Whirl-Y-Files
This page lists a series of tapes/CD's titled the "Whirl-Y-Files" (Vol.1-4); these tapes reflect the music exclusively played at Whirl-Y-Gig, and hence are more along the lines of "global dance" mixed in with Balearic vibes.
Please note that the Whirl-Y-Files are NOT official Whirl-Y-Gig merchandise. For further information on these tapes/CD's please contact myself, Richard Morley, either by email or by phone using the details at the bottom of the page.
E-mail me to obtain any of these tapes / CD's - please note that these have been recorded as DJ demo CDs and that I am not attempting to make money from what is essentially copyrighted material.
See links at top or bottom of page to go to the "Chill-Out", "In This World" and the "U-4-IC" sections.
The Whirl-Y-Files
[90 min. tape]
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This is where it all started. The Whirl-Y-Files was my first attempt at a mix tape, and was intended to reflect the kind of music played at Whirl-Y-Gig over the years. It features many older classic tracks from my music collection with a few up-to-date Whirl-Y-Gig favourites. Looking back on it I couldn't have chosen a more difficult set of tunes to try and mix together - basically the music played at Whirl-Y-Gig ranges across the whole scale of BPM, and hence beat mixing this kind of music is a little bit of a challenge. It also uses quite a few tracks from CD, so there was a bit of flicking between the decks and my dual CD player. However, it flows really well and for a first attempt I think this tape is bloody marvellous. Ok, so it's not perfect technically, a couple of the mixes I would call a little dodgy, and it was recorded with quite low bass and high treble. But it was a step in the right direction and a mile stone in terms of my ability to compile and mix.
The Whirl-Y-Files Vol.2 - East of India West of Africa
[90 min. tape]
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I started on Volume 2 of the Whirl-Y-Files shortly after completing the first volume. The inspiration behind this tape was from managing to get my paws on the Holy Grail of Whirl-Y-Music, the superb remix of 'Kayama' by Adiemus. To me, this track epitomises Whirl-Y-Gig. Hence I set about compiling a tape based on this track. Actually, the first side of this tape kind of wrote itself, as I didn't plan it out at all and hence I was lucky I was recording what I was mixing at the time. I start the set with a short 30-second sample from a classic old track by Paradise 10. This flows perfectly into the introduction of 'Kayama' which sets the pace for the first side of this mix tape. This goes against all the written rules about how to start a set, i.e. never start with your best track, rather build up gradually. Well, I say bollocks to such rules as using 'Kayama' as a set opener works a treat. The spine tingling euphoric vibes that flow from this one track is indescribable - a work of genius. From 'Kayama' I flow straight into a rare DJ Taucher remix of a German trance gem by Intrance. These two tracks sit beautifully back to back. And then into the original mix of 'Madagasga' by Art of Trance, which actually has never been played in Whirl-Y-Gig since Monkey Pilot prefers the Cygnus X remix. However, this original mix fits far better than the darker and harder Cygnus X remix. The next track, the Mo and Skinny remix of 'Ayla' by Ayla, was virtually unheard of in the UK at the time. Additive Records had just released it on 12" and a friend of mine gave me a copy on tape. When I heard it I instantly thought of Whirl-Y-Gig, and hence it's on this tape. However, it took about another six months for Monkey Pilot to play it at Whirl-Y-Gig, since he was initially put off by the long introduction, but since then its had regular airplay. Next up is 'Heyo Nana' by Syndrome, another rare German 12" which I found in a bargain bin for 50p. The steel drums and catchy chants keep the euphoric theme flowing - this subsequently became a Whirly anthem overnight. Then onto 'Cry India' by Umboza - this one is incredibly cheesy, but works wonders on the dance floor at Whirl-Y-Gig. I had to opt for the slower
