Winter Freeform, hosted by DJ Purple (the duke of House)

Club 88'7 (House Music Dance Party), 90's Edition: 8-Hour GARAGE CITY Dedication, as a tribute to Bobby & Steve and the legendary Garage City parties held at Bar Rumba (London). I purposefully selected only the records I have either played, heard or would have expected to hear at the Garage City sets (and guest sets from GC residents spinning at other venues such as the equally legendary 'Social Intercourse' parties at Celebreties in Newmarket). The tracks are from 1991 (the birth of Garage City) through 1999.

Winter Freeform, 90's Edition 8 - Hour GARAGE CITY Dedication 4 January 2025

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

Recorded Live from WEAA 88.9FM In Baltimore MD USA

The Friday Night Dance Party WEAA 88.9FM 8-29-25

"Club 88'7" House Music Dance Party, hosted by DJ Purple (the duke of House).

**from Chicago to the WORLD!
Show #181

Club 88'7 on WLUW, Show 181, 11 September 2025

DJ Purple Live at Godet London (UK)
3 October 2025
(All Vinyl Set)

DJ Purple Live at Godet London (UK), 3 October 2025 (All Vinyl Set)

Vick Lavender played a Master Class at our party in London at No 90 Hideout.
Everyone in the room was locked in from start to finish dancing to the Chicago maestro.  Dopeness!

Vick Lavender - No 90 Hideout London Set

WEAA 88.9FM Friday Night Dance Party Full Show 11-21-25

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Buy on Discogs

208 - Tony Humphries - Strictly Rhythm Mix (1993)

Dropped Logic's 'The Warning' on the last mix I did, and since then I've been feenin' for more early 90's New York garage. I'm talking proper house music, sparse, soulful, the real deal. Whaddyaknow, there's a DJ Pierre Strictly Rhythm mini-mixtape gathering dust on my shelf - got it free on the cover of DJ Mag back in '92. Here it is folks, Strictly Rhythm classics all the way.
If anyone knows of any other mixes from this sort of 90-93 era, I'd love to know about them. Leave a comment!

Cynthia M - Everything I Do (Underground House Mix)
Mark Davis - Special (Dedication Mix)
Underground Solution - Luv Dancing (In Deep Mix)
Logic - The Warning (Inner Mix)
Photon Inc - Generate Power (Wild Pitch Mix)
Phuture - Rise From Your Grave (Wild Pitch Mix)
CLS - Can You Feel It (In House Dub) [tape flips]
Simone - My Family Depends On Me (Club Vocal)
Endangered Species - Ping Pong (Future Jazz Mix)
Aly-Us - Follow Me (Club Mix)
Djaimin - Give You (Dancefloor Syndromad Mix)
SR-1 - The Rhythm (Strictly Rhythm)

DJ Pierre: Strictly Rhythm Mastermix (1992)

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DJ Purple Live at Godet London (UK), 3 October 2025 (All Vinyl Set)

Reginald L. Davenport