X-Nation – Planned Reality This is so fun!! This one will definitely take you back. Joe Silva’s first released DJ mix from 1998, including remixes by DJ Raz, Cheney Lansard, and DJ Trev!

Lustre Lustre was a quality weekly house music night which ran from 2000-2001, put on by local heroes Brent Phillips, Joe Silva, Jerry G, Chris Wiebe and Andrew Yankiwski. Thanks to Brent Phillips for posting this link to a Mixcloud account featuring five mixes recorded live at Lustre, from Jon Lemmon,Kevin Yost, Dano, David Duriez, and Tyler Stadius. Check it out here! And hear some of Brent Phillips’ new stuff on his Soundcloud page.

Back up and running We’re back up and running here at Winnipeg Mixtape Archive. Sorry for the outage – old server got malware, so we moved to a new (better!) one. It looks like everything migrated properly, but if you find anything broken let us know. Hope to have some new mixes up in the coming weeks, and we’re going to start a flyers section as well. If you have anything to contribute, let us know!

justrich – Digital River set (January 1999) Back in 1999 I managed to score a high quality CD copy of this mix. It was a favourite in my car for years until I lost it. I have kept my eyes open for it ever since, hoping it would turn up somewhere. It never did. Then, as I was going through stacks of old cassette tapes a few weeks ago, I popped this one in and the familiar mix started playing. “No way,” I thought. “I can’t believe I taped that CD!” Turns out I didn’t actually tape the CD – this is recorded directly off the radio! I left the opening monologue on there for an extra blast of nostalgia. The host – “Rocksteady J” – runs through some event listings, including for Cafe Zanzy’s, The Horseshoe, and Horizon! Enjoy:

Vaporub – Tribal Tech House Mix (2001) Gabe Reality (aka DJ Vaporub) was a staple techno DJ at some of Winnipeg’s earliest raves. He was also a promoter, throwing some of Winnipeg’s most legendary parties as By The People, For The People, as well as the 129 Dagmar parties in the early-mid 2000s. Here is a mix he put out in 2001-ish:

UNIVERSAL (September 1998) Depending on who you ask, Universal was one of the most legendary Winnipeg parties. It was held at the Orioles Community Club in late 1998, right before the rave scene really began to escalate in popularity. Tickets went on sale mid-summer, and if you were one of the first lucky people to buy your ticket at Frenzee, you got a free promo CD. The CD featured three short mixes – a happy hardcore mix from DJ Druid (the headliner, from the UK), a trance mix from local favourite Jr Ragoo, and a hardcore mix from justrich, the promoter. Here are all three mixes – enjoy!

DJ Trev – Sugar Cane (1999) DJ Trev was playing club hits from the mid 90’s to early 2000’s. He was known to play at Happenings, Die Maschine and the Pyramid, and worked with the Groove Factory crew. He also worked the counter in the Cellar and the Attic in Music City slinging wax back in the day. Here is a bangin’ club house CD he released in 1999. Tons of classics on here:

Jeff Galaxy – Live at Connect 2002 Although not technically a Winnipegger, Jeff Galaxy is well known and loved in Winnipeg as the man who has been bringing us the Connect festival for the last two decades. Jeff is a techno pioneer in Saskatchewan, and is well-known all across the country for his unique and legendary DJ sets. Connect is celebrating its 20th year (!!!) this weekend. To mark the occasion – and get the long weekend started early – let’s all enjoy this live set from 2002:

Bambz – Old speed garage set (1997) Before he was DJ Ryan G, or part of GB Productions, or the owner of Nyce Records, he was DJ Bambz and he was introducing speed garage to Winnipeg crowds. A classic mix from one of Winnipeg’s classic DJs – enjoy!

Exocet – Mind Over Matter (1998) Adrian aka DJ Exocet was a popular house / garage / trance DJ in the late 90s, and a regular on 91.1 FM. He put out several CDs over the years, the most well-received of which was this one – enjoy!

Venetian Snares – Fuck Canada // Fuck America (April 1999) Venetian Snares is another one of those hugely successful Winnipeg artists that needs no introduction. With his first official release in 1999, he’s since had releases on Planet Mu, Addict, Distort, History of the Future, Sublight, Low-Res and more. (Discogs) He’s also toured for live gigs all over the world and done many releases under different aliases. Click here for his Wikipedia article to learn more. This is his side of a cassette release he did with Stunt Rock back in 1999. While googling this, I found that my tape really isn’t all that rare, and this entire release is available on his bandcamp page. So you can listen to this version (the tape hiss adds to it, IMO), or go listen to (and buy!) the HQ version here.

DJ Terra – Roll Call (1998) DJ Terra was a very popular jungle DJ in the late 90s, before moving to Toronto. This is the first cassette in a series she released called “Roll Call”. It is also what the side rooms at 90s Winnipeg raves sounded like pretty much all the time. Enjoy! Lead photo credit to SD

Freaky Alien – Live at “Havinit Large” (2002?) Freak Alien aka Paul was a popular trance / breaks / electro DJ who got his start in the late 90s. (Random memory: the first mix I ever heard of his was a tape he handed me while in line at Destined for Utopia.) He went on to host the weekly club night Havinit Large at the Chaos Chameleon (old Die Maschine space) with justrich, was one of the founders of Mixhard, and later became a VJ as one half of K@_BOOM! This is a breaks and trance mix from one of the Havinit Large nights. Not sure of the exact date. Thanks to Alexander for sending this one along!

