The Rapture - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix 10.26.2003

The Rapture, Essential Mix for BBC's Radio One October 26, 2003 (YSI link) tracklist in comments

This seemed like a natural one in our continuing series of BBC Radio 1 Essential Mixes, in honor of the Daft Punk afterparty where members of The Rapture DJed alongside Busy P and the Ed Banger crew. I'm still working on the Daft Punk night post, still trying to wrap my head around the madness and magic of that entire night in Coney Island and Greenpoint. I'll simply say that the world is different and better now, or as wrote those closest to me and not in attendance, "I've seen the future and it is good."

In the meantime, here's a pretty rare Essential Mix, where NYC band The Rapture were asked to do a 2-hour mix in the aftermath of their explosion onto the music scene with Echoes and "House Of Jealous Lovers." It's a rarity from what I can tell for this show to give the keys over to a band or any non-DJ entity, but on the strength of this mix, they really should give it more consideration. It's a great choice, especially a band like The Rapture who clearly have numerous influences, new and old.

I really think that this is the most accessible mix I've heard, one that I have no qualms recommending or giving to anyone, no matter what their tastes or listening habits. It doesn't stick to any one genre or exclusive remixes or the newest of the new; instead, it's more a trip through the past 25 years of music, hell it's like a trip through the world of Pound for Pound - early rap, disco, classic house, new wave, no wave, dance punk and more. The mixing isn't stellar all the time, but it's good enough. It's not really a DJ mix as much as a look at the music that helped influence one of our best bands today. Recommended highly, especially for anyone who likes the music put up at this site.