The Golden days of Early Hardstyle. That's quite a statement. But you know TCD could not just let this mix go by without writing about it? Well, truth be told, Iridium DJs channel contains more than 6.5k tracks, so if I do miss a mix here and there, it ain't my fault. But he kindly informed me that there were a few mixes on his channel, which he made, and thought they could be interesting for me to have a listen to. I gave it a thought, and decided to go with his June 2023 mix. Both were dedicated to the early Hardstyle sound, but the image of the June mix appealed to me more. Don't ask me why.
By quickly checking the tracklist on Soundcloud, it does appear to be early Hardstyle anthems. The oldest being from 1998, and the 'youngest' from 2002. So he is staying true to his word. They are all early Hardstyle anthems. But are they good anthems? Were they anthems that got thousands of people on the dancefloors all over the world? Were they the ones that got people in some kind of ecstasy?
The short answer is 'yes'. But so is the long answer. It's got some heavy hitters in it, by the big names from around the start of the decade. And the most frustrating thing about not just Iridium's mixes but all mixes dedicated to a sound that doesn't exist anymore, is that it is annoying as hell. Why can't we have the present day Hardstyle and the older sounding Hardstyle, all together in harmony, still being produced the way they did it 20 years ago? Why is it gone? Boy, I miss it so freaking much. Nearly brings a tear to my eye.
But it also brings a smile to my face, knowing that there are kids out there who didn't dance to these tunes throughout the night. They never got the experience that I gained. But I do miss this specific sound though. Many would agree. Do you?
The Prophet - Follow The Leader (Original Mix)
Gollum & DJ Yanny - Shithead (Original Mix)
Arne L II & Mirko Milano presents Picard - Assimilation (Original Mix)
Melanie Di Tria & Kenji Ogura - Kreissage Typ A (Tracid Mix)
Trance Generators - Never In Danger (Y.O.M.C. Remix)
K.A.M. - Frequency (Direct Mix)
Tamok - The City Is Out Of Control (Original Mix)
Giada - Return To Forever (Tuneboy Remix)
Megamind - Taub (Mauro Picotto Mix)
Bison meets The Quakers - I Got Tonight (Original Mix)
Blutonium Boy - Brainshooter (Club Mix)
Klinisch Tot - Klinisch Tot (Wiederbelebungs Mix)
Pro-Tech - Out Of Control (DJ Wag Club Mix)
Tankis & Savietto - Octopus (Lost In Case Remix)
Droid - Ce Ce Rhythm (Club Mix)
Mellow Trax - Phuture Vibes (ATB Remix)
Super Marco May - Hardstyle (H-Traxx)
Arne L II - R.I.P. (Original Mix)
Jimmy The Sound - L.O.G.I.C.O. (Black M Version)
A trip down memory lane, right? Haven't heard most of these in at least a decade, or longer. I don't know how Iridium finds these gems. They are insanely good anthems, worthy enough to be played more and more. They deserve a stage, as they have become anthems for past, present, and future generations who adore the harder styles.
This is a really good mix. Not that long, but within the hour and a half you do get 19 amazing records. And, as mentioned before, all from the early years of the noughties. Those were the glorious years, the golden years of Hardstyle.
He's picked a wide variety of records by different artists, and blended them all together nicely. Really enjoyed a few records more than others, but the overall gist is positive. This takes me back, and with a smile on my face am I sitting here, thinking how awesome life was, 20 years ago.
Normally I would select any Megamind track as my favourite, but it's Melanie Di Tria and Kenji Ogura's track 'Kreissage Typ A' which blew me away the most.
A solid mix. If you are seeking for that early Hardstyle vibe, you have come to the right place.
DJ: Iridium DJ
Genre/Style: Early Hardstyle, Hard Trance, Hard Dance, Hard House
Mix Info: Iridium DJ Presents The Golden Days Of Early Hardstyle - June 2023
Length Mix: 01:33:31
Tracks: 19 (nineteen)
Download/Listen (via Soundcloud): STREAM HERE
File Size: unknown
File Type: unknown
Audio: Stereo
Sample Rate: unknown
Release Year: 2023 More Information: Iridium DJ - Soundcloud Channel