Bare with me as I might have to do some edits to get the formatting right.
This was fun! 1999 was back heavy - a few excellent mixes that really were really excellent, but most were just flat out bad live mixes that just seemed like self-serving promotional nonsense. Opposite here. Top level studio mixes and the live sets actually had some thought put in. And you know what? No Carl fucking Cox. Give some credit to Tong here for actually pulling together a solid roster. The top 12 or so mixes here rip. Only problem was it took multiple re-listens to get the order right. Arduous to say the least.
I didn’t post links to the mixes this time as it looked unreadable in my other post. They’re not hard to find.
FACTS!
Best event name: Big Gay Out
Worst event name: Tidy Weekender
Best E-Mix Winner: Above & Beyond
Actual Best E-Mix: See #1
Number of times Nirvana was inexplicably played: 5
Mylo remixes: Have actually held up!
Most played song: Spektrum - Kinda New (Tiefschwarz Mix)
Most featured DJ: Pete Tong, Seb Fontaine, Sander Kleinenberg, Timo Maas all with 2
Most surprisingly enjoyable mix: #5
Biggest let down: #52
Number of times Fergie was thanked: I think 8 or 9 but I don’t entirely remember.
We continue.
THE MAD CYRIL YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER DIVISION
- Deep Dish
This is not the worst mix of the year. But I don’t care. It comes in dead last at #52 because it is inexcusable.
This duo knocks out Yoshiesque. Has one of the best House labels ever. Has some all time remixes for Sandy B and Depeche Mode. Has played alongside the very best of the best. Has released two, albeit not great, Global Undergrounds. Their resume is unquestionable.
I want you all to look long and hard at these last five songs.
Blur - Song 2 (Granite & Phunk Fcuk Deluxe Mix)
Deep Dish - Flashdance (David Guetta Mix)
Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Max Graham Sidechain Remix)
P. Diddy vs Roland Klinkenberg- Let’s Get Ill vs Melting Point (Armin Van Buuren Bootleg Mix)
Deep Dish - Say Hello
Listening to it was even worse. It actually made me angry. Putting two deep dish pizzas on the 1200’s would’ve been more creative.
FAVORITE TRACK:
No.
- Switch
Like Deep Dish, Switch should know better and gets docked accordingly. One of the better producers at the time who just completely loses this mix in the middle. Recovers a bit at the end with some of his own remixes, but too little too late. Maybe it was an audition tape to be a part of Major Lazer? Whatever. This mix sucks.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Switch - Get Ya Dub On [Freerange]
FUNKY’S TWAT (That Was ATrocious) DIVISION
- VA Tidy Weekender (Judge Jules, Lee Haslam, Tidy Boys) - 18/7/2004
No surprises here. Not even mad. It’s completely as expected. Just bad Hard House and Trance. I hope the 14 year olds enjoyed The Tidy Weekender ‘cause this 40 year old sure didn’t. I actually quite like the track below. I could see some modern techno DJ who realized how stagnant their sound is, so pivoting to old Trance just to seem like they have “roots” is the prudent choice. It’s a good tune for what it is.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Vinylgroover & The Red Hed - Midnight Express [Split]
- Lisa Lashes
GU: Wolverhampton. She plays some alright breaks but the second half goes as expected.
FAVORITE TRACK
Move Ya! & Steve Lavers - Monkey Scratch [Audio Bug]
- VA Big Gay Out (BK & Pete Wardman)
Gets a bump for the event name. Bad music mixed badly. My fav track gets a choice because this YouTube comment is excellent:
“So rare that as far as I know I am the only DJ in Cornwall to have this version on Vinyl”
FAVORITE TRACK
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (BK’s Big Gay Out Bootleg)
- Rob Tissera
First third is okay but wowsers does it go off the deep end after that. This set is like the warm-up at the Tidy Weekender before they brought the hoovers out..You’ll probably make fun of me for my favorite tune here but it made me laugh so winner it is. The whistle is hilarious.
