It is Wednesday, and for most people it's just another day. To me it's an extraordinary day: alone in a Premier Inn hotel near work, and I am sitting here, all alone. Nothing on television, bored stiff. I decided to fire up the laptop, and do something I love: blogging. And one of the most recent mixes I came across was a mix dedicated to one of the best labels of the 90s and early 2000s: Ruffneck Records. The mix was released roughly 1 year ago, and was made by Genetic. It was one of those mixes probably reposted by friends/followers on Soundcloud, otherwise I might not have found this at all.
I love Ruffneck Records. A very iconic and distinctive label that took us all by surprise once it was created back in the 90s, and when we all heard a Ruffneck Records track for the first time, the Artcore sound just stuck with us all. Obviously the label was created by DJ Ruffneck himself, and there's a whole back story behind the label, which I'm not going to discuss today (why not listen to DJ Ruffneck's interview, I think it was ROAR that invited him? Very interesting interview).
The label wasn't just a place for DJ Ruffneck to release his own tunes, but he released tunes made by well established names. The label became a huge success, and even to this day it has gained a huge cult following. It's an important factor in the Hardcore industry, and it's always nice to see dedicated mixes on Soundcloud/Mixcloud.
It can be confusing by the way, to find out the aliases used by DJ Ruffneck. He has had so many over the years, you cannot tell if a mix contains records made by one person only, or by multiple. He was Juggernaut and Knightvision, also Lockjaw? I am still amazed by the amount of 'alter egos' created by DJ Ruffneck. Could be an interesting delve into the history and who's who? Many pages are filled with this kind of information.
Let's focus on the tracklist, and see if I can persuade you to give this a go:
D'Spyre - 5.31 Minutes To D'Spyre
Myztic - To Da Rhythm
Knightvision - Knight Of Visions
Predator vs Wedlock - Roots And Culture
Lockjaw - The Point
Knightvision - Who Is It
Paradox - What Is Wisdom
Ectomorph - No Law
Paradox - The Guillotine
Predator vs Wedlock - Pump The Vibe
Nitrogen - Bad Bwoy
Myrmidon - No Choice
Myztic - Photonic Style
Knightvision - The Search For Mariuhana
Juggernaut - LSD '97 (DJ Ruffneck Remix)
Paradox - My DJ... Cutz
Juggernaut - Don't Fuck With A Ruffneck
Nosferatu - The Future
Cybernators - Funky Tales
Knightvision - Biomoid
Nosferatu - Inspiration Vibes
Doesn't this look tasty? Oh sweet Lord, flashbacks to the 90s have just occurred. Please take me back, right the fuck now! You just can't replicate this sound anymore, so unique and so 90s. Some try, and sometimes fail. Maybe it was also the mindset of the artists in the 90s that gave them the option to create these Hardcore anthems. Dancefloor smashers. If you haven't raved during the 90s with these tunes playing, have you lived? Tell me, have you?
Genetic's mix is quite interesting, and very entertaining. A good selection of records. Can't fault him for selecting these anthems. A solid selection, and true Hardcore fanatics will love this mix. They are all masterpieces. You know them all, right? Some have been over and over, and maybe the true meaning behind them has been lost due to overkill, but why not lock yourself away from the world, put your headphones on, close your eyes, and let the Ruffneck sound fuck up your brain again?
It is unbelievable to figure out that the tunes from the 90s are still as relevant today as they were back then. At the time no one thought it would surpass the 2000s, but we are now in 2021, and Hardcore is still alive and kicking, with some restrictions though (fuck you COVID).
Hardcore is still alive and kicking because of labels and the music released on these labels, such as Ruffneck Records. The label is as important now as it ever was. It has shown the world that Artcore is still going on strong. And Genetic's dedication mix, as short as it might be, is a very entertaining one. Worth your time. Yes, it does have some slight mixing errors, but nothing major. Don't worry, the tunes will still come flying through your speakers, right into your eardrums, and mess up your mind!
DJ: Genetic
Genre/Style: Hardcore, Artcore, Gabber
Mix Info: Dont Fuck With a Ruffneck [Ruffneck Records Mix]
Length Mix: 00:43:27
Tracks: 21 (twenty-one)
Download/Listen (via Soundcloud): CLICK HERE
File Size: unknown
File Type: unknown
Release Year: 2020
Audio: Stereo
Sample Rate: unknown
More Information: Genetic - Soundcloud Channel
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