A PUNK, METAL & HARDCORE ODE TO EARLY SKATEBOARDING

What’s this? We interrupt our usual Jenkem Mix broadcasting for a special mixtape, cut up and selected by our older homie, Neil Nice. The dude grabbed rare punk, hardcore and metal tunes from classic 80s & 90s video parts like Savannah Slamma, Shackle Me Not, This Is Not The New H-Street Video, Ban This, A Soldier’s Story, Memory Screen and compiled them into one nostalgic masterpiece.

Neil wanted to pay homage to the videos that shaped his and an entire generation of skater’s musical tastes growing up. To keep the grit and nostalgia of the time, there’s samples (“swamprat.. super good”) and skate sounds from some of the original VHSs. And to keep it raw, the whole mix was recorded in one take only using Serato, a Pioneer DJM 700 mixer and two Technics 1200s.

Stream Neil Nice’s mix below, and if you’re into it, download it here while you can.

Q & A WITH THE DJ, NEIL NICE

What were you trying to get across in this mix?
I’ve always felt skateboarding and music are like ying and yang. Both are huge forms of self expression and inspiration. I can’t remember where I put my house keys 10 minutes ago but I can remember precisely where I was the first time I heard Dinosaur Jr. in Mike Vallely’s part in Speed Freaks. Music always takes me right back to that very special moment and I hope other people share this same connection with the songs. Adding samples from classic skate vids and lining up the tracks in a unique way is my way of encouraging this experience with music.

What were 1 or 2 of the hardest tracks to find that you put on the mix?
The hardest track to find was “La4” by McRad. I actually spoke with the legendary Chuck Treece on the phone about trying to get a clean copy but said he didn’t even have it. He told me that particular song was specifically recorded for Public Domain. I ended up ripping the audio straight from “LA Boys” part. No question, that track just had to be on this mix and it sounds rad with the skating. Other songs used in classic H-Street, Planet Earth and the Life video I got from my dude Dennis Viera that somehow got a CD of the music through someone he knew that worked at H-Street back in the day.

How is this mix different from your first mix you did with us?
DJ Eddie IXL is my man 100 grand. We used to work together at the Turntable Lab NY store back in the day. I knew from the jump I wanted to get him down with the idea and since he already knew most all the classic hip-hop and rare grooves used in classic 90s skate vids. We basically just bugged out over a couple nights in his basement studio and knocked it out pretty easy. I seriously never knew the impact it would make. I had a dude message me from Italy talking about how inspired he was off the mix and how skateboarding saved his life. This kinda shit means the world to me like The Search For Animal Chin the first time I saw it. It’s that spirit I feel every time I put my best foot forward on my board. All I can hope is that this mix of Punk, Hardcore and Metal tracks used in classic skate vids inspires you the listener to go grab your stunt wood and go shred.

More Mixes? Check out German Nieves, Lucas Puig, Aaron Herrington, Riley Hawk, Anthony Pappalardo, Jim Greco, John Cardiel, Alien Workshop, Brian Anderson, Baker, Bronze, Brad Cromer, Alex Olson, Sage Elsesser, THPS, Sean Pablo or Jesse Alba.