FAVORITE TRACK
Untidy Dubs - Funky Groove [Tidy Trax]
HUGO’S TRANCE HAS LOST IT DIVISION
- Adam Sheridan
Starts off okay but goes off the deep end with the capital T Trance. That said, the tune below is some top drawer Power Prog that I’m confident Sneddon will sign off on.
FAVORITE TRACK
Martin H - Liftin [ACDC]
- Ferry Corsten
Just too cheesy. Ferry also starts the mix at a firm 10. Nowhere to go. The first track might’ve been a bit much to close a set let alone start one with. Some nice minor chord melodies that just get ruined by Big Room theatrics.
FAVORITE TRACK
Ferry apparently remixed BT but it was never released. Pretty good track! No clip, sorry.
- Armin Van Buuren & Tall Paul
This mix is annoying.It would’ve been pretty solid in 1999 but it’s not 1999, it’s 2004.
FAVORITE TRACK
Remy & Roland Klinkenberg - Till Ya Drop [Armada]
THE LT42 INSTANTLY FORGETTABLE DIVISION
- DJ Touche
Fun mix, I guess, but the mixing is really bad and some of the samples are woefully out of key. It sounds like a Mountain Dew commercial.
FAVORITE TRACK
Tiefschwarz - Ghosttrack [Four]
- Danny Rampling
So impossibly boring. It’s not so much bad as it just feels like Department Store House. “Oh neat my local Marks & Spencers’s is playing Scott Grooves as I shop for linens with my mum.” The second half has some minerals. But a hard pass and won’t ever listen again.
FAVORITE TRACK
Alex Gold - Electric Places [Extraveganza]
THE SM001 NOT SURE HOW THEY TRACKLISTED THIS DIVISION
- VA Euro 2004 Lisbon (Giles Peterson, Pepe Bradock, Rui Vargas)
- Rob Da Bank & The Cuban Brothers
- Bugz in the Attic
- Scratch Perverts*
These belong on Breezeblock not the Essential Mix. This isn’t what I tune in for. That’s why they don’t get a raver gif or a favorite track. They’re good mixes for the most part, particularly #38, but not for the wee hours of a Sunday morning. Rui Vargas plays a good Deep House set but this is THE ESSENTIAL MIX LET’S GET SOME HANDS IN THE AIR! These mixes didn’t seem to care about that.
THE PETE ONLY GAVE HIMSELF TWO MIXES! DIVISION
- Pete Tong
This is okay.
FAVORITE TRACK
Spoiled - All I Know (D. Ramirez Old Skool Mix) [INTRA]
- Pete Tong & Sander Kleinenberg*
Sander is fine despite the stupid “Miami” intro. Tong drags the mix down, as per. Also plays that Freeland Nirvana thing that never should’ve been released. Sander’s first track reminds me how much I miss good, melodic, big room House. Dr. Kucho was a master of it. I still stand by “Patricia Never Leaves The House”. But all in all, pretty disappointing here.
FAVORITE TRACK
Dr. Kucho! - Forbidden Planet [Disc Doctor]
ZACKSTER’S POTS & PANS DIVISION
- Dave Clarke
I’m usually a defender of this arrogant weirdo but this is just a racket. His schizophrenic mixing style has worked in the past but this mix just falls flat. Way too much flanger and cheap cross-fader tricks. It’s just…noisy. Still, he takes chances and plays some good Techno.
FAVORITE MIX
UR - Transition [Underground Resistance
- Marco V
The first half is actually very good. Tong calls it Trance, but it’s not that to me. I pair it with Dave Clarke just because it’s so noisy but better than the bad Trance grouping above. One of those mixes that was four years too late to be taken seriously.
FAVORITE TRACK:
D. Ramirez - Are You Ready [Whoop]
DERMO’S I WAS TOTALLY THERE I PROMISE LIVE DIVISION
- VA Cream, Amnesia (Nic Fanciulli, Seb Fontaine, Paul Oakenfold, Eddie Halliwell)
These mixes are so hard to judge as there’s just too much going on. A good mix here or nice 30 minutes there are ruined by Eddie Halliwell and that gorilla Oakenfold.
FAVORITE TRACK
I just don’t have one. This is a boring collection of mixes with some okay tracks from time to time.
