1. DJ Rap | Divine Rhythm
I taped this song off the radio as a kid, and listened to it on repeat daily. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before. I grew up in a small town, the only thing to do there was drugs. I was a very fucked up teenager, full of hate, quick to violence and very self destructive, I can honestly say that discovering the Rave scene saved my life. The first time I did MDMA and danced all night, I felt connected to everyone around me, and literally became all PLUR over night. It might sound silly, but that's what happened. My two best friends, before I came into the Rave scene, went on to lead violent lives and are both dead now from overdoses, although the Rave scene did definitely increase my drug use for many years, it also helped me come to terms with this anger, and when things did eventually hit a crisis point with my use it was the Music which saved me.
2. Acid Junkies | Cocaino
Being somewhat naive in the beginning of my Rave days, I thought the DJ was playing every sound separately. I thought he had one record with drums, and one going bleep bleep bleep, and one doing the bass line, etc. When someone explained to me that they were playing full songs and just mixing a bit into the next one, I was like fuck, I could do that!, unfortunately I was living in a small town, there were no other DJs, so I had to teach myself everything. Literally half of my first crate of records was DJAX, all their reissues of the Chicago classics, and the Hard Acid, I think this early influence is pretty obvious in my most recent release Blood In The Streets on Snuff Trax.
3. Altern 8 | Activ 8 (Come With Me) (Hardcore Holocaust Mix)
This early Rave sound is so strong in my heart. I think it's easy for people to look at this and think it's cheesy. At some stage Techno evolved into this ultra serious Art form, as if there is something wrong with a group of people wanting to get high, get weird and dance all night. I was not there to experience it, but listening to these songs transports me back to England in the late 80s, early 90s Rave/Acid House scene which to me is and always will be the most magical time in Music history. That's just my opinion, I'm sure it's easy to argue against that, but I see its influence rippling throughout the World even today.
4. Drexciya | Sighting In The Abyss
This is actually the prettiest song I have ever heard, it's so simple and every aspect of it is Perfection. When I started DJing, I was into Techno and Acid, but my regular trips to Record Time in Detroit saw me bringing back more and more Electro. I was one of the first Electro DJs in Ontario and was part of the crew who started the first Electro night in Toronto. This was before the Electroclash movement, so when Electro blew up for a brief moment I rose with it, but unfortunately my addiction was at a stage where all I could do was self destruct. Skinny, pale skin, black shirt, black tie, eye liner and a pocket full of drugs, was a good time though and I would not change a thing.
5. I-f | I Do Because I Couldn't Care Less
I have listened to this song thousands of times, I can never get sick of it. I used to sell Meth, and would do it every day, then I would just head bang to this song in my room on repeat for hours on end. I love Electro, I love the sound of the 808 distorted, it will never get old to me. Not once but twice I have carved the word Electro into my arm with a razor blade, the onetime though I was so fucked up I spelt it wrong, ELCTRO, was a bit embarrassed upon waking the next day.
6. Crossover | I Know Your Face
At a particularly dark phase in my life, I was home alone and my friend Froggy called to say he had some free drugs for me and a spot on his guest list to see Crossover. I went more for the free drugs than anything, because I had never heard of the band before. They played at a venue that holds about 700 people and there was maybe 12 people in the audience, it was really sad. Still though, they blew my mind, it was at the tail end of the Electroclash nonsense, but this was something totally unique and beautiful. I had never heard the Occult/Electro kinda vibe before. Having been interested in the Occult since I was a child, it sparked my interest. They even brought a shrunken head out on stage. Anyways, it was love at first sight for me, I was able to hang out with them after the show which was nice, but I was too high to really talk much anyways, but we drank some champagne. Years later I would get to do a remix for them, which was really a direct result of my getting off drugs for good and directing all of my energy into Music.
7. CRIM3S | Stress
CRIM3S is one of the most underrated bands of our time. I appreciate Authenticity in Music above all else and, getting to know Isaac and Sadie over the past few years, I have witnessed the struggles and challenges they face, living in squats, stealing to eat, they are realer than anyone else on the scene. When SINS was brand new, they heard the one remix I had done, literally hadn't even released any of my own Music yet, but they liked it so much they asked me to remix their song Holes. I put a little piece of my soul into that remix.
8. Trisomie 21 | The Last Song
I do not fuck with guitars, I can't stand guitar players or the sound their instruments make, they are the worst. There's obviously exceptions to every rule and this is one of them. This song makes me sad for times in my life which have come and gone, but also grateful that I was able to experience them. The Japanese have a word Aware pronounced (Ah-Wa-Re), which translates roughly to a gentle sadness towards the impermanence of things. This concept was a large part of the inspiration behind my SINS album I DIE. This song gives me this Aware feeling, the found footage used in one of the videos on YouTube sums it up well, who are all these beautiful people? They are having so much fun, but the moment is lost in Time. I would love to see a Where Are They Now? about these people. It was 30 years ago, so a few of them are probably dead. Do any of them still go out dancing?
9. Kate Bush | Wuthering Heights
Recently, while listening to this song, I had a day dream that Kate Bush and I were driving around the English country side in an old convertible, and she was smiling at me and we were in love. Then I got very sad, when I realized that would never happen. I don't think I've ever loved any woman the way that I love Kate Bush. She's the most amazing creature I've ever seen, her voice transcends rational thought and takes me to this far away place, like glimpses into past lives.
10. Fredo Santana | War (feat. SD & Gino Marley)
All the Drill Music coming out of Chicago is amazing, it's all I listen to lately. I chose this song because I'm very into it today, but this entire sound as a whole is what I want to represent here. It's got everything I like, bass, great drum programming, Authenticity. The way young black men are treated in the USA, and to a lesser degree in Canada, is unacceptable. It breaks my heart, it amazes me that these young men can transcend these conditions and turn their experience into such beautiful Music.
+11. Philip Glass | Mad Rush
Emotion in Music is everything to me. I am not a sad person, Existence is pure Joy, but I love sad songs. I definitely have had depressive episodes in my life, but they were usually linked to the fact I was on too many drugs and the conditions of my life were actually shit. I've been sober for a number of years now, I am very deep into Meditation and Ceremonial Magick, which has led to an overall Acceptance of the world around me and a general level of Peace and Serenity. Still though it's nice to be reminded of the sadness that is so prevalent for some in this life.
