The worst mixtape ever

Back when I lived in Houston I had a radio show on the local college station (KTRU). The show was called "MKUltra". It was on Friday nights, and I played mostly electronic music. I had a lot of guest djs for the show in those days... local talent like Andrei Morant, Abiel, Chris Anderson & Tim Xavier would often drop by.

Listeners and local scenesters would sometimes mail me their mixes, and sometimes I'd air them. If I really liked it, I would have them come in and do a live set.

In the summer of '99 I got a mix in my mailbox at the radio station. It came recorded on a dubbed over dictasette, and was enclosed with a short note. This is one of the worst mixtapes I have ever heard. It is so horrifically bad that I listened to it non-stop that summer.

1999 was a rough year for me. My mom was fighting cancer. My girlfriend had just broken up with me. I hated my job. And I was depressed. But that summer, this mixtape took my mind off all that crap. And it made me think: no matter how bad things got, it couldn't get any worse than this mix.

They say a good dj is supposed to make you feel things you haven't felt before. To play music you haven't heard before. And to hopefully play music in a context that is new. Unexpected. Fresh.

If so, then this may be one of the best mixes I know of. Each time I listen to it I hear things I've never heard before. And I feel things I normally don't feel when I listen to music. Irritation, disgust, mild pain. Occasionally hope (when some mixes appear almost over). Anger (when they come back).

But mostly, this tape clears my mind of all life's daily clutter. When I'm feeling a little down, I pop this in and jam out. So mad props to you dj Trainwreck. Unfortunately, I never did get you on the show. I moved away from Houston before that could happen. But thanks for the tape. And know that it was definitely heard.

I've been meaning to encode this tape for the last 5 years. I finally got around to it, and now I'm sharing it with you.

-sandeep
Sept. 2004