Angel

For RA.1000, we take it back to the source with two never-before-heard tapes from Frankie Knuckles's private collection

There is no house music without Frankie Knuckles, literally or figuratively. The queer icon's luxurious DJ sets at Chicago's Warehouse gave a rising movement its name. From there, countless offshoots splintered and travelled the globe. But what did the genesis and growth of the sound really feel like?

The Godfather of House left behind not only timeless records, but personalised cassettes with hand-drawn liner notes handed out to friends and family. Two of those, dated to 1989 and 1996, have been digitised especially for RA.1000. (Thank you to the Frankie Knuckles Foundation.)

To put that in context: the first tape predates not only many of today's active clubbers, but the entire existence of jungle, drum & bass, UK garage, French touch, Jersey club, Afrobeats, IDM, baile funk, hardcore, footwork, dubstep, dub techno, tech house, breaks, minimal, maximal, gqom, gabber, grime and hyperpop.

In short… that's a very, very long time ago. The world of dance music was much smaller. DJ culture was functionally unrecognisable from the one we see in 2025. 

And yet, to some degree, what you'll hear on RA.1000 hasn't changed at all. It's a capture of not only what made Frankie Knuckles one of the beloved pioneers of first-generation dance music, but what draws people to club culture in the first place.

The mood on these Frankie Knuckles sets outlasts even its creator: a spirit of optimism that floods the world's best dance floors and keeps dance music pulsing on into the future, nearly 40 years later, in spite of it all. We end our 1000th mix celebrations here because it all starts there.

Find the tracklist at ra.co/podcast/1018. Listen to all RA.1000 mixes, as well as the complete history of the RA Podcast, at https://1000.ra.co

RA.1000 Frankie Knuckles

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium
Nevve:
@nevvemusic

Lyrics:
Burning everything I know, desperate for a change
Crashing down these ancient roads, past our yesterday
Maybe there's hunger in my blood
Screaming out loud for what I want
See me running full speed at it
Shatter and collide
Call it post-traumatic
now it's do or die
Coming After Tiny Fractures
Coming After Tiny Fractures
See me running full speed at it
Coming After Tiny Fractures
Call it post-traumatic
What Comes After Tiny Fractures?
Feeding frenzies in my brain
Im hopeful everyday
Gotta get it while we are still young enough to break
We’re finally not afraid
Maybe there's hunger in my blood
Screaming out loud for what I want
See me running full speed at it
Shatter and collide
Call it post-traumatic
now it's do or die
Coming After Tiny Fractures
Coming After Tiny Fractures
See me running full speed at it
Coming After Tiny Fractures
Call it post-traumatic
What Comes After Tiny Fractures?

Fractures

Buy/Stream

Illenium - Fractures (ft. Nevve)

MIX #2

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium

Annika Wells
@annika-wells-668917483 | facebook.com/annikawellsmusic | instagram.com/annikamusic/

Lyrics:
We were so bright standing in the sunlight
Never got burnt
We were alright, had that easy kind of love
And I let it in
For a moment, felt like we were floating
Baby, I swear, we were golden
It was easy, natural as breathing air
And when the sky went dark
You think I would have known before we let it get this far
I should have let you go
Now I gotta crawl outta love
Now I gotta crawl outta love
It's so fucking easy to fall in
But now that I see what you promised
Tell me how to crawl outta love
Tell me how to–
Now I gotta crawl outta, crawl outta love
Tell me how to–
Now I gotta crawl outta, crawl outta love
Got your words right
Always knew what to say in our fights
Look at us now, hard as I try
I get halfway up the wall and you pull me down
And when the sky went dark
You think I would have known before we let it get this far
I should have let you go
Now I gotta crawl outta love
Now I gotta crawl outta love
It's so fucking easy to fall in
But now that I see what you promised
Tell me how to crawl outta love
Now I gotta crawl outta, crawl outta love
Tell me how to–
Now I gotta crawl outta, crawl outta love
Crawl outta, crawl outta
Crawl outta, crawl outta love
Crawl outta, crawl outta (and the sky went dark)
You think I would have known before we let it get this far (crawl outta, crawl outta love)
I should have let you go
Now I gotta crawl outta love
Now I gotta crawl outta love
It's so fucking easy to fall in
But now that I see what you promised
Tell me how to crawl outta love
Now I gotta–
Tell me how to crawl outta, crawl outta love
Tell me how to–
Now I gotta crawl outta, crawl outta love

Illenium - Crawl Outta Love (ft. Annika Wells)

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium

Lyrics:

so tell me how im supposed to feel now
60 over the limit just cos i can
they say you know you gotta slow down
theres no coming back
so young and restless im a cliche yeah
but its easier said than done
and i cant keep waiting here im just aging
so im gone, such a shame

but baby im leaving before tomorrow comes
i dont believe in saying im never coming home
but im drawing the line
and say whatever you like
but im leaving
im letting go of all ive ever known

so falling in and falling out fast
im burning up
cant believe this got old so fast
and im done with feeling like im told i should
cos its a feeling im chasing
and i aint found it here in a while
but i cant keep waiting here im just aging
so im gone, such a shame

but baby im leaving before tomorrow comes
i dont believe in saying im never coming home
but im drawing the line
and say whatever you like
but im leaving
im letting go of all ive ever known

Download

Illenium - Leaving

Awake OUT NOW
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5rvIgXvAPGWspXY4rDLkeU
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium

Ember Island:
@emberisland | https://www.facebook.com/emberisIand | https://twitter.com/emberisland_

Illenium - Let You Go (ft. Ember Island)

Awake OUT NOW
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5rvIgXvAPGWspXY4rDLkeU
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium

Said The Sky:
@said-the-sky | https://www.facebook.com/saidthesky | https://twitter.com/SaidTheSky

Where'd U Go

Illenium & Said The Sky - Where'd U Go

Awake OUT NOW
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5rvIgXvAPGWspXY4rDLkeU
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium

Free Fall

Illenium - Free Fall (ft. RUNN)

Awake OUT NOW
Purchase: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5rvIgXvAPGWspXY4rDLkeU
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/awake/id1266998520

ILLENIUM:
@illeniumofficial | facebook.com/illenium | twitter.com/illenium

Dia Frampton:
@dia-frampton | https://www.facebook.com/DiaFramps | https://twitter.com/DiaFramps

MIX #2

Mongo Push