Enough with the definitions already, let’s insert the first tape in the mix.
In order to preserve the integrity of the original recordings all of the mp3s we’re going to showcase have not been edited in any fashion. As a result the music may jump around, contain static and/or other strange (but wonderful) sound bites – all of which apply to this first tape.
It’s quite fitting that we kick off our mixtape to mp3 series with this one since this it’s one of the first tapes I got my hands on and ran around Toronto jamming it in to any tape deck within close proximity. But it’s the accidental intro on the tape that solidified the decision for it to premiere our series of audio.
Whom ever first recorded this tape (I’m pretty certain it was Captain B. Mental) scans through Toronto radio stations on a Saturday evening in 1991 hunting for CKLN 88.1.After hearing several genres of music (and making a few questionable pauses ie Ooh It’s Kinda Crazy by Soul Decision) it becomes quite obvious he’s reached his destination when Hurricane by Sykosis 451 starts pumping through the speakers.
03/08/2010 – At least, that’s what I believed was the explanation for the radio intro until one of our readers pointed out that Soul Decision recorded Ooh It’s Kinda Crazy in 1998. Then I realized that the Stone Temple Pilots song played briefly was released years after 1991. Explanation? Aside from a radio that tunes in to music of the future? I have two versions of this tape, I opted to showcase the version donated by Ben F., because the intro had a novelty aspect to it. Ben must be the culprit behind recording the radio scanning snippet over top of one of his old tapes. Shame on you Ben. Thankfully his mistake was short lived, he realized was he was doing and pressed stop to get us back to ’91.
We’re jolted around for the remainder of the tape. This is the result of Captain B. Mental’s habit of combining tapes and making his own mixes. He was actually quite masterful with a tape deck and could seamlessly stop and start recordings and replace sections of a tape he didn’t favor. Captain even had a nifty mixing tape deck that was capable of audibly playing two tapes at once – whereas most double decks, like my own, sadly, had a “feature” to prevent this.
The next anthem is K Groove’s The Future which features samples from 80s tune How to be a Millionaire by ABC. And speaking of 80s samples Keep the Fire Burning by The House Crew features a little Annie Lennox, which I clearly remember echoing through 23 Hop and then my mind for many days after the event.
By this time you’re probably thinking, this sounds really groovy, could you play some more, like, right now? “Sure” says the Electropeople with Technoboy.
Then we’re treated to some classic Canadian content with Nick Holder’s Frantic and M1’s Feel The Drums. Back off C.R.T.C. our mixed tape CanCon quota has been met. Nicolette make’s a cameo with The Dove Song and eventually we hear a quick bite of the Radio 1 FM’s Essential Selection with none other than Pete Tong who is still going strong.
Enjoy.
