I've been bitten by the 90s bug. And I cannot contain myself. I need more 90s music, and after a quick scroll on Soundcloud, the latest Rave-O-Lution mixtape appeared, mixed by Fer-D. It's been a while since we last encountered a mix by him, but it's never too late to appreciate good music. We actually reviewed the one instalment before the latest one, and we also checked out Fer-D's Bonzai mix, but that was over a year ago. When this mix appeared, I knew it was going to be a great one, and after listening to it once, I knew I was right.
As you all know, and if you didn't, you've been living under a rock, but if you didn't, I'm a gabber fan. I grew up in the country that spawned some of the greatest artists ever, and this culture grew so big, it became unstoppable! Even to this day, Hardcore is widely loved, and criticised a lot. You love it or you hate it. But we all have to admit that it's one of those things the Dutch should be proud of, for making bigger than ever. We weren't the only ones, but we certainly had our fair share/input. We made the raves bigger, bolder, and better, and spawned a culture so profound, it sparked fear into many parent's minds.
Fer-D's set contains a lot of well known anthems, but also a shit ton of obscure, underground anthems. You might have found them on some compilations, but they have slowly been forgotten about, which is a pity. During the 90s, Hardcore was still in its development phase, and it was growing. It was trying to find its foundation, and once that was laid, everything was build on top of it. But during the first few years, we didn't know what we had, so many of the records just didn't sound like Hardcore, but they were.
Many of the big names you might recognise had some kind of part to play in this, and you can find a lot of these names in this mix, including the likes of Scott Brown, Marc Smith, Hooligan, Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo, Gizmo, 3 Steps Ahead, The Prophet, Buzz Fuzz, Davie Forbes, and more. It certainly sounds interesting, and it's one you don't want to miss out on.
303 Abuse - Approach Phase
The Bazeman - Martians (The Juno 103 Version)
DJ Hooligan - The Culture
Genlog - Revolution
Speedloader - Suck My Dick
Cyclopede - Bassline
Technotrance - YRS Stomp (Hyperact Remix)
Firestarter - Bass Buzz
Acid Heads - Some Sort Of Pill (Equazion Remix)
Hyperact - House Aggression
Davie Forbes - Techno Renegade (Davie Forbes' Mix)
Scott Brown - Detonated
Brothers In Crime - Drop Da Beat
Tilt! - Sound-State Of Emergency
Technological Terror Crew - Polaris
The Mover & Rave Creator - O.K. Bassquake
Marc Smith - Techno Dup
Bertocucci Feranzano - XTC Love
DJ Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo - Can You Feel It
Mass Hypnosis - Artcore (Say What)
George Vagas - Hyperdome (Heavens Version)
Oh-Bonic - Voice Wave
Audio Code - Seminal Disposition
Lock Jaw - Underground Funk
Wedlock - Terradome
Knight Vision - The Dymano Of The Universe
Cybernators - Open The Door
Sonicdriver - Manic Insanity
The Washington Affair - Get Down And ....
DJ Gizmo - Ghost
The 2 Macks meet Buzz Fuzz - Love And Devotion (Buzzmix) i
The Prophet - Allright Now Here We Go!! (Buzzy Goes BZRK Mix)
Leroy - F... The World
3 Steps Ahead - We Need Things That Makes Us Go (Senna's Drive Mix)
Haardcore - Red Alert
Technological Terror Crew - Where Angels Fear To Thread
The list is gorgeous, as it contains tracks you don't hear that often. An hour and a half (nearly) of obscure Hardcore anthems. It's something you need to listen to, and it will bring a smile on your face, as there are so many bangers in here.
Fer-D has done a marvellous job in composing this mix, and it's nostaglic, to say the least. This takes me right back to my bedroom in Heerlen, during the 90s, with my headset on, enjoying the music, and nothing else. I was there when Hardcore emerged out of nowhere, and I'm glad that I was part of this culture that is still going strong today. The music might sound different, but we should never forget our roots, and what started all of this.
I had some difficulties picking a favourite, but I found three that I grew up with, and still love to this day. 'Underground Funk' by Lock Jaw, 'Terradome' by Wedlock, and 'Love And Devotion' by The 2 Macks meet Buzz Fuzz. They define the 90s for me.
A solid mix, and you can download this bad boy for free! Hopefully we won't need to wait another year for another mix. We need more of these obscure mixes, as they are a) dope as fuck and b) take us back to a forgotten era that we should all remember and relive, whenever possible!
DJ: Fer-D
Genre/Style: Early Hardcore, Gabber, Early Rave
Mix Info: Rave-O-Lution Mixtape #008 - Fer-D
Length Mix: 01:26:36
Tracks: 36 (thirty-six)
Download/Listen (via Soundcloud): CLICK HERE
File Size: 199 MB
File Type: mp3
Audio: Stereo
Bit Rate: 320kbps
Release Year: 2023
More Information: Rave-O-Lution.nl - Soundcloud Channel