Ark Anthem mix because the Tall Paul remix (which is played at Whirl-Y-Gig) was far too fast. The last track, Café Del Mar by Energy52, needs no introducing. It's a perfect track to finish a set with, just as Monkey Pilot used it at the end of the night just before the Parachute. Over on to side B and I've dropped the tempo right down. The idea behind this was to create a tape that reflects the very different styles of music played at Whirl-Y-Gig, so in contrast to the fast trance music that featured on the first side the second side features slower Whirly classics. This second side of the tape took a lot of planning and the mixing was pretty tricky, but I think I've managed to pull it off. I've opened with the atmospheric and moody 'God is God' by Juno Reactor, which is a real stomper with its Indian war cries and chants from Natasha Atlas. This struts straight into a very rare and early mix of 'Templehead' by Transglobal Underground. This is my favourite mix of this track and since it was such a key part of Whirl-Y-Gig back in the Shoreditch days I thought it fitting to have on this tape. I'm not sure if 'Hoomba Homba' by Voices of Africa ever has been played at Whirly, but this Balearic classic fitted in with 'Templehead' and so I decided to keep it in the mix. This flows into 'Platonic Years' by Nils Petter Molvær, a rare track I stumbled upon accidentally when I was in Swansea. This is such a lazy downbeat jazzy track that I fell in love with when I first heard it - it's never been played in Whirl-Y-Gig, but that because I've not yet given it to Monkey Pilot. The following mix, into the recent 'Delta Disco' by TGU, is probably my best mix to date. These two tracks were written for each another. Magical vocals about Egyptian Pharaohs falling from the sky and the ebb and the flow of the River Nile add to this very unusual, yet popular track. 'Spiritual Get-Together' by Joi is another rarity, and is very typical of Joi's early material. This was a Shoreditch Whirly classic, and so for that matter was 'Afro Dizzi Act' by Cry Sisco - both very catchy and silly. This just leaves a very old track by Jah Wobble and then another of TGU's recent superb tracks, Sky Giant, to close with. Going back to what I said earlier about have two very different styles for each side of the tape - well, it worked a treat. Side A is upbeat, uplifting and very trancey, whilst over on side B the vibe is more chilled and relaxed, yet still keeping with the uplifting theme. It works really well, and helps to keep the tape from becoming monotonous. The title of this tape, 'East of India, West of Africa' reflects on the two different sides of the tape. If you travelled east from India you would eventually arrive to the west of Africa, and visa versa, i.e., a full circle, which is essentially what the tape does. God knows where I get this crap from! Again, this tape was recorded with quite low bass and high treble, but I like this tape so much that when I have time I will rerecord it at the correct levels. Looking back this is my favourite Whirl-Y-Files tape - it's definitely my cleverest to date.
The Whirl-Y-Files Vol.3 - Flamingo!
[90 min. tape]
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This third volume of the Whirl-Y-Files was recorded after U-4-IC 3. The content reflects heavily on the music played at Whirl-Y-Gig at the time of recording the tape (August '99) and is much more upbeat than the previous Whirl-Y-Files. I open with 'Unity' by Orkidea, another scorcher of a track from Alex Whitcombe's Steel Fish Blue label. It's a real atmospheric trancer that has yet to be played at Whirly - I've only just given it to Monkey Pilot, so time will tell whether it actually becomes a Whirly track. 'Guaglione' by the Cisko Brothers is an Australian release that up until recently I only owned on CD-R. It effectively cranks the mood of the tape up a gear after the moody introduction from Orkidea. 'It's a Dream' by DJ Panda is another recent track I introduced to Monkey Pilot - it carries the uplifting theme into 'The Living Dream', which is another happy house cheese-athon from Sundance that everybody goes nuts to. Since I've already used the Club mix of 'Child of the Universe' by DJ Taucher on U-4-IC2 I thought a little bit of variation was in order, so I've used the lesser known Silver Shadow remix instead. Onto a big favourite at Whirly, which is 'Liebe' by Ayla. I'd already had this one on my first U-4-IC tape in the shape of the ATB remix, but Monkey Pilot plays the club mix, so here it is. And yes, its not a typo - Sash has made it onto one of my mix tapes. Actually, the ATB remix of 'Colour the World' is a really good track - very happy and uplifting. Over onto side B and I open with the superb Qattara remix of Jez and Choopies 'Yim'. This is a pounding track featuring powerful vocals from the track Imin Aloo (by Ofra Haza). 