A cheeky electronica retake on the classic Netherworlds track from the great LSG Hooj Choons.

Netherworld [Off Meta Enters the Netherworld]

At the risk of dance music blasphemy, I’m releasing a project I’ve had in my head for a long time.  The greatest commercial DJ Mix of all time, in my opinion, and that of many others, is “ Renaissance - The Mix Collection” by Sasha and Digweed.  Originally released in October of 1994, it became an instant classic for many ravers and clubbers across the globe. The mix started the entire DJ mix compilation market, and that is no overstatement.  The superb track selection and absolute mixing perfection delivered an indelible mark on dance music history that, to that point, could only be heard in the underground clubs, notably at Renaissance in Mansfield, England.

Thirty years on, this DJ Mix still sounds amazing to old and new listeners alike. There are too many compelling reasons why this mix works to list here.

Over the years, many of the tracks played across the three CDs have been remixed. Others have not. My thought was, what would it sound like if all three CDs were recreated track for track, using nothing but remixes?  

Apparently, I was not the only one who had this idea.  As I was compiling remixes, working on the mix in late 2024, I checked out the latest mix from the amazing Framewerk, and lo and behold, their NYE2025 set is a close recreation of Disc 1 of The Mix Collection using their own remixes.  First off, I wish I was at the club where they played this set.  Second, I thought the idea was now taken.  

Finally, I thought they released one track for which I desperately needed a remix of - Bladerunner - Til We Meet Again.

In the end, I decided to continue with my project. My mix uses remixes from many different artists, including Framewerk. While breaks are my first love, I’m using a mix of 4/4 and breakbeat remixes to complete this project. I created my own edits for a few tracks for which I could not find a good remix. 

So here is Disc 1 of the “Re-Mix Collection.” Sourcing all the tracks was not easy. I found remixes on the usual sights like Beatport and Bandcamp.  Some remixes are quite close to the originals with breaks instead of 4/4, or slight alternate genres,  others like Mattr's remix of Mephisto are almost unrecognizable from the Renaissance version. 


Disc 1 Re-Mix Collection Tracklisting - Faithfully recreated in the order of the original.

1. Leftfield - Song of Life (Framewerk Part 1, 2 and 3 NYE Rewerk)
2. Leftfield - Song of Life (Betoko Remix)
3. Bedrock - For What You Dream Of (Panelbeater Dub Remix)
4. Bedrock - For What You Dream of (Blue Amazon Beach House Remix)
5. Rhythm Invention - Chronoclasm (2019 Re-Edit)
6. Disco Evangelists - De Niro (Framewerk NYE Special Mix)
7. Mephisto - State of Mind (Mattr Remix)
8. Mephisto -  State of Mind (Darkness Remix - Sampled)
9. Moonchild - V.O.A.T (Eats Everything Remix)
10. Moonchiled - V.O.A.T (Framewerk Anthemic Selections)
11. Sunscreem - Perfect Motion (2012 Re-Ed)
12. River Ocean - “Love and Happiness” (House Nation Mix)
13. That Kid Chris - “Keep Passin’ On  / Didn’t I Show you Love  (Soundcloud Bootleg)
14. Remake - Blade Runner / Inner City - Til We Meet Again (Framewerk Anthemic Selection)
15. Bump - House Stompin (Paradise Soul Remix)
16. F Machine - “Child Bride” (OFF META’s  F the Machine Mix)
17. M People “Renaissance”  (OFF META’s Full on Breaks Mix)

.

Renaissance The "Re-Mix" Collection - Disc 1

This is an electronic, breaks retake on the classic Change by Daphne. The vocals of this track are beautiful and timeless. You CAN change your mind.

Change - (Off Meta Revisit)

Here is disc 2 of Renaissance the “Re-Mix” collection by me - Off Meta. This mix has been a real labor of love. Again, I’ve done a track for recreation of the mix using nothing but remixes that I found across the web, on SoundCloud, Bandcamp, & I commissioned through fellow producers along with a few creations of my own. 

Disc 2 was substantially harder to find quality remixes of every track. I connected with a few producers that created 5 completely new versions of tracks, including Let’s Get This Party Started and She Holds the Key, both done by the prolific Ranj Kaler. Blue Amazon gave me his unreleased remix of Fluke - "Slid" now available on his amazing Patreon page.  Rising breakbeat star Matty Wright delivered an updated progressive breaks remix of “Always” by Fishbone Beat that sounds both 90’s classic and modern all at the same time. It may be my favorite remix on disc 2. Veteran, Noel Sanger took the all time classic “Talk to Me” Sasha mix by Hysterix and turned into a modern progressive breaks beauty. Lost Astronaut took on the task of remixing what is arguably the least memorable song from the Disc 2, and turned it into the perfect come-down closing track. 

