Let's go back in time, to 1994. I was only 10 years old when Mystery Land took place. The 24th until the 26th of June of that year, at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam. Not the first event (which took place a year before), but certainly the big one that put the event on everyone's mind. The '93 edition turned out to be a bit of a financial drama, and also the '94 edition, but at least the '94 edition gave us the compilation you already know and love. And if you never heard of it, don't worry: let me introduce you to this very important live CD, one that changed my life.
This CD has been so important, I can honestly say that it has made me who I am today. A brief introduction to my youth: Thunderdome was big in the Netherlands, but also very controversial. Hated by many parents, my parents were also very against Thunderdome and anything Hardcore. So they banned Thunderdome from ever appearing in our house. I wasn't allowed any. And if you know my mum, you know she means business. But because of House Party 8, I was in love with Hardcore. And Thunderdome was the big thing.
I had to find a way around it. In a Dutch shop, called ECI, they sold books and CDs and VHS etc. And my mum was a member. I saw this disc, and wanted it badly, as the first disc had the legendary word on it: ''THUNDERDOME''. The second disc and third were more focussed on House and Techno, but it was the first disc I desperately required. And she bought it for me! No joke. Many years later she told me that she knew it had something to do with gabber music and Thunderdome, but I don't believe her. I played her, and I won.
That CD got played over and over. And it has been etched into my mind forever. Not the first CD I ever owned (which was ''Yabba Dabba Dance volume 1''), but certainly the most impactful one. I played this every day, and I do know this album by heart. And in a strange way, it's probably the best recorded CD in the Mystery Land history (alongside the '98 Outdoor edition). Between '84 and '98 the quality of the CDs were extremely poor. 1994 was a great year. Don't know how they pulled it off.
As said, the compilation is split into three discs: Thunderdome, The House of Love, and The Eclipse. And it started the Mystery Land CD series, which I followed until 2004 or 2005. And I actually went to two editions: 1998 Outdoor and the 2001 edition. That's how influential this CD is to me. I adore this CD with every fibre in my body, and this is one that gets played over and over, until the day I die.
Let me show you what you could find on this CD, if you are one of those people who never purchased it. Trust me, if you are looking for a quality trip down memory lane, this CD is the bomb!
Thunderdome
Intro - Welcome To The Thunderdome
Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - Riot In New York City
Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - DJ Fuck
Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - Live At London
Simstim - The Sound Of Now
Mutoid - Don't Move Slow
Simstim - Hi-Fi Overleeft
Euromasters - Fuck DJ Murderhouse
Euromasters - Noiken In De Keuken
Holographic - Androigyn
Holographic - Hardcore Future
3 Steps Ahead - The Ender
3 Steps Ahead - S.O.B.
3 Steps Ahead - Hardcore
3 Steps Ahead - Motherfuckers You're Gonna Die
Neophyte - Recession
Neophyte - Guitar Man
The House of Love
Intro - Welcome To The House of Love
Nu Phonic feat Chavoni - No More Heartache
Jump ''Chico'' Slamm - Feel Free
Two Men Will Move You - The Goodbye Thing
Inner Tube - Pump Me Up
Paperclip People - Throw
The Misfits - Dum Dum Girl
Blackwood - All I Gave To You
Atlantic Ocean - Body In Motion
The Rose - Get Into Music
The Rose - Troubles
Join Free - Movin' On
Eric Nouhan - Tournesol
Astrospider vs Kelvin - Second Groove
Children Of A Deeper Society - Move On
The Eclipse
Intro - Welcome To The Eclipse
Holographic - Industrium
Holographic - Vaneaph
Dark Globe - The Ascendor
Gipsy - Funk De Fino
Aphrohead - In The Dark We Shall Live
The Rising Sons - Afghan Acid
Secret Cinema - Timeless Altitude
Dave Clarke - Red 2
Franco 'Mayhem' - Hectic
Robert Armani - Circus Bells (Remix By Hardfloor)
Simstim - Dig It
Nexus 6 - Tres Chic
If you want to talk about an influential CD, this is the one for me. And as it was common in the 90s that any Arcade CD would have fuck-ups on it, there's plenty on here. Click here to find the CD on Discogs with the proper titles and more. But yeah, it was common. Always a mistake somewhere.
But to me it didn't matter. I was in love with the Thunderdome CD, and the sets by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo, Simstim, Neophyte, Holographic, 3 Steps Ahead, and Euromasters are legendary. ''Ben je geil of moet je poepen'' is still the only Dutch lyric that makes me smile. Are you horny or do you need a shit, that's the literal translation. Amazing bit of Dutch language used.
But over the years, I ventured into other styles more. And I started to appreciate the other 2 discs more. Especially the House of Love CD. Boy, does that one have amazing timeless classics on it. And it has now reached the same level of interest the Thunderdome CD was to me in 1994. The Eclipse is also a fantastic CD, but out of the three, the least interesting one. Still don't understand why Simstim's ''Dig It'' appeared on that one?
OK, let dive into each disc. The first one, the legendary one, contains all the livesets you want to hear. And it's tricky to select only one set to appreciate, but I can say that Neophyte was the least interesting one. Euromasters, Speedcity, Holographic, Simstim, and 3 Steps Ahead, they were and still are the dog's bollocks. With ''Hi-Fi Overleeft'' being the most underrated record of them all. What happened to Simstim?
Don't know which set was recorded, but one of the DJs had their set recorded. And what a joyous ride it was. And I cannot pick one record out of them all as my favourite, as they ALL are. I am deadly serious, this disc only contains hits. And they are timeless masterpieces.
The third one is, as mentioned before, the least favourite, but it's tricky. It is still better than most CDs being released nowadays, with also a shit ton of epic records. And I have to give Holographic all the credit for making so many underrated dance anthems. They should get all the credits they deserve. Shame it never took off.
A wonderful compilation. And it set me on a path. A path that lead me 4 years later to Myster Land in Lingebos. I had to experience what all those ravers experienced in 1994. The music had slightly changed, and also the dance music landscape in general, but without the '94 CD, I might not have ventured further into dance music. Well, who knows? Can't really say anything without knowing. And this is one of those moments that might have changed me, forever. But maybe I was going to be a raver anyway, regardless of this CD. It did shape me into the raver I am, and who still appreciates this CD a lot. And considers it as probably the best Mystery Land CD, right behind '98. Prove me otherwise.
The event might have changed over the years, to this colossal beast. But it is sometimes important to acknowledge the roots. And 1993+1994 were certainly important years. If they didn't pick it up in 1996, the world would have missed out on future editions, and maybe even Tomorrow Land.....
And can we also honour the design of the flyer. What a masterpiece that was! Beautiful!
Artist: Various Artists
Genre/Style: Hardcore, Gabber, Techno, Hard Trance, Acid, House, Garage House
CD Info: Mystery Land - The European Dance Festival
CDs: 3 (three)
Length CDs: +/+ 3 hours
Tracks: 45 (fourty-five)
Label: Arcade
Product Number: 9902223
More Information: Mystery Land - Official Website
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