Recession 3

The third mix I posted (1998)

This was the first mix where I wrote up how and why I mixed each transition the way I did.

The audio links below point at the original djrecess.co.uk file host from years ago, and the RealAudio (.ram/.rm) format itself has been obsolete for a long time. I can't verify any of these still resolve — treat them as historical reference until they've been checked and, where possible, re-hosted.

Download Recession 3 (RealAudio, ~12.5MB)

By this point, regular listeners will know I don't lean on the biggest, newest tunes for these mixes — they date too fast. I prefer digging a little further back and giving older tunes a second life. On the night this was recorded, someone joked it should be called "ReGRESSion" instead of Recession. Fair enough.

This is the one of the three I'm proudest of, though it could still use some extra polish — it was EQ'd for a live PA rather than tape, so it dips in and out a little on playback.

Tracklist

1. BT vs Paul van Dyk — Remember (Perfecto)
2. FPI Project — Rich in Paradise
3. Der Dritte Baum — Halle Bopp (Additive)
4. Lost Tribe — The Gamesmaster (Hooj Choons)
5. Paul van Dyk — Words (MFS)
6. BT — Godspeed (Renaissance)
7. Vernacocha — Drafting (on the B-side of Carte Blanche)
8. Mystica — Everest (Perfecto)

1) BT vs Paul van Dyk — Remember

I've always loved the original and the Sasha remix. With PVD's "Avenue" out at the time, it felt right to dust this one off — the two share a similar feel and that great chord change. It's deep and heavy enough that I have to pick the right moment to drop it.

2) FPI Project — Rich in Paradise

A relatively new addition to the box at the time — nearly got dropped before I properly noticed the hook. Started from the beginning with the bass cut to around a quarter, dropped in after the last breakdown in Remember, and let it run underneath. Once Remember's bass started to fade, I brought FPI in full (bass still killed slightly), swapped the basslines over four bars later, and let Remember ride out until FPI's own breakdown — then cut it and cued up Halle Bopp.

3) Der Dritte Baum — Halle Bopp

The Nick Warren mix, used here for its kick even though the mid-range runs a bit heavy. Started after FPI's second breakdown with the bass and mids both down around a quarter, skipping Halle Bopp's own weak intro to start right on its solid kick. Ran low for roughly 32 bars until FPI dropped out for a bar, then brought Halle Bopp up (bass still killed), swapped basslines four bars later, and faded FPI out after another 16.

4) Lost Tribe — The Gamesmaster

A tune that didn't fully click for me until I heard it played out properly. The vocal storytelling could read as dated, but it works here. Brought it in from the start as Halle Bopp's hook faded after its fourth pass, left low with the bass mostly killed for four bars, then brought it up as Halle Bopp dropped its main elements, swapping bass and fading Halle Bopp out over eight bars. Deliberately mixed across a key change here, partly just to prove it can be done cleanly.

5) Paul van Dyk — Words

PVD and BT dominate this whole mix. Words had been overplayed by this point and lost some of its top-end sharpness. Started 16 bars after a lead-in point in Lost Tribe, kept low through Words' intro (it's in a different key, so needed to stay subtle), then raised it at a break in Lost Tribe with the bass still around a quarter. Full swap and bass exchange four bars later, fading Lost Tribe out over four more.

6) BT — Godspeed

Often compared unfavourably to Flaming June, but it's got a great vocal sample and hook regardless. Brought in during a long gap in Words, bass just short of fully killed, running up to full strength so the vocal sample and hooks come through clearly. Kept Words' bassline running for an extra eight bars past when I'd usually cut it — not planned, but it worked well live.

7) Vernacocha — Drafting

A bit heavier and noisier than my usual taste, but a welcome change from an overplayed Carte Blanche. Started in BT's second proper breakdown with the bass killed right down, building gradually as BT's own bass drum developed an increasingly unfriendly edge. Swapped bass levels after Drafting's hi-hats ran solo for four bars, let both run for eight more, then killed BT's mids as Drafting dropped into its bassline, fading BT out over the following 16 bars.

8) Mystica — Everest

Not the easiest tune to mix in, but a huge hook. Gauged the crowd on some of the older material that night and got a good response, so took the opportunity to drop this one. Brought it in gradually with the bass killed after a one-bar drop in Drafting, brought it to full on a vocal cue while cutting Drafting's treble (a little too much, in hindsight), held for two bars, swapped basslines, then faded Drafting out after ten more.

If nothing else, this mix shows how reliant you can become on a mixer's kill switches.

Other mixes on the site

• Recession 7 (2007)
• Recession 6 (2001)
• Recession 5 (2000)
• Recession 4 (1999)
• Recession 1 and 2 didn't survive various site migrations over the years.