Hullo!
I've been thinking a lot about mixtapes recently, I'm looking for inspiration and I wondered if people had any recommendations for mixes that, in their opinion, really pushed the technical and conceptual boundaries of a DJ mix?
As a starter, the first things that popped into my head were:
Coldcut - 70 Minutes of Madness
The eclecticism of acts like Coldcut have helped imbue a sense of freedom in me. The way the disparate elements are seamlessly woven together, particularly given the technology available at the time (1995), makes this a real journey.
Richie Hawtin - Closer To The Edit, Transitions
Personally important as it these mixes were my first real taste of minimal techno. I know Hawtin's a controversial figure to many but I find his adoption and application of technology an inspiration. I hadn't heard of anyone chopping tracks into loops and individual hits on a computer in order to combine them with full tracks as a mix in this way.
Kid Koala - Scratchcratchratchatch
I was big into scratching/turntablism in my youth and this stood out because its emphasis is on entertainment and listenability rather than technical prowess - the man had a creative vision! Also important for me becasue it's almost a multi-tracked series of sketches rather than a seamless blend, which challenged my idea of a mix at the time. The offbeat humour, lo-fi charm and eclectic style still make this very listenable today.
Any thoughts and recommendations from any genre are most welcome!
Thanks!
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