The Essential mix where Portishead take over the turntables is simply awesome. You've got to check it out if you like trip-hop, old school hip-hop beats and 60's / 70's cop show soundtracks.
It is one of the few things I've run across that I would say is truly sublime.
This one is a tribute to Tony Wilson, Factory Records and the Haçienda. The first set is classic Factory stuff by Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, etc. and the second is acid house-era electronic music of the sort one would hear at the Haçienda. Great stuff, and great that it can be downloaded here since all the original download links for it are dead.
(Unless I got the date wrong, but I'm pretty sure it was 8-27-07). posted by DecemberBoy at 1:00 PM on February 23, 2008
freshly mixed stopped updating near the end of 2007, but it's now all free and you can grab not only all previous EMs, but a bunch of others as well. my other source died earlier this month. when it asks for a password, hit cancel to see why they are done. posted by gman at 1:02 PM on February 23, 2008 [4 favorites]
I don't understand what that imeem thing everyone's linking to is supposed to be about, because all it does is complain that I don't have iTunes installed. Funny, I never realized iTunes was a prerequisite for listening to music these days.
Anyway, Freshly Mixed works much better. Good stuff. posted by Jimbob at 1:44 PM on February 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
imeem streams on the page with flash. posted by empath at 1:48 PM on February 23, 2008
I do have iTunes installed, which isn't necessary to stream the files on the page, but when I try to download them, iTunes launches, but doesn't find the file imeem is supposedly linking to. How is that download w iTunes button supposed to work? posted by Naberius at 1:54 PM on February 23, 2008
oh -- you CAN'T download from there. You can only stream. posted by empath at 2:01 PM on February 23, 2008
Aaah, confusion. See, I assumed since "a group on imeem has uploaded them all", and that imeem has a button labeled "download", that I should be able to download them. My mistake. posted by Jimbob at 2:04 PM on February 23, 2008
matt_od is right. posted by Hubajube at 2:05 PM on February 23, 2008
Freshly Mixed has all the download links (I didn't actually try to download any of them before posting. I just assumed you could.) posted by empath at 2:08 PM on February 23, 2008
empath - are you saying you can't download? i can. all fuckin' 2324 of them. posted by gman at 2:13 PM on February 23, 2008
I have yet to be disappointed by a single essential mix I've downloaded.
I couldn't find a good link to the Herve & Sinden mix (if you Google, there are torrents of it floating around) that kicked off 2008, but that one's great too. posted by sparkletone at 2:15 PM on February 23, 2008
A lot of these seem to be disappearing, which is a real bummer. The only one that I can seem to load from the list is Massive Attack. :( posted by feloniousmonk at 2:48 PM on February 23, 2008
The ones on imeem that is. Sparkletone's links work, and are quite awesome, especially the Diplo mix. posted by feloniousmonk at 2:51 PM on February 23, 2008
Oh man, that newmixes.com is really great. Thanks again sparkletone. posted by feloniousmonk at 2:58 PM on February 23, 2008
The imeem links are all there, I think. You just can't download them from imeem. If you want to download, use the other sites. posted by empath at 3:00 PM on February 23, 2008
Splendid stuff, thanks everyone! posted by carter at 3:08 PM on February 23, 2008
I'm not seeing anything on imeem - it just shows a little "this file is missing" message. No loss though, as newmixes.com seems to have everything anyway. posted by feloniousmonk at 3:11 PM on February 23, 2008
The download links are crap - they just go to a search for "essential mix" on Amazon or iTunes, and of course they aren't available to buy.
Freshly mixed is definitely better, but it isn't a complete archive. posted by b1tr0t at 3:52 PM on February 23, 2008
If they've got Oakie's mix from 10-19-1997 on there, I highly recommend it. I actually prefer it to the Goa mix, and that's saying quite a bit. posted by Jawn at 4:27 PM on February 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
In fact, I was lookin for that Oakenfold mix when I stumbled on that imeem group to begin with. posted by empath at 6:20 PM on February 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
Woo hoo! Suweet music! Nice one empath. posted by nickyskye at 6:55 PM on February 23, 2008
gman really nailed it with that freshly mixed link. Thanks go to you, too, empath!
Trentemøller's mix in October, 2006 was voted best for that year. Diapers definitely necessary.
My musical drought is finally over. posted by redteam at 7:26 PM on February 23, 2008
Something I noticed while poking around at the comments on essentialmix.nu: these guys provide versions of Essential Mixes with Pete Tong surgically removed. They've got five Tongless mixes available now. posted by plant at 5:03 AM on February 24, 2008
Wow, that 1997-10-19 Oakenfold mix is unreal. I love the Blade Runner bits mixed throughout and the tracks still stand the test of a decade. posted by gen at 7:26 AM on February 24, 2008
Great googly moogly that Leftfield mix is tasty. posted by googly at 8:24 AM on February 24, 2008
Yeah, that was when Oakenfold was Oakenfold. He worked that gimmick for 10 years, though. It was really tired by the time he used it in his Another World double CD set in the US. But that was a high point for the series. posted by empath at 8:36 AM on February 24, 2008
It's been a while, but my favourites have to be: Booka Shade - 2 hour mix, one hour live in-studio, one hour on the decks
the genius Richard Dorfmeister, playing mostly his own stuff (December 01, can't find the link to a stream but here is a tracklist) Cass & Shade - so nice!
I'm liking the Skream mix too - posted by fellorwaspushed at 9:28 PM on February 24, 2008
Also, just like to add that while the 1997/10/19 Oakenfold EM is supposed to be all legendary, my all-time favorite Oakenfold has got to be the Liverpool University show from 11/28/1999. posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:07 PM on February 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
Oops, meant to say, "while the 1994-12-18 Oakenfold is supposed to be all legendary." posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:45 AM on February 25, 2008
Also check out bbcessentialmixes.blogspot.com that seems to be doing the same thing. posted by daHIFI at 10:09 AM on February 25, 2008
I just want to say that I love you all very much right now. I second fullerine's YOUNG AGAIN declaration. posted by Constant Reader at 10:25 AM on February 25, 2008
Really enjoying this (thanks!) and not just because the music's so great. Hearing these great live shows makes me feel better about flubbing the levels on a transition while practicing DJ-mixing in my basement. A guy could get discouraged listening only to perfect studio mixsets. posted by sdodd at 12:51 PM on February 25, 2008
Mixing ability is not as important as track selection.
Also, nobody will notice if you fuck up the levels in a club as long as you don't red it out and start clipping. There's not a noticeable difference between "loud as fuck" and "not quite as loud as fuck".
Other advice for newbies -- if your mix is slipping and you can't fix it in a couple of beats, just slam the fucking crossfader over and yell WOOOOOOH!!!! at the crowd like you meant to do it. posted by empath at 4:59 PM on February 25, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks for pointing out this Massive Attack mix. I had not heard it before and it is lovely. posted by empath at 6:40 PM on February 25, 2008
I couldn't find a good link to the Herve & Sinden mix (if you Google, there are torrents of it floating around) that kicked off 2008, but that one's great too.
posted by Addiction at 11:56 AM on February 23, 2008