The year 1993 was a really interesting year for me. It was the year I discovered Hardcore music. Now the story behind it isn't really that interesting to anyone else besides me, but what happened was, I would always visit my mom's friends on a Friday, and one of our mutual friends was a full on music lover. He had the biggest speakers, the coolest sound set at the time, and spent a fortune on CDs and cassettes. I adored his collection, and whenever I saw the CDs, I couldn't contain my happiness. So as cheeky as it might be, I asked him if he could record CDs onto my cassettes.
So far so good. I was still listening to cassettes on my Walkman, seeing as I was only 10 years old, and did not have the pennies yet to get myself a portable CD player. One day my friend told me that he got the latest House Party CD, and it was a good 'un, but maybe a tad too hard. I always listened to 'softer' music, like Techno and House music. But this Hardcore music, never heard it before. So I said 'yeah, just put it on the cassette and I'll have a listen'. That CD was House Party 8, and my life changed completely.
The bus journey home was interesting. I was listening to the tape, and only noise came out. I thought it was my cassette which was broken. How could this be music? Boom boom boom? Is that music? Is that what the kids find cool? But the bug caught me, and I never looked back since. I bought the CD, and even the follow up Hardcore CD, House Party 10, is one of my most treasured albums ever. Probably in the top 3 of all time favourites.
So, this specific CD, it was my introduction into Hardcore music. Mixed by Gizmo, Buzz Fuzz, Dano, and The Prophet. In 2020 I'm still sitting here, knowing the album fully by heart, and still loving it. I feel like a teenager again. Young, innocent, and f**king loving it.
If you haven't encountered the House Party collection, I would urge you to do so. They were really good, one of Arcade's finest CD series. Now, the tracklist:
01. TCM - Thundergods From Hell (Intro)
02. Genlog - It Feels So....
03. DJ Bountyhunter II - Woops
04. Kuadra - La Onda (La Onda De Einstein Mix)
05. Ramirez - El Gallinero (Original Mix)
06. Radical Motion - Stereo
07. Pilldriver - Impossible X-T-C
08. Lt. D'Amato - Sounds Of Frustration
09. Dream Your Dream - Soushkin
10. The Brain - Crasy One (Fucker Mix)
11. Square Dimensione - Angry Eyes
12. Bass X - Hardcore Disco
13. English Muffin - Follow The Leader
14. Citrus - Fascination
15. Mahem - Kikapoo
16. Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - DJ Fuck
17. M-Pool - It's A Demo
18. Deaz D. - Acid Yell (Gizmo Remix)
19. Bone Crusher - A Hit Record (Dub 303 Live In The Hague Mix)
20. The Speed Freak - Intro
21. TCM - The Key To Unknown Universe
22. Mushroom Reality - Critical Levels
23. A Freak Statistic - Devision By Zero
24. Ilsa Gold - Up
25. The Prophet - The Fat Beat
26. The Prophet - Bad Behaviour
27. Pinhead - Slammin Beatz
28. Stockhousen II - A Fox May Hunt Too
29. Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - Pussy
30. Vene - Pain
31. Frantic Explosion - Boom! Bang!
32. Chosen Few - Tranceparant
33. High Energy - The Box
34. Neophyte - Recession
35. Sigma 909 - Hardcore Is The Power
36. C-Tank - Nightmares Are Reality
37. Fuckin Hostile - Fuckin Hostile (Disintegrator Remix)
38. Tumor - Tumult
39. Leathernecks - At War
40. The Prophet - Dominatin' (1993 Summer Remix)
41. Riot Squad - Nonshlen Tustokken (Ode To Vortex)
42. Belgica Wave Party - Filler
43. The Speed Freak - Speedbird
44. TCM - Braindead, The End
Goosebumps, ladies and gentlemen. Goosebumps. This is the soundtrack of my youth. I was young, innocent, and the music took my by surprise I've not looked back ever since, and I thank my friend for introducing me into this weird yet marvellous world.
It's 2020 today, and I'm still enjoying the tunes. I can literally dream the whole album, or hear the album without even have it playing! That's the power behind this album. And thanks to our friend magpie303 for uploading it onto Soundcloud. Of course he would have done exactly that, the Hardcore nutter.
The good thing about this CD is, was the fact that it had an intro, midtro, and an outro. Maybe that's why I still love them a lot: a mix CD cannot be superb without an intro, midtro, and outro. It all stems from this CD, ladies and gentlemen. And the intros were so good!
The mixing was also very tight. Quick mixing, and no fucking about. At certain moments not beautiful, but the message was to get us all dancing, and that's what this album certainly did. And you have to remember that this CD was made in 1993. Simplicity in regards to the equipment, compared to the present day. Still impressive what they did achieve with limited technological equipment.
There are a few great anthems in here, and two are my all time favourites: 'The Box' by High Energy, and 'Acid Yell' by Deaz D, remixed by Gizmo. Both top notch singles.
I always wondered though, what Rob Gee is saying during 'Nonshlen Tustokken'. I think he meant to say something in Dutch, but me being Dutch, I've got no freaking idea what he's saying?
A good album. But, and I do mean this well, not the best House Party CD. It's number 10 that wins literally everything. Nonetheless, this album has been an inspirational album for me, and has made me who I am. For which I thank Arcade, Gizmo, Dano, Buzz Fuzz, and the Prophet!
Artists: Various Artists
DJs: Gizmo, Buzz Fuzz, Dano, The Prophet
Genre/Style: Hardcore, Acid, Techno, Gabber
CD Info: House Party 8 - The Hardcore Ravemix
Length CD: 01:14:00
Tracks: 44 (fourty-four)
Label: Arcade
Product Number: 01 7680 6
More Information: -------