Was it really better back then or are we all just getting old and that?


burkey100

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Personally I really think it was the dogs ballaerics back then. I mean, I listen to dance music radio shows now and I just don't hear anything that really comes anywhere near Frank Trax Nebuchan, Members Of Mayday, Push Universal Nation, Rank 1, Crazy Marmalute, even the madness that is Darude Sandstorm and Storm Time To Burn. I almost forgot the ultimate tune of all tunes, Delirium Silence. The thing is, I hate living in the past, I wanna hear some new tunes that give me the same goosebumps. Maybe it will never happen. Driving down to Homelands 2002 and hearing the Judge play Jurgen Vries and then the mighty Fergie throwin his headphones into the crowd as he boshed out Art Of Trance Madagascar. Awesome memories. My clubbing years went from 1999 the Millenium at the Don Valley probably thru until 2006 with a few cameo appearances here and there. 7 years it's been now and at 32 years old is that it? Game over? Can someone not get Homelands back on the go with no rap music and get the Judge and the Ferg to do the 5pm till 9pm slot. Yeeee haaaaa!!!

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:lol: I was old then!

I hit the scene in 98 after coming out of a long relationship doing the proverbial reinvention thing and being a taxi for my nephew and his mates. I've been through many scenes as it were, primarily rock based but with an excursion into the new romantic/new wave thing early 80s as music developed. Thing is, when these trends develop they are great, vibrant and new; there seems to be a creative energy which lasts a few years but generally starts petering out when comercialism gets involved. TBH, I find those years 98-around 02 the easiest to retune to and they're what I listen to the most. I really have to be in a certain mood to listen to anything else, and I don't think it's because it's most the recent music in my life experience. I got invovled in a dodgy kind of relationship at that time which could have affected my memories/emotions but it hasn't. The music lives on.... :)

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This is a VERY interesting question.

Is the music as good as it used to be? Do we have as much fun? The only real certainty in life is that we are all getting older (and wiser?)!!

Perhaps the real question is "Would we have as much fun on a night out clubbing in 2013 as we did in 1999? You may well answer "No". But think about why that might be.

For me, Jules' heyday coincided with an exciting time in my life. I think that is perhaps the key. For many of us school was finished, university was in full swing, we had a job that provided disposable income and we were loving it! We were full of optimism, the future looked bright and anything was possible. Tony Blair even paid D:Ream to tell us that things can only get better!!

For many of us, our lives are rather more complicated now than they were 14 years ago. Back then my only concerns were passing exams, buying records & meeting girls. Fast forward to today and life is quite different; kids, mortgages, failed marriages, the threat of unemployment and elderly parents will, unfortunately, lead to a degree of cynicism which is hard to shake off when you hand in your coat at the door (to a chap that looks younger than your own offspring).

The passage of time also distorts memory. In particular, good memories become even more romanticised. "Yes it was a great night, Jules was on form, and that girl you met had VERY warm hands ... but have you actually forgotten that you also lost your coat that night and then that shirtless idiot spilled his pint on your new jeans?

The difference now is, personally, I am unable to have the same level of hedonistic abandonment at 35. I think if I tried I would just look like your sad Uncle dancing at a wedding after one too many. Not only do I find myself thinking about just how much it is going to hurt in the morning, but also that I forgot to call the plumber back - the one I need to pop by and fix the shower before my daughter comes to stay in 10 days, and I also have to get my expenses claim in before Wednesday.

But that's called life, responsibility & growing up. Isn't it?

I am convinced that there are still some cracking club nights, class DJ's and monster tunes around today in towns near us. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of shite out there too, but don't let the passage of time paint an inaccurate picture - after all, who remembers the Vengabus?

Yes, I'm sure if i was 19 now, with my 19 year old life, then I would probably be having just as much fun as I had in 1999.

But i'm not. I don't. And i'm ok with that. :thumbsup:

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I wasn't old enough to go out back then although I knew and learned of tracks from around 1999 onwards, older tracks I've picked up on over time. I am old enough to go out today and have been for about the last 8 years. And even though it's a generation before me, I still think dance music was better from about 96 to 2004.

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Yes it was really better back then. I'm not just talking about trance's golden era either. It was amazing from the start right up until quite recently and the avent of MP3's and non smoking venues. IMO. plus the marauding general population muscling in after laws and this brought our amazing dance culture into the mainstream spotlight.

I've been clubbing a long long time, obvs not so much now, but I have been dancing to specifically made dance music from rave times up until now. There is good tunes around and there are still some very skilled musicians, producers and DJ's but there is also alot more dross, alot more hangers on. Alot more alcohol which if you ask me has also had a massive effect on clubbing.

To quote myself, in order to not have to type it again.

