297-Red Alert on WRKS KISS FM, 1986

If you have an affection for record labels like Fresh/ NIA/ Cutting/ Urban Rock or Def Jam, or DJ tricks like the helicopter effect, hopefully you'll appreciate and relish this selection from the mid-80s. The elements were cherry-picked from high quality broadcasts of the landmark radio show, from 1985 & 86 tapes. There is some truly basic mixing on display. It was 85 & 86, so expect some simple zigga-zig cuttin and some of those quick rubs that unapologetically went from one deck to the other when a mix was on its way out of sync. You know the type, we’ve all done em, when a blend was beginning to go off, and it's startin to sound like underfoot at the Kentucky Derby?! A mighty KISS FM sting over the intro of an exclusive track or the opening of that weeks' hot record, often took precedence over the small-print of how precisely it was blended. And these tapes are all about SELECTION! That's always been Reds way. A top choice selecta. When he tears up this set with silky mixing as well as the rugged raw scratchin, the iconic pioneer reminds us why he is commonly referred to as 'The Legendary Propmaster Kool DJ Red Alert'. It's a snapshot of the DJ talent during the period too, as he was among the first to drop these embryonic Hip-Hop DJ styles during those 'Mastermix Weekends' on KISS. It's a bit primitive, and it's amazing for it. It still sounds fresh, and that makes it so dope to hear all these years later. The sounds were recorded onto chrome tapes, from arguably the most iconic radio station in New York City, 98.7 KISS FM. They've been digitally restored to hold on to the crispyness of the high quality tapes while capturing that low end. The original cassettes were recorded at a level that peaked a little but hopefully they now sound no more than suitably bass-heavy and have the right amount of that FM compression that makes Rap radio sound so crunchy and dope! On this recording, Red is joined in the studio by Prince Messiah who was answering the phones and taking dedications, and of course, the voice of choice, Fred 'Buggsy' Buggs. Buggsy reads the weather updates and the dedications, and even spits a couple of casual bars over some instrumental sections; 'Red cut the record down to the bone, Im Buggsy, im here on the microphone'. The first hair-raising and heart-stirring moment of the 2 hour set comes when Red drops one of the finest examples of 80s Hip-Hop. Just-Ice, Put That Record Back On #goosebumpsfromthejump The beatbox classic is followed by the Undercover Lovers and then comes one of the most iconic radio stings in history. You may not know the name, but the sound of Select Records & UTFO producer Fred Munao dropping the quintessential squelchy voiced 'DJ Red Alert 98.7 Kiss Mastermix - Red Alert Goes Berserk' sounds as good as it did 30 years ago. Red rips through concrete-crushin classics from Schoolly D, Tragedy, Mantronix, Craig G, Stet, High Fidelity Three and a lot more. You'll get to hear some old Dana Dane, some Wayne & Charlie, and he even drops the Falco novelty record Rock Me Amadeus at one point. Scratchin them like his life depended on it! And watch out for those massive Spyder-D beats on Pretty Ricky & Boo-Ski, they are immense. You'll hear Red droppin doubles of Rock the Bells as well. In 2016, that sounds like old news, but these recordings are amongst some of the earliest documentation of ANY DJ doin doubles of the Def Jam classic.)60 mins. Thank you my brother Craig Ellis Leckie from across the water, thank you for the commentary and the music.