- VA One Big Weekend (Groove Armada, Mylo, X-Press 2, Darren Emerson, Tiesto)
Just not very good. Mylo is fine. X-Press 2 delivers but Emerson and Tieso are just pants. They’re okay, I guess, but both sets made me roll my eyes. “French Kiss” and “Born Slippy” from Emerson again. AGAIN.
FAVORITE TRACK
Soul Central - Strings Of Life (Danny Krivit Re Edit) [Defected]
MONO’S DRUM & BASS DIVISION
- Roni Size
Sorry to say the genre was well past its best days by 2004 (despite a recent resurgence). But an alright set from Roni Size as he sticks to the Reprazent-side of his sound rather than the much more abrasive style of DnB he put out in subsequent years. A lot of classics but all of which heard too many times to make this very interesting but he’s still Roni Size, ledge.
FAVORITE TRACK
Roni Size/Reprazent - Snapshot [Full Cycle]
- DJ Marky & XRS
Not much to say here. It’s perfectly fine.
FAVORITE TRACK
Un-Cut - Fallin (Total Science Instrumental) [Warner]
NOT SO GOOD HOUSE! DIVISION
- Armand Van Helden*
Not sure why Armand went full guitar hero in 2004 but parts of this sound like a hair metal show before closing things out with some classic Acid House. It’s an alright mix but I don’t see myself returning to it again.
FAVORITE TRACK
Jason Downs - Dirty Mind (Armand Van Helden Mix) [Jive]
- Kings of Tomorrow
Sticking this here comes down to personal taste. This isn’t the kind of House I liked then or now. But Sandy Rivera, like AVH, deserves the respect. It’s a fine mix if you like big NYC vocals as Danny T gurns away on his horse in the corner.
FAVORITE TRACK:
- Mark Knight & Martijn Ten Velden
Boring. It’s not bad. Just doesn’t move the needle. But my favorite track is very good. Sounds like the best track Pete Heller never released.
FAVORITE TRACK
Alex Neri - Aurora [Tenax]
DAVE’S WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE DIVISION
- Infusion
I just don’t get the idea of what amounts to be an album on the essential mix. This is supposed to be an expression of DJing not production skill. I put this squarely in the middle given I don’t care for what it is irrespective of its musical merits
FAVORITE TRACK:
It’s an album, there isn’t one
UNBROKEN1’S GOOD HOUSE! DIVISION
- Mutiny
Really sounds like 2004 and I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not. Some bad vocals and Mylo “Drop The Pressure” gets an airing.But there’s a few bits that are absolutely cracking.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Mutiny - Dem Girls (Solid Groove Mix) [Underwater]
- Junior Jack & Kid Creme
A solid House mix! One to take your girl to so she’ll agree to the PEAK TIME POWER PROG night you’ve circled on the calendar. Goes full Handbag but that’s okay.
FAVORITE TRACK:
DJ Gregory - Jo Burg Theme [Faya Combo]
BREAKS! DIVISION
- Stanton Warriors
Good set this. But lacking in variety. An hour of this would be fun but two was just a bit much. Still, they know how to knock out a good tune and some of the edits here are pretty good. For my favorite tune, they actually play a breaks edit of Dancing In The Dark but it reminded me how much I enjoyed the original so I decided to post that instead.
FAVORITE TRACK
4Tune500 - Dancing In The Dark [Black Gold]
- Meat Katie
Good mix here but, again, like with Stanton Warriors, two hours of it is just too much of the same thing. But a solid rave-up all in all.
FAVORITE TRACK
Meat Katie & Elite Force - Fabulous Mint 400 [Kingsize]
THE ALISTER GOOD BUT A TAD DISAPPOINTING DIVISION
- Aldrin (TIE)
Good mix, if very much of its era. BSTribalF. Think DJ Vibe would’ve been a better choice here but Aldrin does a good enough job. The Knight Keys track made me frown but the Los Vanadores track reminded me how great a label Whoop! was at its pomp. My favorite mix, the mix into Depeche Mode, is out of key but I don’t care (Tong could also shut the fuck up); I like a random shift in vibe - the transition is interesting and the mix really picks up from there; going from an absolute Umek monster (see below) to an ending with Born Slippy (ballsy move).
