A Few Of My Favorite Moments - Beatport Mike’s Classics

A Few Of My Favorite Moments - Beatport Mike’s Classics

25 June, 2010 | 2.29AM

• Written by: Beatport Mike
• Filed under: Music News: classics

When compiling a chart for the classics week, I felt it could be quite cool to choose some songs that are more personal classics, rather than focusing on the biggest hits and anthems that everyone and their mothers were playing at the clubs. Instead of the usual crowd-pleasing chart toppers (although some in my chart are quite big hits), I leaned towards selections that helped take my friends and I a bit further down the rabbit hole, or which I associate with special moments. Although I would confidently say that these picks are 100% functional in the nightclubs, the dark and dingy basement parties that seemed to last all day and then all night and then all day again is where these tunes shone the most. God bless those days, and these timeless classics.

ETI & DJ Garth, ‘Twenty Minutes Of Disco Glory’ [Acid Rock Remix]

In my opinion, this is the best acid house record of all time. I first heard this song on Doc Martin’s ‘Unlock Your Mind’ cassette in 1996 while in a cabin in the woods with a few friends and some unusual fungus. My first proper experience listening to acid house in a (ahem) highly elevated visual and aural mind-set (cough cough), which caused me to finally understand what it meant when people said they were able to “see the music”. God bless Doc Martin for including this on his cassette tape, and the guy on the left in the picture above, for playing that tape.

John Tejada, ‘Mono On Mono’ [Palette]

This is one of my all time favorite John Tejada records. Simplicity is the key here, and every time this was played out in the clubs and afterhours parties, the reaction was 100% goose bump inducing. Who would have known a simple de-tuned chord structure would be all you need to make everyone freak out? It’s unintentionally catchy and it works like a charm.

Triola, ‘Leuchtturm (Wighnomy’s Polarzipper Remix)’ [Kompakt]

The Wighnomy Brothers struck gold with this remix, which I must admit feels to be much more of a proper trance record than a techno record. Ethereal chords, hypnotic sounds, and enough creepy-crawly sound effects… this was the perfect record to play when you noticed your friends’ eyes were rolling to the back of their heads. Druggy and beautiful in equal amounts. 

Minilogue, ‘Ahck’ [WIR]

This one is relatively new in a “classic” sense (only about six years old), but still a classic in my mind. It’s a proper spaced out, loopy and funky little ditty. I love how this song just goes and goes, growing in tension without really changing too drastically. This was the type of tune to grab you tight and not let you go. Many producers should check this track out and realize it doesn’t take a lot to make a hit record, when the focus on the tension and the groove is just as important as the latest plug-ins.

Hiem, ‘She’s The One (Mathew Jonson’s Circles In Time Remix)’ [Crosstown Rebels]

Mathew Jonson’s remix of this Crosstown Rebels jam is an insane psychedelic headf**k which I was introduced to by one of my all time favorite DJs, DJ Three from NYC. Live bass, spooky synths, and one unbelievably intense breakdown, complete with a bassline that should have been placed in some Metalheadz D&B records rather than this. The juxtaposition works blissfully perfectly.

Luke Solomon & Music For Freaks, ‘Spoo’ [Plink Plonk]

This record reminds me of being at some hell-bent carnival where the ringleader is a Roland TB-303 and the performing artists are evil clown-demons dancing around with circuit boards on fire. In other words, I love this record. So wonderfully unusual. I also love that I discovered this record in the used bin at our old record shop Sweat Records in Denver. Clearly not a record for everyone, but certainly one for me.

Alex Under, ‘Vampir Von Duesseldorf (Oliver Hacke Remix)’ [Trapez]

This is such a cool record. I love what Oliver Hacke did with his reinterpretation. It’s as ear-pleasing to me today as when I first heard it in 2005.  Haunting melodies, and a very warm and joyful song despite its clear gothic undertones. To me, this is an essential track for Halloween. Haunted house music never sounded so great.

David Alvaradio, ‘Passion Fruit’ [Yoshitoshi]

It’s cliche to say, but it’s true: they just don’t make tracks like this anymore. I still remember playing this record on a houseboat in the middle of Lake Powell in the darkest of midnight. Some friends floating around in the water, others lying around on blankets, no one speaking—they were all staring up into the sky at a massive blanket of stars, with this as the soundtrack.

Dialogue, ‘Back In (Dub Taylor Reshape)’ [Morris Audio]

Another acid track from the once unstoppable Morris Audio imprint, this was a very sweet track to bring people back to earth after a heavy night out. A friendly and relaxed dubby track with a perfectly arranged bubbling 303 line. It doesn’t really have “classic” appeal in the broad sense of the word, but it was definitely one record I always had in my box and was a personal favorite to listen to.

Soul Grabber, ‘Soul Grabber Pt.3’ [Aquarius]

I still play this track every chance I get. Funky party music for the weirdos. Just a simple breaky house track, some filters and plenty of bizarre noises. It’s ear candy for the inebriated and the clinically insane. I bought this at Casa Del Soul Records in Denver in 1997 and it sounds just as awesome today. A proper underground classic that has stood the test of time.

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