“This one goes out to the man called Malik, [whispers] happy birthday.” – Dr. No (16:27)

January 25, 1992. It started like most Saturdays with a morning shift at my neighborhood Esso gas station. But unlike previous Saturdays in 1991, I wasn’t as anxious to clock-out. Since there weren’t any raves scheduled, there was nothing to rush to after my shift ended. With no location to rave at in the new year, the city’s 300 ravers were in the midst of an identity crisis. And even though raves were functioning weeks prior – the scene’s uncertain future made them feel like a distant memory.

“A regular feature at 23 Hop, for those of you who remember that.” – Dr. No (15:18)

But there was a little hope. I was told by Captain B. Mental that we could expect to hear some techno on Radio London (even though Malik was three weeks into rave retirement.) That day my shift ended at 6pm – giving me enough time to walk home and slam a tape in my deck to record the broadcast. Malik gave Dr. No a 30-minute slot during his show to showcase techno. He called it the Techno Lab, and the above recording is what transpired.

This recording is evidence of an amicable passing of the torch between two men from the same school of DJing. No one was more qualified than the Doctor to ambassador the vibe  formed in 1991. In the years that followed he rode the the groove of progression and never forgot how it all began.

“Techno – the music of the future. And remember where you all started to hear it first – Radio London CKLN 88.1″ Dr. No (23:18)

This particular day picked up more steam with reports of Mark Oliver spinning at a pub outside Toronto. With my tape deck left recording, I met up with Captain B. and we went down to the CKLN studios on our way to the pub. It was my first time there and Alan introduced me to Malik and Dr. No, who I had only ever seen from a distance – through the missing concrete slabs in the DJ booth.

From the studio we made our way to the pub. I can’t remember for sure if it was in Brampton, but I do remember taking a Go bus to get there. It was definitely in the 905, but before the days where you actually had to dial it. After spending a bit of time at the pub we weren’t hearing the hardcore we were hoping for so we boarded the bus back to downtown to continue our quest. We knew 23 Hop wasn’t functioning the way it used to, but decided to take our chances and went directly to 318.

We walked right past the empty cover booth – a tell-tale sign for club-goers that the end of the party is near. The house lights were on, no lasers were on stun, and the system wasn’t boomin’. Whatever party had been there had not succeeded. A tiny crew of confused Exodus hopefuls gathered outside the DJ booth. Then Dr. No arrived and everyone looked to him for answers, almost as if he was delivering long-awaited news to a family in a waiting room. In this case the loved one was Exodus Productions, which had been in a coma since the morning of January 1st and the prognosis wasn’t positive.

At that moment B. Mental pulled a tape out of his puffy green Naf-Naf jacket and popped it in the booth’s tape deck. The uncomfortable silence was over. The tape was a recording of the Exodus New Years rave, which began with Dr. No on the mic. He and everyone else had a laugh and we all starting dancing to the cassette now blasting over the club’s system.

I was in 23 Hop, and even if the audio was an analog version, I felt like I was back at Exodus with the Booming System blaring from the booth. Better yet, I was reliving the NYE event I had missed.

Unfortunately the flashback was short-lived. Roughly 20 minutes later the manager on duty pressed stop on the tape deck so he could close shop. We all quietly filed out of the club on to Richmond Street. The same question was on everyone’s mind: where do we go from here? This impromptu rave was over, yet the night was still young.

But then what? Because during those sobering moments I realized the true golden age of raving in Toronto was over.

“It’s enough to make a grown man cry and a man’s bottom lip swell-up.” – Malik X (00:07)

Track List

• Here and Now – By Shakaboom
• Triple XXX – Bug Khan & The Plastic Jam
• Get on the Move – Bass Construction
• The Melodic EP – One II One
• M25′s – E-Type
• Jock’s Nightmare – Intense

The last recording of the Booming System Collective in action. We join Dr. No in progress as he tones down the hardcore at 5:45am in the morning. Not a single person in the room knew that in 2 hours and 15 minutes from this moment Exodus would evaporate. And how appropriate for this to occur on NYE, a definitive conclusion to these unique days of raving. 1992 would bring forth entirely different experiences – some great, some lackluster, but such is the way of progression.

