A few days ago, I discovered yet another new mix, and it grabbed my attention immediately. A mix dedicated to DJ Mad Dog? Who would say 'no' to that? I didn't, and I jumped on it. And I've already listened to this like a dozen times so far. Really impressed with the direction DJ Mad Dog is heading, and I'm happy to follow him to this new sound, one that I really appreciate. It is somehow called 'Downtempo', the opposite of (of course) Uptempo, but to me it's just plain and simple Hardcore. But he keeps it real, and true to the core.
The last set done by Mad Dog was at HÖR. Well, I say done, I meant reviewed by yours truly. He's been a very busy bee, so he's been playing everywhere on God's given Earth. And yes, I did also listen to his set at Thunderdome back in 2022. But someone called 'Sapher' made this mix, as a tribute to the 'new' Mad Dog sound. An hour of Mad Dog mayhem, and 19 of the finest records.
He is taking the early sound and revamping it. He is changing the landscape as it is, bringing back the glorious sound of the 90s, and tweaking it slightly, to gain a new audience who never grew up with the glorious sound from that wonderful decade. Reinventing the wheel, but a reinvention which has been in the making for quite some time. A well deserved revisit to the classic sound, and I'm happy that it's Mad Dog doing it. He's leading by example, and the tracks in this mix are simply mind bogglingly beautiful. New, yet faintly resembling the old style.
But also older anthems revamped to suit the 21st century. It is so damn worth it. You need to invest your precious time into what Mad Dog is doing right now, it is so worth it.
Mad Dog - You Don't Belong (Original Mix)
Mad Dog - You Still Don't Belong (Original Mix)
Mad Dog & Gabber Eleganza - You Belong (Original Mix)
Mad Dog - Il Futuro (Original Mix)
Mad Dog & Promo - The Realness (Original Mix)
Mad Dog & Marc Acardipane - Sick With It (Original Mix)
Mad Dog - Time (Original Mix)
Mad Dog - verzerrung
Marc Acardipane - Atmos-Fear (DJ Mad Dog Remix)
Mad Dog - Energy 1996 (Original Mix)
Mad Dog - We Who Are Oppressed (Original Mix)
DJ Mad Dog - The Box
Mad Dog - Underground (Original Mix)
Mad Dog & Angerfist - Step Into The Dark (Original Mix)
DJ Mad Dog - The Missing Channel (Original Mix)
DJ Mad Dog - What Is Hardcore?
DJ Mad Dog - Laughing Loud
DJ Mad Dog - Aria
Mad Dog - The Beat (Extended Mix)
Why are we calling this 'Downtempo'? Why can't we just call it Hardcore? Because to me this is true Hardcore.
I am really in awe of what Mad Dog is doing. He makes Hardcore more interesting again. And the tunes Sapher has selected for this mix are really ace. Yes, I've heard them before, but I don't mind hearing them again. And his collaborations are also insane. Working with legends such as Promo and Marc Acardipane? Come on man, what's next?
The BPMs slowly go up throughout the mix, and the build up is really good. And the songs are so melodic, but rough as hell. Nothing, and I mean nothing resembles the 90s sound like these songs. Name any that can revitalise the 90s style the way Mad Dog is doing it? They could have been released back in the 90s and they would have dominated the charts, but instead, it is 2023, and they are NOW rocking the charts. Mad Dog is on a roll, and he's winning.
Really a pleasant mix to listen to. So many tracks in here that will become 'all-time' classics. Trust me, if there's ever a proper Top 100 all time Hardcore anthems (like the one Arcade released around 1998), you know Mad Dog will appear on that list a few times. He's made timeless classics, an ode to the lost sound of the most majestic decade of our precious Hardcore history.
Sapher's mix is a nice welcome to this bleak and dark looking Sunday. But what a fucking mix! And it's got 'The Realness' on it. Two different styles coming together in a beautiful way!
This mix rocks my socks! And so does Mad Dog. A true legend, a true pioneer!
DJ: Sapher
Genre/Style: Hardcore, Downtempo Hardcore
Mix Info: The Core Of Madness EP117 - DJ Mad Dog Downtempo Tribute Hardcore Mix
Length Mix: 01:02:16
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: Sapher - Soundcloud Channel