Before I start describing what I did here I feel the need to thank a few people that — in one way or another — accompanied me on my journey of the past 25 years, be it just as a producer, DJ, friend, influencer, collaborator, promoter, partner or mentor. In no particular order:
- Marc Mitchell & Stuart King (Sunday Club)
- Robert Babicz
- Oskar Mitrowski (with whom I produced the first tracks)
- Ramon Zenker (legendary producer behind almost all of the dance music hits of the 90’s and beyond) & wife Selda Zenker
- Olaf Dieckmann (Wippenberg)
- Orhan Terzi (DJ Quicksilver)
- Jens Lissat
- The Polish crew of 1996 (you know who you are)
- All L2 Music artists
- Dave Seaman
- Luigi Paglialunga
- Gianni Di Muro
- Brent Lawson (Pro B Tech Music)
- Mitch Alexander (Release Promo)
- Josh Abrams
- Erik Ludwig (TRIBEHOUSE)
- Sarah Bremner
- Alejandro Coloma (Stylecharts)
- Barry & Sara Whittaker-Gilbey (Mara)
- Ali “Dubfire” Shirazinia (Deep Dish)
- Andry Nalin
- Sasha
- John Digweed
- Nick Warren
- Eddie Babbage
- Sam Gracie
- Ludger Aretz
So what is that?
Anyone born in the early ’70’s ​​(or earlier) has experienced this era when House and Techno established themselves on the worldwide charts and became one of the biggest and most successful music movements in history. Computer technology and synthesizers made it possible to create a hitherto unknown music, which at the time was still pressed onto records (or acetate), so that you could mix this music as a DJ in clubs, at a time when the CD was the most important musical medium of the time.
I have fully experienced this time, both as a clubber and as a DJ. For me, this incredible and crazy journey started in 1992, and shortly afterwards I also put on the first records myself. Now more 25 years have passed — a quarter of a century — and for me the music of that time has not lost its strength at all. Of course, many memories are linked to it, some of which I think back with sparkling eyes. We were young, we were free (at least we had that impression), and the drugs were excellent, I’ve been told…*
*I do not want to promote drug use. Please handle drugs carefully! Best not to start it. But if, then be careful.
I have been able to make countless friendships in the scene over the last 25 years, and I know some of my closest friends from that time. My own career as a musician grew out of the tender beginnings of this music. I grew up with rock music and always wanted to be a rock star before, suddenly I discovered a completely new music that I initially did not like. Electronically produced music was not my thing, I only liked handmade music, that was the “real deal” for me. But it didn’t take long before this music cast a spell over me.
What did I do here?
In the last few months, I have picked out records that I consider the most important and best of that time. Here and there I had to ask friends if they could provide me with digital recordings from vinyl, because I did not own much of the material myself anymore. After I had everything digitally available, I carefully (re)mastered each track, always staying close to the original, I didn’t want destroy that special “feeling” of that time. Not that it’s much important to you, probably, but I also pitch-corrected tracks that were slightly “off key”, partly because of unstable vinyl recordings or issues with the production itself. Back then not everything was 100%, especially not when producers used analog synths.
After improving the music, I made a DJ mix out of it in my studio. And the result is now available to you, as a lossless FLAC file. You have never heard that music in a better sound quality!
That’s why I call this mix series “Past Perfect”, because that’s what it is for me. Talking about “series”… this is the first installment. I have hundreds of more material from back then, so stay tuned for more.
Tracklisting
- Junk Project – Composure [Universal Prime Breaks]
- Mara – Coming Down [Choo Choo Records]
- Schiller – Ruhe (Humate Remix) [Zeitgeist]
- Fingerfest Inc – Autoporno [Yoshitoshi Recordings]
- Brother Brown – Slap Me Some Skin [Yoshitoshi Recordings]
- Hardfloor – Acperience 1 [Harthouse Germany]
- Lowriders – Part 1 / Beat Rising [OneStar Recordings]
- Ramirez – ¡Hablando! [DFC]
- David Alvarado – Blue [Strive]
- Microwave Prince – Cyclic Evolution [Le Petit Prince]
- Robert Armani – Circus Bells (Hardfloor Remix) [Djax-Up-Beats]
- Van Bellen – Let Me Take You (On A Journey) [Suck Me Plasma]
- Luzon – The Baguio Track (Bedrock Mix) [Renaissance]
- Doi-Oing – Blue (Airport EP Mix) [Northern Exposure Recordings]
- Journey – Don’t Stop Believing (Sunday Club Unofficial Remix) [CBS]
- Halo Varga – Future! [Hooj Choons]
- Three Drives – Greece 2000 [ZYX Music]
- M. Accorsi & J. Bassetti – Until The End [EQ [Grey]]
- Desert – Moods [Stress Records]
- K-Lab – In The Lab [Undiscovered]
- Visions – Coming Home (Sunday Club Remix) [Stress Records]
- Tekara Feat. Lucy Cotter – Breathe In You (Tekara’s M&M Dub) [Black Hole Recordings]
- Jam & Spoon – Odyssey To Anyoona [JAM!]
- IiO – Rapture (Deep Dish Space Remix) [Made Records]
- Medway – Release (Lexicon Avenue Remix) [Hooj Choons]
- Jimpy – Talkin’ (Tarrentella Vs. Redanka Remix) [Star 69 Records]
- Brothers Love Dubs – 1-800-Ming [Kismet Records]
- Energy 52 – Café Del Mar (Three’n One Remix) [Edelpitch]
- Cevin Fisher – Music Saved My Life (Pete Heller’s Groove Jet Moment Mix) [Maxi Records]
- Regal – Acid Is The Answer [Involve Records]
- Miro – The One I Run To [Global Underground]
- Weekend World – The Word [Boxed]
- Tilt – Seduction Of Orpheus (Tarrantella Vs Redanka Remix) [Hooj Choons]
- G-Pal Presents Ghos – I Can See The Lights [Klik Records Swift Records]
- Stephane K – Numb (Meat Katie Remix) [Global Underground]
- Emmanuel Top – Turkish Bazar (Original Club Mix) [Kosmo Records]
- Hydrogen Rockers Feat. Mayte – Musica (Hydrogen Dub) [House Tempo]
- Desert – Feelings Run So Deep [Stress Records]
- Sasha – Xpander [Deconstruction]
- MRE – The Deep Edge [Hooj Choons]
- New Order – Blue Monday (Hardfloor Mix) [London Records 90]
- Seal – I’m Alive (BT & Sasha Mix) [Warner Bros. Records]
- Sunday Club – Healing Dream [Stress Records]
- Art Of Trance – Monsoon [Platipus]
- Sultan, Stephanie Vezina – Nightvisions (Feat. Stephanie Vezina) [Global Underground]
- Jimmy Van M – Sanctuary (Jimmy Van M At Sanctuary Mix) [Bedrock Records]
- Ian Wilkie – Guten Morgen (Vocal) [Hope Recordings]
Also, check this Spotify playlist that contains a lot of the music above: ingovogelmann.net/pastperfect