'Distant Planet' by Saccoman is another German track that I only had on CD-R at the time (and have subsequently found the original). I think it features on lots of trance compilations and hence is quite common, but nonetheless is a darn good track. 'Universal Nation' by Push needs no introducing - I think I discovered this track around the same time as Monkey Pilot started playing it at Whirly, hence this one also features on my first U-4-IC tape. And then I've used the vocal version of 'Nightshift' by Talla vs Taucher, which has these superb, deep voiced spoken vocals that really make this track special. Yet again it's another rare German track that I've introduced to Monkey Pilot recently. 'Experience' is a track that's tucked away on the single 'The Silence' by Mike Koglin. Again, it features deep voiced spoken vocals, although this time it's a track that is easily purchased in this country. To tie the tape up I've chosen a couple of really typical Whirly tracks. The first of these is an amazing track from Orinoko that combines catchy chants with delicious guitar licks - guaranteed to put a smile on your face. And the second (and last) track is the ultimate dairy product that Whirl-Y-Gig plays - hammond organs let rip in 'Ola Chica' by Montepulciano. Fabulous! Interestingly, this is the one tape that gets most feedback (all positive I hasten to add). I'm not sure what it is about this set - is it the powerful anthemic global vibes or the cheeky finale of 'Ola Chica'? - whatever, it works well and you'll still hear me playing a lot of these tracks when i'm DJing.
The Whirl-Y-Files Vol.3 - Flamingo! (Part 1)
[80 min. CD]
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Recorded May 2001. The most popular mix tape by far appears to be Flamingo!, judging by all the positive feedback I've received since I recorded it. When I set about converting the tape to CD I ran into a little problem - which 2 or 3 tracks get left off so as to fit it in to 80 minutes? After hours of experimenting I came to the conclusion that it would be far easier to expand on the tape and create two CD's, rather than butcher the existing mix. And hence here's first part of Flamingo! on CD - part two was recorded first (i'm not sure why either!?!).
Expanding on the first side of the Flamingo tape caused me a real headache and hence took about 4 months longer than planned! But the result is a fantastic journey across global dance and trance music, so it was worth all the hard work and stress! In the end I decided to leave off the Orkidea and DJ Panda tracks, since they just didn't fit with the rest of the mix - as a result there are a few new extra tracks on this CD. I've kicked off on a real global vibe, with an old favourite from Baaba Maal. This blends beautifully into a rather rare folk-dance track by Equa, which I had to tinker with slightly because of an annoying fade-out at the end of the track. Hence with this version it fades out into the sounds of crickets chirping. From here on the CD is beat matched, kicking off with an old Whirly favourite - Jams and Spoons remix of 'Far Above the Clouds'. This was a track that Monkey Pilot would play just as the gigs started to fill up and it always got people dancing. 'Cosmic' by Kadri Abazi is a relatively new track, featuring tribal samples as used by Deep Forest in the past. Powerful vocals and didgeridoo combine in the excellent, uplifting DarioG remix of 'Treaty' which rolls into 'Guaglione' by the Cisko Brothers, which is the first track that featured on the original tape version of this mix. Next up is another new Whirly track, which is a very rare Darude mix of 'Dooh Dooh' by the Barcode Brothers. This amazing trancer really steps up the pace of the mix, creating the peak of the set. Strangely this Darude remix was only released on the Danish/Swedish version of the single. Then into Solar Stones 'Seven Cities', which is about two years old at the time of writing this, but Monkey Pilot only played it for the first time at the May 2001 gig. This works well with 'Dooh Dooh' and effectively brings the pace back down a gear. And then the rest of the set is the same as that which features on the tape, including the classics 'The Living Dream', 'Liebe' and 'Colour the World'.
