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June 30th marked the 20th anniversary of the top alternative radio station in Dallas, KDGE, and there was a party last night to celebrate this milestone (wish I could have been there). The station launched on 94.5FM, then moved up the dial to 102.1FM where it currently sits today. The one show on KDGE that has stood the test of time is Edgeclub, founded by my good friend Jeff K, and presently hosted by another dear friend, DJ Merritt. When Kelly and I first started dating, we used to listen to Jeff K’s KNON show “Thudslap” and one Saturday when we were driving around Dallas listening to the show Jeff announced he was leaving KNON and moving to this new station called KDGE. We were skeptical at first, but were quickly hooked.

Edgeclub was a breath of fresh air for Dallas airwaves and currently enjoys a position as the nation’s longest-running and highest-rated mixshow on the air. During the 5-6 years Jeff hosted the show, he and his sidekick (and world-renowned DJ) Redeye/Scottie Canfield, played host to the most talented and sought after electronic/techno DJs and producers from around the globe. Miss Melissa was also Jeff’s partner in crime for a few of those years. Merritt took over the show and made it his own in 1996 when Jeff packed up his family and moved to LA to start Groove Radio with Swedish Egil (the same month Kelly and I moved to LA from Dallas). Every Edgeclub show features a late night guest mix from local and out-of town DJs, and I’ve had the privilege of being invited to guest mix 8-10 times, with my most recent appearance in February 2009. In the early years, I recorded a number of shows on tape and I’ve digitized a few of my favorite old-skool recordings for you to enjoy, including my first guest mix from July 1994 – I followed Scott Hardkiss‘ in-studio interview and debut of God Within – “The Phoenix”. I also shared the bill with him that night at a party called “Pure”. Stream or right click to download the mixes at your leisure.

Skinny G & Tim Chapman – Edgeclub Midnight Mix – 1991

Rob Vaughan – Edgeclub Midnight Mix – 1991

N.A.S.A Project – Edgeclub Midnight Mix – 1991

DJ Gary-O – Edgeclub Midnight Mix – 1994

Track listings for these mixes can be found on Jeff K’s site.

You can also find more recent Edgeclub shows on Merritt’s blog – www.ipodfood.com.

Oh, and if you know where other Edgeclub mixes are posted on the Internet, leave a comment with links. Thanks!

I started digitizing my old mix tapes tonight and the first one I pulled out of the vault was a classic from 1991 that I treasured back in the day. The mix is by DJ Rob Vaughan at the infamous Dallas night club, ‘Aqua Lounge’. Rob was, and still is, one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to turntable mastery and I’m proud to also call him one of my closest friends. Those of you who frequented Aqua Lounge will agree with me when I say some of the most memorable nights of our lives were spent sweating it out to Rob’s tunes in that tiny little club on Main Street in Deep Ellum.

This mix was recorded on a 120-minute Sony cassette tape, and considering it’s age (18 years) it sounds quite good. I spliced both sides of the tape together to make one continuous mix – too long for a CD but perfect for an iPod. All you old-skool Dallas club kids out there – I hope you enjoy this blast from the past. It’s a great ride. Rob – sorry I misspelled your last name on the tape…; )

DJ Rob Vaughan – Agua Lounge Mix Tape – 2-23-1991 (right click to download)

The incredible DJ Michael Todd was kind enough to share another stellar mix with us that he calls “Noise and Stuff”. I could go on and on about the great selection of music, the flawless mixing, etc. but that hardly seems necessary. I’ll let the music speak for itself. Check it out.

Noise and Stuff – a mix from DJ Michael Todd

01 – Gimlet — Anja Schneider
02 – Requiem fur die Vernunft (Lutzenkirchen’s) — Oliver Koletzki
03 – Dios — Oliver Huntemann + Dubfire
04 – Dirty City (D-Unity Mix) — Adam Freemer + Mike Constantini
05 – Warehouse — Velkro + Ido Ophir
06 – Wake Turbulence — Koen Groeneveld
07 – Let The Bass Kick (Silvio Ecomo’s) — Chuckie
08 – Original Badman (Calvertron’s) — Calvertron + Tom EQ
09 – Gorilla — Idiotproof
10 – Ritalin — Nadastrom
11 – Bounce (Mansion’s) — MSTRKRFT
12 – Skewer (Kyle Watson’s) — Tom EQ
13 – Panic Attacks — The Rogue Element
14 – Like Dat — Calvertron + Banga

Finding myself digging deep in the crates these days and one track that never fails to stop me in my tracks and make me smile is the acid house classic Voodoo Ray by A Guy Called Gerald. I acquired this 12″ record a few years after it’s release in 1988 and used to dance my ass off to it night after night. I can still drop this on the decks and get a crowd to go ape shit. Here are a few vinyl rips of the Original and Paradise Ballroom mixes. Enjoy!

Voodoo Ray (Original Mix) – A Guy Called Gerald

Voodoo Ray (Paradies Ballroom Mix) A Guy Called Gerald