used To Live
I was deeply involved in the local subcultures in my small coastal hometown in the 80s. I did not know what I wanted to be, of course, but I know I did not want to be as boring as so many other people my age I met. So local subcultures seemed like an easy way out to be or at least act different. I always listened to a lot of different music at the same time but I opted to be part of the Two Tone/Mod scene. I liked the style and the hierarchical challenge. And well, the fashion was so much better than in other scenes. Of course the town was so small that you kind of were stuck with all the other scenes though, because the majority of other youths hated other youths who thought they were something else, and looked different (and better), and thus you were constantly beaten up. Given the many rules of conduct of “my” subculture many records I loved had to stay guilty pleasures, though I gained a lot of pleasure from them nonetheless (and still do). Now in the process of assimilation in Berlin I also realized how lots of 80s styles were already recycled for a while, like Post Punk, Synthpop, Electro or Italo Disco. I always was interested in context, so mixes like these were probably an effort to set things straight for myself. Never forget where you are coming from and so on. But probably they also reminded me that I was getting older too, and whether I should leave my years of being relatively irresponsible and unreasonable behind. The photo is a take on the Larry Levan story of him cleaning the mirror ball himself before the party, taken before a party at my flat.
Cabaret Voltaire – Just Fascination Shriekback – Working On The Ground John Foxx – Underpass The Weathermen – Punishment Park Impedance – Tainted Love Dominatrix – Dominatrix Sleep Tonight Yazoo – State Farm The Fun Boy Three – Faith, Hope And Charity Yellow Magic Orchestra – Behind The Mask A Certain Ratio – Knife Slits Water A.R. Kane – A Love From Outer Space Yellow Magic Orchestra – Nice Age Nitzer Ebb – Join In The Chant Soft Cell – Torch Liaisons Dangereuses – Etre Assis Ou Danser Visage – Visa-Age Suicide – Shadazz Rheingold – Fluss Godley & Creme – Under Your Thumb
I had just moved to Berlin. I was 35 already and I had already experienced a lot (and had a lot of fun along the way) and thus did not fall for all the hype surrounding my new environment so easily. I was basically through with DJing then, as I had been playing out since the 80s and it kind of felt as it was a good time to let it go. I spent most of my time pondering what to do next and exploring the city. I went out quite a lot and made some new and met some old friends, but a lot of the music played at the clubs was not really my thing. So I did a few mixes to pass the time that kind of revisited favourite tunes I purchased and danced to during my youthful formative days in Kiel and Hamburg. I was still in love with music, but I was wondering if I might just turn into an enthusiast and make a living with something else.
Amnésie – Turas Bobby O – Pump It Up Hipnosis – Droid Casco – Cybernetic Love One Two Three – Runaway Eberhard Schoener – Why Don’t You Answer Visage – In The Year 2525 Sparks – Beat The Clock Klein & M.B.O. – Wonderful Tapps – My Wonderful Lover Klapto – Mister Game Max Him – Japanese Girl Man Two Man – Energy Is Eurobeat Divine – Shake It Up Magnifique – Magnifique Man Two Man – Who Knows What Evil? Bobby Davenport – Time (Has Come Today) Trans X – Living On Video
We had the idea that it would be great to dedicate a whole night to the rich contributions of gay culture to music. Sadly neither could we afford any gay DJ we approached, nor did anybody in Kiel have enough adequate records for a whole night. So I did it all by myself.
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