I am glad I was a part of the 1999 era, but I am also glad to have experienced 1994, and 1989 and 1981.
I do see 1999 as a the golden era of trance. Although on this site I know we shouldn't talk about drugs, I do believe they have played and are still playing a large part in the dance music trends. I know many of us need no drugs to enjoy what we enjoy but clubs aren't filled with people like us, and other people have played their part in the atmospheres, and also in making and buying alot of music.
Even now, although it's nice to come home not smelling of fags, all those people outside smoking and chatting used to be on the dancefloor, and I think that has affected dancefloor ambience. I really sensed this when I was at Global, people could smoke and didn't need to leave the DJ set to do so, also without anyone on E's there wasn't an all friendly cheerful vibe, alcohol certainly doesn't make anybody happy. Anyway just thought I'd mention it, 1998 saw a rebirth of ecstacy pills and I believe that did affect dance music and clubs Att. IMO anyway.
Binge drinking being the latest in thing means alot of clubbers will only dance to and maybe remember tunes they already know, catchy rifts and samples, I think this is why Jules see's reaction for alot of the dogshite bootlegs and remixes from our golden ages. Back in the day, we would've booed him off for that tainted luvstruck, we'd have been backed up by cyberkids and the like. But now, those 'kinds' of people, the youngsters of now, are so pissed up they luv it and we're on our own. smile.gif
I know how awesome things were. I'm so glad I was there.
I would love to go back and visit. I'd love to do it over again, and go to things I missed out on for whatever reason att.
. wink.gif

If only I'd known it wouldn't last forever.

Today is the anniversary of my all time favourite DJ passing away. I am listening to his essential mix from 1995, still sounding as amazing as it did back then. Would a set from this year still stand out and be making me wanna dance in 20 yrs? I dont think so, we shall have to wait and see. I can hear the vinyl crackle and I can hear his every move on the mixer and feel like I'm there and it has a more personal feel.

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Tell you one thing, just been listening to an old Fergie mix CD ( Let There Be Hardhouse or summat ) and there will never be a set ending tune as good as Malice In Wonderland by Pants And Corset. Only ever heard it out once, at Promise up Newcastle when Matt Hardwick dropped it. What a flippin tune. I agree with most of what has been written above. It was an exciting time to be alive one it, and now things are a little different. I never used to watch the news and now it seems to be on all the time. Bombs going off, wars left right and centre, the deficit needs to be reduced, it's like a constant stream of bad furkin news innit. Ah well, I've still got all me old CD's and some top memories. It was class while it lasted. I can't dance any more anyway.

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There's still some good music around - but nothing like the quality of the late 90's. You'll never hear tunes like Cafe Del Mar, Red Sun Rising, Happiness Happening, Ludic - I Can't Help Myself, etc. They were all one of a kind back then. Some tunes were genuine works of art that people still remember today.

These days, a lot of the music is very generic and has the same old formula. 1m:14 intro, little breakdown, build, big breakdown, outro. Lots of copycat/template music and too many DJ's/Producers creating music to follow trends, or jumping on the latest bandwagon in the hope that it'll get them into the top 5 of the DJ Mag Top 100 poll. So many tunes are "disposable" these days. You'll never remember them in one years time because they're just not strong enough to make an impact in your memory. I would imagine that out of all the tunes released these days, only 1% would be remembered and considered classics 10 years from now.

The scene is over-satured with too many weak productions and inferior labels. Everyone has a label now. There are some amazing labels around - the usual big labels and some small labels run by one person (Defcon, Digitized, Kearnage, etc) - but there's some abysmal ones out there too that have been set up by people to release their own tunes on simply because the tunes are that shit, "good" labels don't want to sign their crap - either that, or they think they can make a lot of money by signing up shit and chruning it out by the truckload every week.

So its a bit of both really - things were much much better back then, but there's still some good stuff around too. It's just that there's a lot more shit with it these days - plus too many DJ's/Producers in it for the money rather than the passion.

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So its a bit of both really - things were much much better back then, but there's still some good stuff around too. It's just that there's a lot more shit with it these days - plus too many DJ's/Producers in it for the money rather than the passion.

You've hit the nail on the head Briggsy :thumbsup:

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  • 1 year later...

I remember seeing Jules in 97 in the brunel rooms and his 'signature' trumpet he used to play...in betweeen mixing...never went down well, however I will agree that from around then to about 2000/2001 he was on top form...stopped listening from about then as it just become woeful..mind you it didn't stop me recording those weekend shows...never believed in CDs at the time...and continued recording on my faithful Sa90/TDK d120s, ah great times indeed! :mrgreen:

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  • 1 month later...

Hate the fact that I had to grow up. (Missus and Kids) Cant believe its been 10-15 years since the heady days/nights at Homelands and the like. I still drive past Matterly Bowl now and admire the hill climb which was soon greeted with the wonderful sight of Big Top tents thumping out the basslines. Roll us another phat one Dave

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