Producers, DJ’s, name droppers take note of a real sound system banger. True Dubstep. 

one of the best breaks mix cd's of the naughties! thanks for uploading 🙏❤️🖤💙🧡💛

Great up load - Miss spining out to this stuff 

Making me feel 17 again. Amazing 🙌🏽

Stanton’s and Plumps ruled the breakbeat era for me!! Meat Katie and Krafts cuts not forgotten!

Sasha Pet Shop Boys @ Radio1, Aug 91 (with 808 State, Kenny Ken, Sasha, Frankie Knuckles, Ca

I can't remember a time without the strains of soul music drifting through our house. With both parents coming from Barbados I was brought up very much in tune with a natural party ethos that went hand in hand with a love of good music. My earliest musical memories are of Booker T and the MGs, Aretha Franklin and, of course the great Elvis, and I used to hijack my parents collection of 70's soul 45's and get the whole family grooving round the lounge! I guess the early signs were there - my passion for music combined with an over-whelming desire to entertain as many people as possible.

By 10 I had well and truly caught the bug and was spending every bit of my pocket money on soul and funk records. I got my first pair of decks (just the 2!) by the age of 15 and I started to play as many parties as I could, discovering that I could buzz off a crowd whilst funding my habit at the same time. As the 70's became the 80's I followed the musical trend from soul to disco to hip-hop but it wasn't really until I moved to Brighton in 1986 that I discovered, along with so many others, the pure thrill of acid house.

The 'Summer Of Love' was special for me in more ways than one. It was at the Sunrise rave on the outskirts of London in 1988 that I had had my biggest breakthrough yet. I was already something of a regular on the infamous M1/Orbital rave circuit but it was at Sunrise that I had the idea to hook up a third deck. At 10.30am on a hazy Sunday morning I managed to tempt 15,000 partied out ravers back onto their weary feet and kick the party back into action - it was an amazing experience- and since then my phone has not stopped ringing with offers for 'The 3 Deck Wizard'. I was fortunate enough to participate in many of the events that have gone down in history as defining moments in the history of UK club culture, such as playing the opening night at Rampling's legendary Shoom, running The Project with Oakie as well as holding a residency at Brighton's ZAP club.

With my reputation as a DJ well and truly secured I was able to turn my attentions towards producing. Initially signing to Perfecto I had my first hit in 1992 with 'I Want You' and, believe me, no one was more surprised than me when I found myself performing on Top Of The Pops when my record peaked at number 23 in the UK charts!!

Despite the fact that the follow up 'Does It Feel Good To You' also charted in the top 40, commercial success was never what I had been aiming for, it was all somewhat too far removed from the reality and buzz of setting a dance floor alight. Whilst fellow spinners such as Grooverider and Fabio moved from raves into Jungle, choosing to focus on a very UK and London orientated sound, I couldn't escape the American and European influences that had always been there whilst I was growing up. I have always been very globally minded which comes across in my choice of music, which I use to cross physical and cultural boundaries to bring people together. Essentially my heart lies with house and techno and it was for this reason that I chose to take a back seat from my impending career as a pop star and be true to myself by going underground and re-discovering my roots. 

Comments, hints and suggestions are always welcome!

Carl Cox @ The Eclipse, Coventry, U.K.  1991

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011 - Josh Wink - United DJs Of America - Volume 3: Philadelphia (1995)

Billy Nayer -- Ship Alarm (BSG Records)

Siriusmo -- Girls Rock (Bungalow)

Unkle - Restless [loop] (Surrender All)

Evil Nine - They Live (Marine Parade)

Rogerseventytwo - Imagination (Tiger Trax)

Grinderman -- No Pussy Blues [Adam Freeland Edit] (CDR)

Adam Freeland - Glowstix (Marine Parade)

Boys Noize -- Let's Buy Happiness (Boys Noize Records)

Autolux - Blanket [Adam Freeland Mix] (Full Time Hobby)

Junkie XL -- Cities in Dust [Glimmers Mix] (Artwerk)

Hot Chip -- Ready For The Floor [Soulwax Mix (EMI)

Shadow Dancer - End Hit (Boys Noize Records)