Maybe should’ve ranked this higher.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Umek - Voices 9 [Primate]
- Behrouz (TIE)
Doesn’t hit the home run. Solid groove all the way throughout and possibly the best warm up set of the year. But you got two hours, Behrouz, let’s get beyond second base. The track at 90 minutes could’ve been the track at the 9 minute mark and I don’t think that’s a good thing. The mixing is on point and my favorite track, from one of my go-to production teams around then, I’d never heard before. Proper chugger.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Peace Division - Take Me I’m Yours [Low Pressings]
- Craig Richards
Not a perfect mix from Richards but foretold the musical (?) shift that would happen over the next few years, so credit there. The breaks give it that Tyrant touch but all in all pretty boring and hasn’t dated well.
FAVORITE TRACK:
I don’t have one.
ED’S TOPS OFF LIVE DIVISION
- Timo Maas
Gets off to a smashing start with a Moroder-influenced Circulation release (would erupt a room today, no problem) followed by an interesting, wobbly Humate track. But then he plays “Gehts Noch” which will turn a lot of people off. But recovers with another Humate track, “Manga” which, again, would work today. Timo’s last breath
FAVORITE TRACK:
Circulation - Graphite [Circulation]
- VA Glastonbury (Sander Kleinenberg, Seb Fontaine, Timo Maas)
Seemed like the mix where Sander ditched the BSPF ‘cause he was too offended that only pasty dudes went to his gigs. Well nobody else bought your NuBreed, dickhead, so have some respect. Much more funk-driven and vocally. Results are very mixed to say the least. Sounds dated and kinda stupid. I’m sure Musikizum sounded great live but a right racket over headphones. But the end is good. Seb is whatever. Tunes are fine. Mixing is alright. But flat as a pancake where you find yourself checking your phone throughout. I don’t have the slightest idea what Timo was thinking. This is Glastonbury not Ibiza. He didn’t seem to realize until half way in.
FAVORITE TRACK: (Fontaine)
(Proper power in fairness to ole’ Seb here. On my second listen to this laborious four hour mix, the Peter Luts edit of Outrowz had me going; by myself; intoxicated; in my flat, TURNED IT UP)
- Plump DJs & Danny Howells
Plumps were disappointing and lazy but Howells throws the kitchen sink here. Proper festival set. It’s relentless and if you don’t enjoy it you’re simply dead inside.I feel bad for whatever DJ had to follow him up - a kick-drum hammer from beginning to end. The only problem is an utterly terrible edit of Kinda New and Madonna right smack in the middle. It is awful. But I’ll give it a pass as it was the most played track of the year so mistakes will be made. It’s shirts off from then on.
FAVORITE TRACK: (Howells)
Marco Lenzi & Anderson Noise - Tromsa [Eukatech]
- Sasha & John Digweed - Renaissance
I would rank this higher but I have a bias towards the studio mixes. Wasn’t too well received on GU at the time, but I think it has aged very well; particularly Sasha’s set. If you think too much about it, you might not like it. GIve it a go at the gym or a run, you’ll have a solid 60 minutes. And, as always, Sasha’s mixing is just so on point. Diggers mix is okay, but felt like he was a bit too tied to 2002 prog and Renaissance retro. Sure it was great live, but home/headphone listening didn’t quite work too well for the first 60 minutes. Sasha just goes for it and it’s a fun mix..
FAVORITE TRACK: (Sasha)
Graham & Blades - Funky Summa [Boz Boz]
THE HOMEGROVE NOT ALWAYS PROG BUT SOMETIMES PROG DIVISION
- Matthew Dekay
BSPF throughout unfortunately. Lacked the melodic touch his productions were known for. But it’s still very good. Problem is as I did my relistens, I would always lose my concentration and would start watching TV as I had it playing. But then this track kicks in. MONSTER. Would’ve sounded great in S&D’s set as cheesy as it might sound today.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Santiago Nino - Believe (Max Graham Mix) [Aurium]
- Dave Seaman
Has always gotten a slagging on the boards we’ve all frequented and I’ve never really understood why. So he’s not Diggers and Sasha at their best. Well who is? His live mixes have always been a bit flat, but this studio mix, along with his mix CDs, show a DJ who can program a set very well and perform the mixing side of things without a problem. Any hate seems like an issue of unrealistic expectations and unfair comparisons.
