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Writer's pictureMartin van Zeelandt / TCD

Ilsa Gold @ Mayday 1994 - Rave Olympia/Dortmund (30-04-1994)


If there's one party I would have gone to, if I was old enough at the time, it would have been Mayday back in 1994. From 6 in the evening until 10 in the morning. Which party still does that, eh? And the line-up was truly astonishing. Let me name a few: DJ Dick, Carl Cox, Marusha, RMB, Franky Jones, Miss Djax, Gizmo, Westbam, Hardsequencer, Paul Elstak, Genlog, Laurent Garnier, LTJ Bukem, Bonzai All Stars, Hooligan, and many more. I know the Dutch were responsible for many things, including putting 'raving' on the map, but the Germans also knew how to throw a party. And Mayday is a good example of just that.


I always thought that Ilsa Gold was a woman. Don't know why. But when I found this set the other day, I realised that my knowledge was limited. Ilsa Gold played back in 1994, only for 15 minutes. The line-up was so ridicilous, some acts were only 15 minutes long. And the longest sets were only 1 hour long! They crammed in as much as they could. So it might be short, but Ilsa Gold's set is pure solid. And it contains something I have not figured out yet, a storyline.


I found this set on 'the free spirit's' Soundcloud, and I noted that there was too much talking, but he quickly told me that they were telling a story throughout the set. I reckon it has something to do with someone called Silke. But that's all. Does it really matter? Not for me. To me the thing that matters is the crowd's reaction to Ilsa Gold's set. My God, the noise they make, you don't hear that anymore. And this was all done during the years before the internet and mobile phones. Everyone was focussed on the music, not about likes, livestreams or anything similar. And you do hear that clearly throughout the 15 minute set.


It will be the shortest set I've ever heard, but boy does it pack a punch!





01. Ilsa Gold - Intro

02. Ilsa Gold - Silke II - Suchtig

03. Ilsa Gold - Eggs (They See)

04. ID - ID

05. Ilsa Gold - Four Non Blondes


Also probably the shortest tracklist I've ever written down. If anyone knows this unknown Gabber track, you can leave a comment and we will update the tracklist.


It's Gabber, and it's good. Never knew the true meaning behind Ilsa Gold, and never knew they were from Austria, but those records they have made (the most famous ones of course) will remain timeless classics. Especially 'Four Non Blondes'. My God, when they start playing this, the crowd looses their fricking minds! Hear the screams coming through your speakers, and you will instantaneously get goosebumps. I know I did.


This takes me back to the 90s. Full on raving, and nothing else. We lived in our own bubble, we were unstoppable. And the people at Mayday 1994 must have felt the same. Under appreciated by literally everyone, but those witnessing it, they loved it. The world did not matter, they were the world. Or even the universe. Nothing else mattered. Bills to pay? Going to work? All went out of the window, raving was the only cure to the sickness we call mankind. And boy, those 15 minutes were solid.


Don't know where this is taken from, but I'm guesing from an oldskool cassette? The quality is obviously not the best, and halfway through it skips, but whatever the reason for this might be, I'm loving it.


I'm loving the quirkiness, the intro, the tracks, their interpretation of ecstacy (eggs they see). It's just so 90s. I wish I was born a decade earlier and witnessed the birth of Rave music. Those who were there, they know the score. I jumped the gun too late, but still lived with it throughout the late 90s.


Ilsa Gold's set is really entertaining, even though I don't know the meaning behind the story telling. What's the story about? Leave a comment below, so we can tell others and make them aware of the story relating to Silke.







Act: Ilsa Gold

Genre/Style: Acid, Gabber, Hardcore

Liveset Info: Recorded @ Mayday 1994

Length Liveset: 00:17:44

Tracks: 5 (five)

Download/Listen (via Soundcloud): LISTEN HERE

File Size: unknown File Type: unknown Bitspeed: unknown More Information: Ilsa Gold - Facebook Fanpage


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1 Comment


de.ka.zt
Feb 26, 2021

"Don't know where this is taken from but I'm guesing from an oldskool cassette?"

Correct. It is a recording of a DAT broadcasted by Marusha during her radio show Rave Satellite in autumn 1994.


"The quality is obviously not the best"

It was aired via VHF, I received it via a wire aerial, put it on a Sony or TDK metal oxide compact cassette. Over the years, it was copied to MiniDisc and finally converted to mp3.

Some years ago, some dudes (pihkal, RAF, nanotek, Schlex, maybe others) started to exchange their tapes via DJ Tanith's forum. I offered my collection as well. Finally, one of the dudes (could have been jEEzz) uploaded all that stuff to Youtube - so…


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