The Whirl-Y-Files Vol.3 - Flamingo! (Part 2)
[80 min. CD]
Recorded September 2000. Unfortunately I haven't got enough classic Whirly tracks to expand both sides of the Flamingo tape keeping at the same BPM as what already existed, hence for this CD I decided to keep the first 45 minutes the same as the tape and at the end of 'Ola Chica' change BPM with a second 'mini-set', kicking off with 'Ritmo de la Noche' by Chocolate. This is a revamp of a very old Shoreditch classic, and at the time of recording this CD its being played at every Whirly. Uplifting, with a sight air of dairy products, it fits neatly with extra mature chedderness of 'Ola Chica'. And then into the fantastic 'Disko Doktor' by the Space Raiders, another current Whirly track that’s full of funky guitar riffs and electronic vocals. This fits beautifully with 'Indian Summer' by Scott Hardkiss; this hasn't been played at Whirl-Y-Gig yet but that’s because I've not given it to Monkey Pilot yet! And then into 'Disco Babes from Outer Space', another well known track that’s been on the Whirly play list for the last couple of years. 'Azzuro' by Fiorello is a fabulous new track that I gave to Monkey Pilot very recently - this one is very typical Whirly sounding and very uplifting. And then finishing with 'The Don' by 187 Lockdown, which is one of those cheeky tunes that usually gets played early in the evening at Whirly. And that’s part 2.
The Whirl-Y-Files Vol.4 - Whirly Meets Mr U-4-IC
[90 min. tape / 80 minute CD/minidisc]
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Recorded June 2000 (also now on 80 minute CD/minidisc w/o tracks 8 & 12). The forth Whirly files is a bit of a cross over between Whirl-Y-Gig type music and the music I play as U-4-IC, and hence the title of the tape. I open with 'Big Nation' by Dijibooti, a classic and very rare tribal sounding Whirly track. This is actually a very slow track and hence to actually kick the set off I blend into 'Dreaming For a Better World' by The Klubbingman, a popular and uplifting Whirly track that I introduced to Monkey Pilot. 'Outface' is a cracking trancer by DJ Tom Stevens and Ralph (Angel) Fridge which really bounces along - whilst I'd had this import CD for many months I'd only just twigged onto the excellent Lac Terra remix. And then into a relatively unknown trance track, 'Deep Down Under' by Eternal Rhythm, which is a powerful trancer that steals one of the many popular chants/samples from Deep Forest. This track is a real bi*ch to mix and hence its not often you'll here me play it live. 'Broken' by Freebase is a top Whirly tune from the Bonzai Trance label, featuring a powerful chant/sample. From here I flow into commercial teritiory with Agnelli and Nelson's 'Embrace' which needs no introducing. The following few tracks see me going much deeper and harder than any of my previous Whirl-Y-Files tapes. The first track is a bit of a naughty tune by Plastic Boy, since it features a spoken sample of Ecstasy throughout the track.
This flows into a banging hard trance version of the Afro Celt Sound Systems 'Inion', which features additional remix from Pendragon's Mark Sinclair - hard and fast, this track does serious damage (this track now features on the new Whirl-Y-Waves double CD compilation). I ease the pressure off slightly with Travel's 'Bulgarian', another classic Whirly tune with powerful chants. And then back up a gear with Khaled's 'DiDi', which is
actually a really old Whirly track but you'd never know it cos it hasn't aged a bit. Like 'Inion', this track is a superb slice of hard trance that is totally absorbing. Dropping back down a gear I mix into Darude's 'Sandstorm', a track we were playing at Whirl-Y-Gig months before it became popular in the UK. Likewise, with Dumonde's 'See the Light', we were playing this for about 6 months before it got a UK release. And finally is Florian F's 'Surreal Brazille', which is one of those moments of madness, taking the hook form the Terry Gilliam film 'Brazil'. This one has yet to be played at Whirl-Y-Gig, but I guess its only a matter of time. So, that's Whirl-Y-Files Vol.4. Its miles harder than any of the previous Whirl-Y-Fils, although it still features many favourites from Whirl-Y-Gig, plus a few of the tracks that I play when I DJ.
For further information on U-4-IC or for DJ booking information, contact:
Tel: 0777 6402269