This mix gets docked for an awful, awful Sander K song. I was on public transportation and my mouth was agape. It’s so bad. Given how good the “4 Seasons” EP is, and the expectations following, I don’t really have any problem saying “The Right Time” is one of the worst songs ever produced given the supposed talent therein. That cadaver is the best argument for the ghost producer rumors yet - if he did this on his own, no way he did “My Lexicon” solo. No fucking chance.
FAVORITE TRACK
Rowan Blades & Chris Lake - Filth (Greed Is Evil Mix) [Alternative Route]
- Sandra Collins
Only complaint here is that there isn’t much of a build. It’s steady prog through and through, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’d guess this was a screamer at the time and is one of the better mixes of the year. She also plays Def Leppard!
FAVORITE TRACK:
Avus - Real (Nathan Fake Remix) [Border Community]
THE MILLSY ABSOLUTE QUALITY FOR WHAT IT IS DIVISION (LOW EXPECTATIONS)
- Harry Choo Choo Romero
Best full on House mix of the year. Big room filtered bangers for the masses. Dekay seemed like he was trying to make a point. Richards was too noodly. King Unique, “look at me.” Romero just hammers dance music and it’s excellent for the most part (even if the vocals get a bit much #NYC). The big problem, as with many of these mixes, is a god awful track right smack in the middle. The rapist who won’t be named remixed the daftly named “Crystal Method” (edgy!). Dunno if the original is any better but both should be thrown in a fire.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Phunk Electric - No More [Sound Division]
10 & 9 (played twice). Above & Beyond
This winning essential mix of the year I’m actually fine with. What it is trying to be it succeeds at. Likewise with #5 - it’s just a good, well put-together two hours. Even if you couldn’t pay me to listen to it again. Docked for being Trance for people who like Prog and Prog for people who like Trance. It pussyfoots around the two too much. The line had been drawn by 2004.
FAVORITE TRACK:
It’s just trance and I can’t be fussed to go through it again.
EXCELLENT EXCELLENT ESSENTIAL MIX DIVISION
- Paul Woolford
Starts off a bit slow but gets going very quickly after the Tiga track. Sounds like Jamie Jones if Jamie Jones was any cop. Proper funky House and bass-driven dance music. You can hear the hints of his Special Request releases without the overt nostalgia. Excellent mix. My favorite track I couldn’t find a clip of so will go with this classic from Kevin Saunderson’s label.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Fix - Flash [Electrofunk]
- King Unique
Really solid mix here. Would’ve loved it at the time. Something you could play for your pop music friends on the Friday warmup. But too much post-adding of samples and overly editing - just sounded disjointed. That said, the layering of Human League over Tiga is top as is the God’s Uncle/Robert Armini edit. Transitions can be labored at times but all in all a great mix.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Not really possible given how it’s put together
- Paolo Mojo
Like Behrouz, it never quite gets there. Excellent mix but it just doesn’t plateau. A great warm-up set, but the second half needed more to it. Seems like DJs in this era were either all in on bashing the room to smithereens or were too content maintaining a steady vibe without taking that extra step. This falls far too much in the latter. It’s like the last, all-in, third hour - where Mojo goes for it - was cut off. That said, a mix I’ll return to again. It’s very, very good.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Subjekt - Be My Chicago [Freerange]
- Christopher Lawrence
Because I don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s bad. I don’t like these two hours. It’s cringy and insipid and cheesy. It also rips front to back. A smashing mix of a genre that’s a bit lost on me post-’97. The mixing is on point, the tracks are well produced, and it’s a stormer throughout. Give it a go and tell me you didn’t have fun. You’ll fix your roof in no time.
Gets additional points for Tong calling the DJ Mag Top 100 Poll “prestigious" which is nothing short of hilarious.
FAVORITE TRACK: Going to break rules and post the entire mix.
