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What with Christmas and planning a New Year's Eve party and all, I didn't actually get round to inviting anyone to do February's mix. So I called on a friend to do one on short notice, someone who isn't the most well-known of TA's DJs, but whose mixtape sets have attracted their share of interest. You'll probably know him more for his posts in Music Discussion and his writings for a rather fine website. Give it up for my long-winded buddy...
Sykonee
Whether you love it or hate it, one thing you’ll have to agree upon: you’re likely never to hear an assortment of songs quite like this in an 80-minute span ever again!
1. Boney M - Nightflight To Venus
This was ground zero, the first song I can recall listening to over and over. To my three year old ears, this was an utterly epic track! I think Frank Farian, the evil German producer behind Boney M, doesn’t get nearly enough credit as a songwriter but then there’s probably still a lot of leftover resentment for him unleashing Milli Vanilli upon us ten years later.
2. Snap! - Who Stole It
My favorite non-hit by another German-produced sensation. There’s something hilariously awesome about hearing Turbo B bragging about becoming a music star based on sampling, and even calling out others guilty of doing the same. It’s cocky bravado that would sadly disappear from euro dance shortly after.
Also, ever since “Oh, snap” inexplicably became a catchphrase this past decade, this song has taken on a totally different context.
3. 2 Unlimited - Club Megamix (Get Ready For This, Twilight Zone, Tribal Dance, Here I Go, The Real Thing, No Limit)
Nightflight To Venus may have laid the seeds for my eventual love of EDM but 2 Unlimited were the ones that finally made it blossom. These guys had so many hits that we still hear today, it’d be hard to just pick one for this mix. So, here’s a megamix of them! Only… there’s a catch: most of these are remixes, some quite different from the originals we’ve heard countless times.
(er, and I apologize for the stupid “do-do”s they threw in there -dunno what the hell they were thinking)
4. The Prodigy - No Good (Start The Dance)
While the song is good, it was the video for it that makes it a personal classic. My peers and I had very little direct exposure to rave culture growing up in the hinterlands of Canada (Google Earth ‘Prince Rupert’ for an idea of just how isolated we were), so anytime our nation’s music channel would do a rare feature on it, the VCRs would be set and we’d record whatever we could get. We’d continuously replay No Good, anxious to one day throw our own parties like the one in the vid.
5. Gravediggaz - Defective Trip (Trippin’)
I didn’t get into hip-hop for quite a while but I did enjoy a few unique acts that crossed my path. One such group was Gravediggaz, a side-project initiated by Prince Paul to create horror-themed music. The first album - 6 Feet Deep - has gone on to be hailed as a classic in hip-hop circles. There were plenty of choice cuts from it, but I chose this one because it contains one of my all-time favorite verses. You’ll know which one.
6. Deltron 3030 - Mastermind
Another unique project, this one initiated by Dan The Automator, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, and Kid Koala. Their theme is that of a future dystopia, with tons of sci-fi ideas and ‘nerdcore’ lyrics -you just don’t hear the types of words Del’s spittin’ here on most hip-hop records. This particular track is the ‘producer shout-out’ cut, and, surprise-surprise, is one of my favorites from the album.
7. Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
I’d heard plenty of hip-hop, though mostly second-hand as others played it, so very little of it interested me. Yet, when I heard this track for the first time, I was stunned. I had no idea hip-hop could sound like this! There’s something incredibly gritty and soulful about C.R.E.A.M. and I realized I was doing myself a great disservice if I continued to write the genre off if there was more like it out there to be discovered.
8. Wu-Tang Clan featuring Cappadonna - For Heaven’s Sake
If C.R.E.A.M. opened my eyes to hip-hop in general, this track opened my eyes to The RZA as a producer. This is one of those cuts that was never as big as any of the singles, yet totally blindsides you with aggressive, sinister energy, which RZA has long been a master at. Shame Capp’s verse kind of sucks.
And no, it’s not a coincidence that the Rebel INS is on both these Wu joints. One of my favorite MCs of the whole clan.
9. Type O Negative - The Glorious Liberation Of The People's Technocratic Republic Of Vinnland By The Combined Forces Of The United Territories Of Europa
Honestly, I think I enjoy the ludicrously long title more than the actual tune. It’s still a pretty cool little transitional track though.
10. Fear Factory - Self Bias Resistor
For the record, I’m about as far from a metal-head as you can possibly get. I find most of that scene silly and the harder they try to be hard, the sillier it gets. That said, Fear Factory’s Demanufacture is probably one of the best albums I’ve heard from any genre of music. They tapped into something timeless when they set out to make a Terminator-themed metal album, and having Rhys Fulber as an unofficial fifth member certainly didn’t hurt. The remix album is ace as well.
I picked this track because, well, I’m sure everyone’s heard Zero Signal by now.
11. Uminski - Harder Better Faster Stronger
This is what the song sounds like if it was actually performed by daft punks. I think it’s a brilliant cover, and even prefer it to the original.
12. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - F*!#in' Up (Live)
Not his greatest song but a significant one for me, as this was the one where Neil Young became Neil F’n Young in my mind, starting me on the road to hopeless Rusty-dom (a Rusty is a Neil Young fanboy/girl). It starts out like a typical blues-rock song but somewhere along the way, it sucks you in and when that second solo hits, all you can think is, “This… is fucking awesome!” Admittedly, results may vary.
13. Banco de Gaia - Kincajou (Duck! Asteroid)
Another name that I’ll admit to fanboyish tendencies, but then isn’t that what a classics collection will consist of anyway? While Marks has plenty of great music in his discography, this one is probably one of his most experimental. The full thing lasts over 35 minutes, and it never grows tedious -just one long trip of spacey ambient goodness.
14. Spicelab - Falling
Oh, wait, this is TranceAddict, isn’t it. Um, well, here’s some trance, finally. This was the first Oliver Lieb tune I heard, and it remains one of my favorites. I decided to also include the second half since it tends to be edited out of trance sets, and it’s a lovely bit of music in its own right.
15. The Beach Boys- Good Vibrations
One of the greatest pop songs ever written. I’d even argue it’s the best, although I’m sure some would contest that against The Beatles many contributions. Then again, Brian Wilson was doggedly determined to one-up those clever Brits, and constructed a mini-symphony here. When you consider the recording technology of the time, it’s incredible just how much sonic depth there is to this song. Plus, it’s a fitting way to end the whole set.
Download Link (Right Click, Save As): http://www.jack-moss.com/Sykonee%20...%20Classics.mp3
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Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24
Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/
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