APOLLOJAMS!> Mixtapes> Room D: New York House & Garage

MIXTAPES > ROOM D: NY House & Garage (early 80's to mid 90's)!! July, 2004: entire room on CD now! All newly remastered/some expanded! Either scroll down and enjoy the ride, OR: *Quick Jump* to the details by clicking on a mix number, (then hit "back" on your browser to return to this list): mixD.01: Garage Classix 1 (DJ Paradise) mixD.02: Garage Classix 2 (DJ Paradise) mixD.03: Garage Classix 3 (DJ Craig Twitty) mixD.04: Tony Humphries, '89 mixD.05: Tony Humphries, '89 mixD.06: Tony Humphries, '91 mixD.07: Bobby Kondors, '91 mixD.08: Kenny Carpenter, '91 mixD.09: Kenny Carpenter, '92 mixD.10: DJ Supreme, '93 mixD.11: Tony Humphries, '93 mixD.12: DJ Billy Coons, '97 mixD.13: David Morales, '95 mixD.14: Frankie Knuckles, '95 mixD.15: DJ Craig Twitty: Deep House/Garage, '93 mixD.16: DJ Craig Twitty: Deep House/Garage, '94 mixD.17: DJ Craig Twitty: Deep House/Garage, '95 mixD.18: DJ Craig Twitty: Deep House/Garage, '96 mixD.19: DJ Craig Twitty: Deep House/Garage, '97 mixD.20: DJ Craig Twitty: Deep House/Garage, '95-96 Choose: Skip to the first mix here OR.... check out the Devildoll's babble (read on).
Any serious discussion of house music in New York City has to begin with the gay club scene, the black club scene....the gay black club scene, actually. Factor in the funk scene, the disco scene, the in-crowd growing in-*ward* to escape the rubberneckers, and the establishment of the Paradise Garage as the multi-racial, multi-sexual haven of the post-Studio 54 era. Thankfully, it'll be a long time before the Garage scene is exploited as a movie and set of tv documentaries for us to gawk at. This was a music lover's paradise. Bass speakers so powerful you could dry your hair in front of them. Fresh fruit and juices and pastries for whomever made it till the morning breakfast time. The kind of debauchery and sexual escapades that make for good lurid copy. BUT it remained a club that was ABOUT THE MUSIC until its' demise. Most associated with the Garage was a man who has become legendary via whispered stories and his remarkably eclectic dj skills: Larry Levan. Those who KNOW what Garage music was, also know it was impossible to pigeonhole. You wanna call it 'pre-house' house, fine. We're fortunate to have as our first three tapes a scintillating collection of garage classics that will give you a picture of the many flavors that went into this early 80's club scene. Salsoul, Prelude, Solar, new wave, euro, synth, disco, computer funk, British soul: Larry stirred it, smoked it, and served it to a crowd infinitely more sophisticated than we give our 'clubkidz' credit for. I can't imagine anyone not being just knocked out by the seduction going on amidst our first three offerings here: "Paradise Classics 1980-82". And on the other tapes here, the legacy continues with some of our favorite New York mixers: Tony Humphries, Kenny Carpenter, David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, DJ Paradise (more on him in Mixtape Room H: Bass & Freestyle), Craig Twitty (more on Craig in THIS section, scroll down) and others. Here we go:

mixD.01) Garage Classix I by DJ: Paradise (1cd only, no cassette) Long, comfortable extended versions masterfully blended. This mix is for those who like mixes but want the FULL versions of their favorite jams. As Ray Parker said: for those who like to groove!
mixD.02) Garage Classics II by DJ: Paradise (1cd only, no cassette) Long, comfortable extended versions masterfully blended. This mix is for those who like mixes but want the FULL versions of their favorite jams. As Ray Parker said: for those who like to groove!
mixD.03) Garage Classix III by DJ: Craig Twitty! (1cd only, no cassette) Long, comfortable extended versions masterfully blended. This mix is for those who like mixes but want the FULL versions of their favorite jams. As Ray Parker said: for those who like to groove!