Finally, like Disc 1, some tracks like MBG “Trance 1” and Funtopia - “Do You Wanna” simply had no remixes, so I created my own edits that I hope are worthy of this mix.  I also used a few remixes from Jamie Rainbow that don’t stray too far from the original but have just a touch of updated flair to make them stand out. 

I appreciate hearing from you old-schoolers who love the original Renaissance like I do. Let me know your thoughts on Disc 2. I’m on to Disc 3 where I’m hoping to big with even more updated remixes of these classics.


1. Fluke - Slid (Minke Boots Remix)
2. Funk Machine - Let’s get the party started - (Ranj Kaler Life of the Party Mix)
3. Fluke Slid - (Blue Amazon Unreleased Secret Mix)
4. Corrado - Trust - (J. Rainbow Bandcamp Edit)
5. MBG Trance 1 - Alkey Warp + Oriental (OFF META Trance In Your Pants Mix)
6. Hysterix - Talk to Me (Noel Sanger's '25 Renaissance Reviso)
7. Annadin - Angel - (J. Rainbow Bandcamp edit)
8. Virtual Mismoplatic - (Chris Cargo / Mr Marvin)
9. Virtual Mismoplastico - (Lee Coombes Back to the Future Mix)
10. Fishbone Beat - Always - (Matty Wright Shaken Not Stirred remix)
11. Grace Not Over Yet - (Framewerk Bandcamp Rewerk)
12. Grace Not Over Yet - (PARKX Remix)
13. Secret Life - (She Holds the Key - Ranj Kaler Locked Out Remix)
14. Funtopia - Do You wanna Know (OFF META Got 4/4 Drumtopia Rework)
15. VFR - Tranceillusion. (Taucher Mix , OFF META Edit)
16. Kym Mazelle - Was that all it was? (Lost Astronaut Remix)

Renaissance The "Re-mix" Collection - Disc 2

Funtopia Do You Wanna (OFF META Got 4:4 Drumtopia Revisit)

OFF META - My Voice

OFF META - Our Voice

OFF META - Your Voice

A slight rework of this Renaissance classic, I did for my disc 2 recreation of the classic series. The arrangement follows the original, with a breakbeat underpinning. 

MBG - Trance Wave 1 OFF META REMIX

A live set I played in Orlando Fl at a small venue called Oliv Bar.  This was my first hour made up of mostly breaks and electronica. 

Tracklisting
1. Quivver, Dave Seaman, Leo Wood - Voice Recognition (Feat. Leo Wood) - Extended Mix
2. Off Meta - Our Voice (Forthcoming on Capital Heaven records)
3. Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (Budakid’s Hyper Dream Edit) - Soundcloud
4. Phil Collins - Air Tonight (Jaime Rainbow’s Crooked Breaks Edit)  -  Bandcamp
5. Ivan Gough , Marc Edwards - Believe (Luke Chable’s Bliss Abyss Remix) 
6. Economist - Different Versions of Your Love
7. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams Acapella
8. Nopi - Where to Go (Tristan Case & Tom Barlow Remix)
9. Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar (Amirali Extended Breaks Mix)
10. Framewerk - How it Feels - Bandamp Reworks
11. Sasha & Because of Art - Fused
12. Because of Art Feat Anthony Szmierek - Circle of Light 

Off Meta -  Live @ Oliv Bar (Orlando)- 4-12-25

Thank you to Lynsday and those at Subcode radio for offering me a guest mix slot on their Lounge Session. I got to play a lot of tracks I'm quite fond of the don't normally fit into my regular sets.  I kept the tempo at a lounge friendly 118 - 120 bpm.  

This mix spans four decades of electronic music, weaving original and updated versions of tracks as far backs 1992, to the others from 2024. I labeled each track with it's original release date to show the range. It's beautiful and amazing to me that tracks from 30 years ago can still blend seamlessly with music from today.  For those old school clubbers, there is plenty of nostalgia across this set. 

I hope you enjoy and as always, please leave a comment. 