Alan Braxe - Addicted (Vulture)

U.N.K.L.E. - Restless (Surrender All)

Blake Baxter/Mark Romboy - House Ya [Bootleg] (CDR)

Alex Metric - Pins (Marine Parade)

Crookers -- Love To Edit (Crack Crack Records)

Bloody Beetroots - Butter (Crack Crack Records)

DJ Shadow -- Right thing/Ztrip -- Set off the party (Island)

Freeland - Do Ya (Marine Parade)

Map Of Africa -- Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys (Whatever We Want)

Black Strobe -- Shining Brightstar [Phones Mix] (Playlouder / Beggars France)

Sebasien Tellier -- Sexual Sportswear [SebastiAn Mix] (Record Makers)

Breakbot - Happy Rabbit (Moshi Moshi)

Tepr -- Midniut Jacuzzi [Data Mix] (Wall of Sound)

Soulwax - Krack [Nite Version] (Play It Again Sam)

Midnight Juggernaughts -- Road to Discovery (Siberia Records)

Adam Freeland - Hate (Marine Parade)

Freeland -- How To Fake Your Life (Marine Parade)

Splitter -- All Alone [Alex Metric Mix] (Eye Industries)

Can - Mothersky (United Artists Records)

Swayzak -- Smile & Receive [Apparat Mix] (K7!)

Simple Minds -- Theme for Great Cities (Sanctuary)

Caribou - Niobe [Adam Freeland Edit] (CDR)

Adam Freeland Essential Mix [3/1/2008]

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Shout out to Phil once again for this recommendation!

146 - S-Man Classics - Essential Roger Sanchez Mixes - Disc 1 (1998)

fatboy slim - rockafeller skank (brosba breakbeat edit)

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Slam

Buy on Discogs

314 - Slam - Past Lessons / Future Theories - Disc 1 (2000)

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The Stanton Sessions

769 - Stanton Warriors - The Stanton Sessions (2001)

The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 - 2:00 AM UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the Essential Mix features contemporary DJs and music producers of electronic dance music. The show has been presented since its inception by Pete Tong and features an uninterrupted two-hour mix from a different artist each week, overlaid with occasional continuity announcements delivered by Tong. With a broadcast run in excess of 25 years, the Essential Mix is one of the longest-running programmes in the current BBC Radio 1 schedule, and is one of very few Radio 1 shows which is not broadcast live.

BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix

Essential Mix 1994-02-05 - Justin Robertson

Essential Mix 1997-02-16 - Masters At Work

Essential Mix 03-30-2003

Essential Mix 2003-03-30 - DJ Shadow

Hey, Gareth here, I'm a graphic designer who start designing for clubs, parties, and labels in the late 90s. Back then, mix CDs were the holy grail of both design and music. I loved them.

But I wasn't the only one, mix cds were the soundtracks of our nights, our days, our afterparties and lives, for everyone. Yet in today's internet age, the art form has been lost (or just changed) to 2-3 hour online mixes and streaming videos, which just don't create the same magic your CD collection did. Just 60 minutes of music and incredible artwork.

The Classic Mix CD Series celebrates these discs, their soundtrack, their box art and your memories. We hope you enjoy it.

---

Also, we try to help you find and buy them again by sharing Discogs links on all featured CDs and or direct links to labels where possible.

* We fully support labels and artists. If any disc creates a copyrighting issue let me know and it will be immediately removed. 

---

About Gareth:
Digital creative type, gamer, music lover and occasional DJ. Currently living between Dubai & Seoul after setting sail from Sunderland in 2010. As a young designer, club and music culture was the driving force for his work, producing artwork for local club nights and record labels in the North East of England. In particular, DJ mix cds and their packaging were always his 'holy grail of design', especially those from Renaissance, Global Underground and Good Looking Records. It's a pleasure to share these discs back with people and they still influence our tastes to this day. 

For any CD recommendations, bookings, mixes or feedback you can catch me as @asapgareth on Instagram. Or you can check our my design work at www.acid.works

769 - Stanton Warriors - The Stanton Sessions (2001)

The Classic Mix CD Series

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