This is yet another tape that seems to have fallen victim to B. Mental tape deck meddling. I believe only the first few songs on this side are actually from the evening (the reverse has more). It’s peculiar how the tape jumps back and forth between house and hardcore until we’re in a Radio One FM broadcast. Regardless, it’s chalked full of classics.

Enjoy.

Track List

• The Trip – Phuture
• Everybody in the Place – Prodigy
• Testify – The Sounds of Blackness
• Hardcore You Know The Score – The Hypnotist
• The Bouncer – Kicks Like a Mule
• Can You Feel It – CLS
• On The Move – Sonic Solution
• Hardcore Heaven – DJ Seduction
• Manix – Oblivion (Head in the Clouds)
• Give it Up – Airtight

Welcome to side 2 of Malik’s masterful Mental Frequency. These tracks have more of a rare groove and afrobeat influence with techno a mainstay. Vocals are more abundant on this side and are complimented by a few cameos by familiar techno samples I can’t identify. The first track in particular has numerous afrobeat elements, plenty of percussion and vocals.  The second track’s breakbeat and moody melody is trip hop before the genre existed. The third track is the hardest hitting on the techno tip, with some throwback bleeps thrown in the mix. Like the first track, the forth is primarily afrobeat influenced but with a faster techno tempo.

Enjoy.

• Sons Of Daughters of Genesis – Malik X
• The Great Hopi Prophecy – Malik X
• Karmic Disfunctions – Malik X
• Organically Raw – Malik X

In the months previous to his rave retirement Malik was hard at work in his studio producing this impressive tape. Once completed he personalized copies for friends and gave it those he knew would appreciate it. It was never mass produced, each copy was dubbed by him, with a custom metallic spray painted label. It’s a shame these tracks were never immortalized on vinyl and distributed on a larger scale. But then again, that may not have been what Malik wanted. Thankfully we were able to track down this tape and expose one of his lessor known talents.

It is rumoured that Dr. No and Captain B. Mental collaborated on some of these tracks – actually, Captain B. told me personally that he had been in Malik’s studio. Given the two are the first listed under “People Profound to”, I believe it to be true.

This music reflects Malik’s muscial tastes at the time with both 1991 techno, rare groove and acid jazz influences throughout. I think Malik put his best foot forward with the first track, it’s catchy jazzy flavor is one of the tightest productions on the entire tape. Top one.

The second track jolts us around a bit in the early goings but once it picks up steams the various samples combine for a really hard hitting brilliant tune. Note the Joey Beltram inspired bassline. Nice one.

The first two entries on the tape both fall under one genre, the first acid jazz and the second techno.  The tracks that follow are more a combination of both genres. The third carries an acid jazz tempo fused with techno samples while the last track has acid jazz samples but a faster techno inspired beat. Sorted.

Enjoy.

Track List:

• Secrets of the Great Pyramid – Malik X
• The Blue Man of the Desert – Malik X
• Percarout (Life in Balance) – Malik X
• One Giant Leap For Mankind – Malik X

Welcome to the 6th and final tape in our series of Radio London recordings. It’s true, all good things must come to an end. Recorded sometime in December of 1991, this snippet of Malik’s CKLN pledge drive holds a couple of very significant details.

During one of the first few broadcasts in December Malik announced that he would no longer be DJing at Exodus. Actually, any raves for that matter with the first Chemistry party fast approaching – he was billed on the flyer. Unfortunately we don’t have a recording of his announcement, but given his comments during this broadcast it’s obviously post retirement. Malik does send a shout-out to the “sections” and plugs the rave that evening, but he doesn’t attach himself to the event. Later on in the recording it’s evident that he had shifted focus to a Saturday night at The Cameron House called Beatnik Beats, announcing he was there the week previous.

Now for the good news. There are two songs played during this recording, both of them were actually made by Malik and appeared on his tape, A Trance Induced State – Mental Frequency.

I’ve had this recording for 18 years never realizing they were Malik’s tunes until I recently managed to track down his full tape (thanks Robert). All eight of Malik’s tracks have since been converted to mp3 and I must say they’re quite nice.

Track List:

• The Blue Man of the Desert – Malik X
• Percarout (Life in Balance) – Malik X