Tracklisting

Sasha -  Belfunk (Framewerk Rewerk) (Original Release 1999)
Humate - Love Stimulation (Framewerk Poolside Remix) (Original Release 1993)
Orbital - Belfast (Wasted Vocal Mix) (Original Release 1991)
Murge - Full Flight (2020)
Orbital - Nothing Left (Framewerk Ibiza Sunset Mix) (Original Release date 2001)
Trilucid - Stories in Light (Sunset Mix) (2024)
God Within - The Pheonix (Steal From the Rich - Off Meta Edit) (Original release date 1995)
Tegal Boys - Simple Cat (Warehouse Presevation Society Mix) (2022)
God Within - Raincry (Sabo Mix) (Original release date 1995)
Kiasmos - Gaunt (2015)
Mail Grab - Out of Time (2023)
Spooky - Little Bullet (Gargantuan Mix) (Original Release date 1993)
Luke Chable - Melburn (the oddness remix) (Original release date 2004)
Guy Gerber & Desire - Don’t Call (Guy Gerber Rework) (2020)
Franky Wah & Sasha - Mark One (Original) (2020)
Tats K - Bonfire (Tats K Minus 4x4 Mix) (2023)
Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (Silinder Remix) (Original release date 1992)
pMar - Reboot (Dub Edit) (2021)
Essay - Archangel (2019)
Bonobo - Kerala (2017)
RITM - OOBE Enlightment (Sample) (Original release date 1993)
Sasha - Xpander (Live at the Barbican) (Original relaese date 1999)

Lounge Sessions (7-13-25)

1. M People - How Can I love you More (Blue Amazon Remix)
2. Moby - Go -  Manic Brothers Remix
3. Jaco - Show some Love (Rhythm Invention Remix)
4. Spooky -  Little Bullet (WasP Richochet Remix)
5. Spooky - Little Bullet (Framewerk Breaks Remix)
6. Havana - Sublime Theme (Digital Department Back to the Old School Remix))
7. Shawn Christopher - Another Sleepless Night (Ralph Rosario Mix)
8. Shawn Christopher - Another Sleepless Night (Ralph Rosario 30th Anniversary Mix)
9. Unity 3 - Age of Love (Framewerk Rewerk)
10. EMF  - They’re here (Medway Remix)
11. Solar Plexus - Solar Plexus (Framewerk 4x4 Rewerk)
12. Havana - Ethnic Prayer (Dave Gluskin Remix)
13. 2 Bad Mice - Bombscare (Hybrid Remix)
14. Age of Love - Age of Love (Steve Gerrard Mix)
15. My Friend Sam Featuring Viola Willis - It’s my pleasure (Off Meta’s Piano Breaks Remix)
16. Lemon Intertupt - Dirty - (Medway Remix)

Finishing the triology, here is Disc 3 of my “Re-mix” collection of the GOAT Renaissance DJ Mix originally done by Sasha and Digweed in 1994.  Disc 3 follows the same format of Disc 1 and 2, using the exact same track selection as the original,  but using all remixes of those iconic tracks. This mix includes several new, unheard remixes from the likes of Blue Amazon, Digital Department, Medway x 2, Dave Gluskin and me, Off Meta).  Other mixes were sourced from the years and decades after 1994 when this mix series was created including Ralph Rosario, Framewerk, Hybrid and Steve Gerrard. 
It  has been an absolute blast to recreate these mixes. I revere this DJ Mix and Sasha and Digweed as the best to ever do it. Finding new remixes, and commissioning others from some of my favorite producers, and creating my own edits has been a true passion project. It’s been even more inspiring as comments from fellow S&D and Renaissance lovers rolled in on Discs 1 and 2.  The positive response has blown me away and kept me motivated as Disc 3 took much longer than I expected.   

Thank you for the listen. Please add your comments. Share with your like minded friends. See you on the dance floor.

Renaissance The "Re-Mix" Collection Disc 3

My remix of this classic featured on Sasha and Digweed's seminal Renaissance the mix collection. Available for download on Soundcloud.

Purchase

My Friend Sam ft Viola Wills "It's My Pleasure (Off Meta  Piano Breaks Remix)

“The more we pay attention, the more we begin to realize that all the work we ever do is a collaboration." 

"What's considered art is simply an agreement. And none of it is true." 

Off Meta -  often used in reference to video game play, an unconventional or less popular option that can still be effective, creative, or surprising. It’s often associated with innovation, experimentation, or playing for fun rather than following the competitive norm. This is my approach to music at this point in my journey.

I release electronica, suggested by a vision, unbound by rules, realized through all paths available.

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