Vinyl Destination, Halloween Special - Mixed By Lewis Mann (2026)

Martin van Zeelandt / TCD

2 minutes ago

3 min read

It's that time of the year again, Halloween is getting closer and closer. And I do not understand the fascination around it. Why do people dress up in the scariest pieces of clothing, representing these devilish characters, like Jason, Freddie (or is it Freddy), and other diabolical creatures? Maybe I do not understand it as when I grew up, Halloween was a more American thing, not so much a Dutch thing. And now I'm older (and hopefully wiser), I do not believe in scary things, like monsters and alien things. I think mankind is scary enough as is, am I right?

But I do like that time of the year! It is getting darker earlier in the afternoon, and the mood changes. We are getting used to staying indoors, with the central heating on. Nice and cosy, that's the way I like it. Maybe it's because I'm more of a fan of Christmas, and not of Halloween. I do find it adorable, seeing parents with kids walking down the street, and being respectful of those who do not participate (they do not ring the doorbell if no decorations showing). Hell, I find those more respectful if they go out in the blistering rain, just because the kids want to.

But not number 10 (my house number). All the candy is for me! I'm sorry kids. I'm like the grinch who stole all the candy. To quote the legendary F.R.I.E.N.D.S. character Joey Tribbiani: I do not share food.

Obviously you are wondering why I'm talking about Halloween? Well, Lewis Mann (you know, the one who made one of the best mixes ever!), made a mix, dedicated to Halloween. And at first, I didn't get it. The tracks were really that scary. But then I noticed the tracklist, and it all made sense. Hopefully you'll get it too!

Trancesetters - Roaches (Bugs In Slackers Basement Remix)
Tenth Planet - Ghosts (Redanka Spooky Disko Vocal)
Azzido Da Bass - Dooms Night (Timo Maas Remix)
Storm - Storm
Brainbug - Nightmare (Sinister Strings Mix)
Nathan Fake - Outhouse
Modulation - Spirits (Beatpusher Remix)
Sander Van Doorn - Pumpkin
Flesh & Bones - Rigor Mortis (I Love You)
Sunscream vs Push - Please Save Me
Ray Stantz - Interlude (DJ GRH vs Paul Maddox - New York New York)
Umek - Gate X (Tiesto Remix)
Jacob & Mendez - Chamber Of Horror
Mark Norman - Phantom Manor
Nuw Idol - Sataan
Armin vs M.I.K.E. - Intruder
Warp Brothers vs Aquagen - Phat Bass (Warp Brothers Phatt Bass Mix)
The Moon - Shake It (CJ Bolland Big Bone Mix)
DJ Choose presents That Mucho - Release Me
Megamind - Taub
Burgy - Lochfraß (30° Mix)
Space Frog feat Grim Reaper - [X-Ray] Follow Me (Derb Mix)

You see what he's done here, right?? All the songs have got this Halloween themed title. The songs themselves aren't that scary: the opposite I would say.

The selection is diverse. I love that it's a mixture of well known and some obscure anthems. And Lewis picked them all, based upon the theme. And in a strange way, it works, and it sounds quite pleasant.

Some of these songs were everywhere, back in the day, like 'Dooms Night' and 'Gate X', but it the lesser played ones that get my attention. Two stood out the most, followed by one which I do like a lot. 'Outhouse' and 'Pumpkin' are super records, and 'Rigor Mortis' one that will stick in your head for day. But I do love 'Phantom Manor' too!

Is this mix as good as the previous one? Well, the short answer is no. Lewis' previous mix cannot be beaten, as that one is tremendously good. But this one is close. The only note I have is that the recording quality, at the beginning, is a bit off. I always listen to my music at full whack, and the bass did not come through properly. It only kicked in around 'Outhouse', and you cannot listen to 'Dooms Night' without the bass penetrating your eardrums.

It is still a very pleasant mix to listen to. And if this is your mix for Halloween, I hope you have a nice one, and I hope the weather changes. These storms are getting on my nerves. And if you live near me, my doorbell will be unplugged, just in case. You ain't getting my candy!

Happy Halloween everyone!