- Slam
The first 30 minutes or so remind me of getting to the space (club, warehouse, wherever) and finding one’s bearings - that big room is too Trance; the other is too House. And then a, “okay this is the room I’m all in-on tonight - it’s empty now but this is it.”Head down, let’s do this.” An hour in and the room is heaving and you’re telling your mates, “see?” This mix is that. And my favorite track here wouldn’t have sounded too out of place on an Innervisions release 10 years later.
FAVORITE TRACK:
DJINXX - Music In Jamaica (Fafa Monteco Mix) [Mangusta]
- Desyn Masiello
Dixon gets ripped for his recent output, which often isn’t great, but I will always give him credit for being the singular DJ that dragged us out of the minimal doldrums and back into good House and danceable songs. Feel the same way about Masiello. Mired in BSPF nonsense back in the early Oughts, Maseillo “Made Music Fun Again”. Not usually a fan of blatant rip-offs but Mezzomatic’s “Just Another LIfe” is pretty close to flawless. Proper hug your mates, hands-in-the-air good time. This mix makes me miss 2004.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Mezzomatic - Just Another Life [Censored]
- Black Strobe
Frozen Balaeric Gay Biker House (not my words - Tong’s). Immense. Underrated. This is so good. Like what Kompakt would become post-Immer. Hasn’t really aged at all. Most of these records could be played today without a single side-eye. Shame Michael Mayer never got a go at the E-Mix around this time. Or Weatherall. But not fussed as Black Strobe delivers here. Toes that Alter Ego “Rocker” vibe without going all in. When it came out, I don’t think I would rank this as high, but with the benefit of history and my mind’s eye, I have no problem calling this the second best Essential Mix of the year.
FAVORITE TRACK:
Black Strobe - Italian Firefies [Kitsune]
THE BEST ESSENTIAL MIX OF 2004
- James Zabiela
Not really close. Zabiela at his absolute best. Excellent variety of house, techno, and breaks mixed impeccably with tying samples interspersed throughout. The last 30 minutes makes up for a middling middle. Scam “Killer” is proper gurn-face raving. The Wrecked Angle mix of Syntax into Vanilla Sky into the Kalkbrenner tune at the very end is hair-raisingly and a master class in programming. One of the best closures to a set I’ve ever heard. It’s perfect.
The time and thought put into this makes it a worthy number one for 2004; a loaded field of very good but not iconic.
REM - Adagio [Warner]
Filter - The 4th (Reprise) [Excerpt From Mode 101 Documentary]
Daleks - Rebels Of London [White]
AMB - Pure [Cup Of Chi]
Zabiela - Zabielik Beats [White]
120 Dance - I.I.F [Aqua Lemon]
Stripped Inc Chrome - New Bass Edition [Coldtap]
Robag Whrume - Zundlattchen [Polytik]
Maetrik - Excursion [Morris Audio]
Joshua Collins - Polymorphoid [Simple Soul]
Introvert vs Björk - Joga [White]
Funk Da Void - Endless [Soma]
PJ Davy - Truffle Junkie [White]
Tokyo Intro - Lost In Translation Soundtrack [White]
Luke Vibert - YosepH [Warp]
Tokyo Intro - Lost In Translation Soundtrack [White]
Brian Reitzell - Shibuya [Lost In Translation Soundtrack]
Excepts From Vinilla Sky - Darlek Invasion Of The Earth [White]
Tiefschwarz - Ghosttrack (Blackstrobe Remix) [Four Music]
Jamie Anderson - Annihilator (Artform) [Age Of Love Acapella]
Co-Fusion - Seats [Pro Jex]
Simply Jeff - Funk Delux (Elite Force Remix) [Phonomental Music]
Scam - Killer [Deepcut]
Ficta - Eli (Zabielas Rave Lizard Remix) [Global Underground]
REM - The Great Beyond (Hybrid Remix)
Syntax - Bliss (Wrecked Angle Mix)
Excerpts From Vanilla Sky - Na [Na]
Jackie Wilson - Elevator Song [NA]
Paul Kalkbrenner - The Palisades [BPitch Control]
Might do 2000 next.