mixD.04) DJ: Tony Humphries (1/89, WRKS) (2cd only, no cassette) Once upon a time in the wilds of New Jersey, there was a club to make you a different sort of 'bridge and tunnel" person. Instead, you'd go the OTHER way on a weekend night and leave Manhattan to be taken to another zone, a zone only the skills of a certain large man could take you to. The club: Zanzibar. The sublime Mr. Tony Humphries as your guide. And don't forget to check out Tony's early days mixing hip-hop and electro over in mixtape Room A. Please note: i'm not really *crazy* over the audio quality of this mix (B-minus, at best), but the songs and the mixing are TREMENDOUS (A+++ !!!). Tony just takes me to another ZONE: fellow fans of his know exactly what i mean! So i made a judgment call and decided that the mixing and song selection well outweighed any audio shortcomings. Don't worry: it doesn't sound like CRAP, it's just that it's not up to my usual audio standards. Got it from a friend in NYC way back in early '89. Just do what *i* do in this situation: tweak the bass and treble and turn it the hell UP! Ten minutes in, all you'll notice is Tony Humphries working his special brand of mixing magic!
mixD.05) DJ: Tony Humphries (5/89, WRKS) (2cd set) or 90m. (b) cassette (for only a short while longer: ask first): It'll save you 50%! How does 35 jams served up by the king of New York/New Jersey house dj's sound? Sweet and soulful.....
mixD.06) DJ: Tony Humphries (1/91, WRKS) (2cd set, 2 hours) or 110m. (b) cassette (for only a short while longer: ask first): It'll save you 50%! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Tony was BLAZIN' this night, with lots of great NY & NJ deep house jams, and seemingly in a REALLY good mood, adding playful drop-in's, phasing, double-beatin' and, of course, blending his ass off! Y'know: "in the zone"! Great mix, great song selection! A lotta jams i can't identify, tho. If you score this mix, please feel free to fill in the "???" gaps via e-mail, and i'll add the info to this tracklisting.
mixD.07) DJ: Bobby Kondors (6/91, WBLS) (1cd set) or 90m. (b) cassette (for only a short while longer: ask first): It'll save you up to 50%! Bobby debuted with one of the most beautiful deep house jams ever, called "The Poem" (NuGroove, 1990). He's known 'out there' as a reggae dj, he's known in here as a superb deep house dj. So deep i can only identify but a few of the great grooves here. You're on your own here. 80 minutes of mystery and the goodgroove. A superb, sophisticated mix of New York house, New Jersey garage, and deep house.
mixD.08) DJ: Kenny Carpenter (12/91, WBLS) (1cd set) or 90m. (b) cassette (for only a short while longer: ask first): It'll save you up to 50%! Keeping the deep garage vibe alive was Kenny Carpenter. Again, we have only a few identifiable jams based on my memory, plus a LONG Strictly Rhythm megamix. The rest is on you. 90 minutes of ecstasy.
mixD.09) DJ: Kenny Carpenter (1/92, WBLS) (1cd only, no cassette) Again, info is scarce but what i DO know is this: the overall groove on this mix is outstanding! If you score this mix, please feel free to fill in the "???" gaps via e-mail, and i'll add the info to this tracklisting.
mixD.10) DJ: Supreme (7/93) (1cd only, no cassette) Deep house and funky neo-disco. He was a kid basically...but well-schooled from coming into the store constantly. I learned in my travels that when it comes to dj's, it's the quiet ones that BLOW UP once they start mixing. One day, he handed me this mix. Been loving it ever since. Check out the superb track listing and try him out.
mixD.11) DJ: Tony Humphries (12/93) (1cd set) or 90m. (b) cassette (for only a short while longer: ask first): It'll save you up to 50%! Deep house, gospel-y house and FUNK! I have a theory about the dj's in this section. Because i can't give you the complete track listings down to the minutae, i feel defensive. So here's my excuse: I believe Tony and Bobby and Kenny and David and Frankie are so HOOKED UP in the NYC scene that they have a ton of (1): small label releases, (2): white label releases, (3) projects they're working on that aren't even PRESSED yet. So i'm NOT gonna feel small cuz I don't know every record. Trust in their skills. I've listed what i DO recognize here, and if you score this, you're welcome to fill in the "???" blanks via e-mail, and i'll gladly update the tracklisting.
mixD.12) DJ Billy Coons: Late Night Disco Slut (1997) (2cd only, no cassette) Dunno much about this sweet & sassy mix from a gentleman i met via the old 'Global House' mailing list back in 1997. But if your tastes run towards the funky end of disco, with current jams created in the spirit of the old early 80's new york club sound that dominated the underground back then, this is one great house mix with a more underlying funk groove than the usual house mixes. Great song selection, classy blending. Recommended.