Shawn Sommers (mid-90s mix) Shawn Sommers is one of Winnipeg’s true pioneers. He threw the legendary “PANIC” parties at 123 Princess, was one of the founders of Groove Factory, and threw the Lush nights at the Pyramid. And, of course, he was one of Winnipeg’s premiere house DJs. I’m unsure of the specifics surrounding this mix, beyond the fact that it is from the mid-90s and contains a ton of classic tracks. Thanks to Oxide for sending this one along. Enjoy!

KGB (December 1999) Gabber DJ KGB got his start in 1997 and quickly earned a residency at Wellington’s. He went on to become a local favourite, playing at countless parties throughout the late 90s. He also dabbled in promoting, throwing the Cold War parties with fellow collaborators Kasyl and Number 9. “Where Fishead destroys minds, KGB destroys bodies, making you dance well past the point where your body gives up and offers to spill all information it knows. His mixes are a solid journey to the world of Gabber with classics from DJ Producer, Hellfish, and the rest. By the time you are done, you will feel the same endorphins flowing through you as if you were driven into a set of concrete steps face first, and enjoyed it.” [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171353169″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Modulo-2 – Live at Energy (September 4, 1999) Modulo-2 (aka Dan / Phosphor / phaXis and Steph / Devious Lifeform) was a live PA duo that performed in Winnipeg in the late 90s / early 00s. Energy was one of the big Wheelies parties – this set was recorded in the ‘side room’ (aka the skate rental desk). Finding a recorded live set from old Winnipeg shows is rare – huge thanks to Dan and Steph for sending this along!

DJ Raz – Fierce Beats Vol. 1 (1998) DJ Raz was a hugely popular DJ in Winnipeg’s underground scene in the 90s. He hosted a radio show on 91.1 FM, playing the latest techno, trance, and house every Friday night. For young teenagers like me who lived outside the city, were too young to drive, and still many years away from getting high speed internet, the best (only?) way to discover new music was to scan the FM dial. His radio show is where I first heard local electronic music, and talk of all these crazy parties that were happening in Winnipeg. I’m 99% sure that this is the first local DJ mix I ever bought. It is solid start to finish, contains a ton of classic tunes, and remains a favourite to this day.

justrich – ’bout time (2000) Justrich was one of Winnipeg’s most popular DJs in the late 90s. He also threw some memorable parties – first as one half of Chris n Rich productions, then Powered By Happiness. Later, he put out releases on Blizzard Tracks and hosted the club night Havinit Large from 2001 – 2003. By early 2000 he hadn’t put out a tape / CD in a while which, if my memory serves me right, is where the name of this CD came from. Enjoy: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/82946397″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

DJ Mary (1998) DJ Mary was a trance DJ who was a staple at Winnipeg parties in the late 90s. She was always a party favourite, her sets enjoyed even by those who didn’t typically appreciate the trancetastic tunes that were emerging at the time. This is a cassette tape she released in – I believe – 1998. It clips a bit and the sound quality isn’t the best, but it is still sure to invoke a wave of nostalgia. Enjoy:

Siteseeing – Winnipeg Free Press Thanks to Anthony Augustine for the shout-out in today’s Free Press: BEFORE the ubiquitousness of music on the Internet, file sharing and sites such as SoundCloud changed the way that DJs distributed their mixes, many locals sold their mix tapes or CDs at clothing and record stores, merch tables at events or wherever they could get a bit of shelf space. These mixes were one of the only windows into the music that was being played at the warehouse parties, raves and club nights that were part of the first and second waves of electronic music in the city. Most of the house, techno, acid, hardcore and drum ‘n’ bass played by the DJs of that era were only available on vinyl and DJs sought out music that would define them as an artist, rather than just playing the Top 20 of the moment, which seems to be the approach many new DJs take these days. While radio mix shows on 91.1 FM played a small role in helping define electronic music culture in the early ’90s, DIY mix tapes and later CDs were the main way that party-goers were able to hear the music that was being played at raves and clubs in the comfort of their home or car. Looking to help document and preserve these performances, Winnipeg Mix Tape Archive was launched as a hub for accessing and promoting the early days of Winnipeg’s burgeoning electronic music culture. Mixes from maverick hardcore DJ, Fishead, and drum n’ bass trailblazer Type One have already been uploaded online.

Gumdrummer – 30 songs of a bird complete (1997) Gumdrummer is Paul Williams, who performed in Winnipeg between 1995 and 1998. Back then, you may have seen him perform at the Pyramid, Wellington’s on a Saturday night, at a warehouse party, an art opening, or opening for DJ Spooky. He now resides in Montreal where he continues to produce music, solo as Add.Remove, and with Handsome Pixels (Mike Jerugim, Shane Turner) who are set to release a third album in May 2015, this time on Krux Records (Germany). Here is a Live PA mix, first released on cassette in 1997:

Harry Chan – Don’t Forget (1997?) Harry Chan is a legendary Winnipeg DJ, and one of the originators of the Winnipeg house scene. He first started spinning at boat parties way back in the ’80s, and went on to build a name for himself across Canada and the US. He now lives out in Vancouver, where he still releases the odd mix – check out some of his more recent stuff on mixcloud. Here is a mix from 1997 (I believe) that we found on an old tape. Enjoy!

Fishead – radio mix (1998) Fishead really needs no introduction – he was one of the first wave of DJs to emerge from Winnipeg’s underground scene of the early 90s. Blending hardcore / dnb / everything, he became one of the city’s best known DJs, playing shows across Canada and the US. He now resides in Montreal, and still puts out music – you can find some more of his mixes here. As for this mix, it is something I taped off the radio back in early 1998. I don’t remember what show it is from, or what station it was on, but I do remember that it was a staple in my car for years – right up until I bought a new car with a CD player in 2001. Enjoy!