mixD.13) DJ: David Morales (3/95, Hot 97, NYC) (1cd only, no cassette) Deep house, progressive house and trance. On a night when he was the "special guest mixer". Does he really need an introduction? The guy who did the "red zone" mixes on countless 12's? When MORALES shows up, pay attention, soldier! Finding his older mixes is hard enough! And this amazing DJ is SO hooked up with jams that (probably) NO one else has, that doing a proper tracklisting is nigh-on impossible. It's all guesswork on my part. I'm almost THRILLED to report that i can't identify a GODDAM thing on this mix! For once! Which is kinda cool, as far as i'm concerned. By 1995, i wasn't ordering the records as comprehensively as in years past. Too many labels, too many new records each week. Too much glut directed at retail stores, with the smallest percentage ever, of actually GOOD records. And by '95, hey!, i was plotting my moving plans from New York to here in California. What, i'm supposed to spend all my money stocking a store i'm trying to sell? So, as the fan i am FIRST (retailer second!), i turned to the dj's i respect to serve up the meat instead of the "phat" (ick). Guys like Tony Humphries, Kenny Carpenter, Frankie Knuckles, Morales, Craig Twitty....they never let me down. Whether i can or can't I.D. every single moment, they remain GREAT mixes with GREAT songs. This mix included. If you score this, you're welcome to fill in the "???" blanks via e-mail, and i'll gladly update the tracklisting.
mixD.14) DJ: Frankie Knuckles (Spring '95, Hot 97, NYC) (1cd only, no cassette) Deep house and trance. As the GrandHomme of deep house, even if i COULD identify what he's got here, he'd probably suspect that i'd broken into his house! Prepare for a truly underground journey into deep house and trance. Nice LONG mixes of everything, so there's room for Frankie to stretch out. He's just the kind of dj i sit back and close my eyes to, and let him take me wherever he wants to.
mixD.15) DJ Craig Twitty (NY): Deep House/Garage 1, 1993 (1cd only, no cassette) Still and always, Craig remains one of my favorite mixers. A halo on his head. Absolutely superb deep house and garage. Mixed so seamlessly you won't be able to tell where one song ends and the other begins. And if you can, you're concentrating too much! It's astounding just how many GREAT house and garage jams came out on small labels during the 90's. When everyone acted like house was "over" (Chicago house never really recovered from the Dreaded "Hip-House" development in Chi. House by the late 80's and early 90's), the NY/NJ area TOOK their music back, and took it back into the underground, via the hundreds of small labels that released most of the records you'll hear on D.15 thru D.20! If you like DEEP soulful house with a heavy gospel influence and a touch of jazz, set to SLAMMIN' beats and basslines, this proves beyond a doubt that the mid-90's were JUST as creative a period in dance music history as any other era. Do yourself a favor and check out the next 5 mixes here: i return to these time and time again and they're just GREAT listening. Every re-listen, and i'm writing this in 2004 (mind you), reveals another supremely gorgeous jam i didn't notice before! Let the grooves Craig brought us spread itself all over you like 'peanut butter', as Gwen Guthrie sang.
mixD.16) DJ Craig Twitty (NY): Deep House/Garage 2, 1994 (1cd only, no cassette) Henry Street, Nervous, Strictly Rhythm and Tribal are the labels which dominate this soulful deep house groove.
mixD.17) DJ Craig Twitty (NY): Deep House/Garage 3, 1995 (1cd only, no cassette) Blaze? Adeva? Frankie Knuckles? First Choice's Rochelle Fleming? Jamie Principle? Michael Watford? This mix is PACKED with underground-ONLY hits by these powerhouses.
mixD.18) DJ Craig Twitty (NY): Deep House/Garage 4, 1996 (1cd only, no cassette) A beautiful stretched out mix where the records have a chance to BREATHE. I like the way Craig digs thru commercial artist's 12-inchers to find that *perfect* house version of a song you forgot you loved, ie. the Janet Jackson remix, which is wonderful, gliding seamlessly in and out among all the supposedly "cooler" underground labels. A very deep, very soulful, very smooth set served up here.
mixD.19) DJ Craig Twitty (NY): Deep House/Garage 5: 1997 (1cd only, no cassette) Another splendid job focusing on UK imports and domestic labels like Guidance, Cajual, Strictly Rhythm, Easy Street and Nervous. Kick back and let him take you into the deep zone groove.
mixD.20) DJ Craig Twitty (NY): Deep House/Garage 6: 1995-1996 (2cd only, no cassette) Almost THREE hours! Superb Tony Humphries-style blends in a nonstop mellow house groove.