The Dawn of Early 80s Electronic Music - A WXB102 Tribute Mix

Belonging to the so-called "Generation X," I felt obliged to make a tribute mix to an 80s icon, this new wave radio station based in Manila called WXB102 from the early 80s. This was my first exposure to really good music from my adolescent years and I remember making compilation tapes of my favorite tunes back then, taped directly from radio. WXB102 introduced me to legendary bands like The Colourfield, Culture Club, Scritti Politti, Visage, Blancmange, X-Mal Deutschland, Siouxsie & The Banshees, New Order, The Cure, The Care, Lotus Eaters, The Art of Noise, The Blue Nile, Haircut 100, Pet Shop Boys, Men Without Hats, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Smiths, INXS, and many more. What's great about them is that they were the first and only all-New Wave station in the Philippines broadcasting from inside a house somewhere in Pasay City, and was considered to be "underground" by hardcore listeners back then.

For a complete write-up about the station, you can visit Julia's Club 80s blog where she featured a very informative article on WXB102. She was also the one who gave me an idea to do this mix. :)

Thanks to modern technology, we can all still listen to them if you're into 80s New Wave and even modern New Wave stuff via net radio @ live365.com/stations/xb_102. From their website, I think it's now based in the Seattle area (am not sure though) ... anyway, just visit their site. :)

Here's a pic of one of their most famous jocks, Cool Carla, who was also one of the lead vocals of a famous local New Wave band from the 80s, "Identity Crisis."

WXB102 was also the first to introduce the art of remixing (pause-tape remixing style) and releasing rare 12" Extended and B-Side Versions. I still remember their 12-minute version of "The War Song" by Culture Club, their remix of "Grinding Halt" by The Cure, their Scritt Politti MegaMix and also their own remix of "Catch Me (I'm Falling) by Real Life.

Moving on to today's mix, I've compiled some of the best tunes all played by XB, which I could say, were my early influences in terms of electronic music and exposure to 12" Extended Versions or Remixes. Bands like the Art of Noise, Visage, Scritti Politti, Human League, and the Pet Shop Boys were already using samplers, synthesizers, and electronic drums during that time. Almost all the tracks in this set are memorable to me as I first heard them from WXB102 and were all included in my busted compilation tapes.

Hope you'd enjoy listening to this set, as much as I did mixing and compiling them, and hearing it over and over again. It really brings back great memories, both of WXB102 and of the great music from the 80s.

Tracklisting:

1) Legs - The Art of Noise (Album Version) - Anne Dudley and the rest of the guys were one of the first electronic music gurus

2) Beatboy - Visage (Dance Mix) - i love this track!; I remember I was in 4th grade when I first heard this tune; thanks to Rene for this amazing and very rare tune!

3) Wood Beez - Scritti Politti (Original 12" Version)

4) Absolute - Scritti Politti (Original 12" Version) - back-2-back Scritti Politti; only heard these versions from XB; nice; still got my Cupid & Psyche cassette.

5) (Keep Feelin') Fascination - Human League (Razormaid Remix)

6) No Promises - Icehouse (Dance Mix) - rare remix

7) Burning Flame - Vitamin Z (Original 12" Version) - the first time I heard this, I thought it was Curt Smith singing, hehe!

8) Mad World - Tears For Fears (Extended Version)

9) Motion Of Love - Gene Loves Jezebel (Original 12" Version) - from my Spiral Tribe CD

10) New Song - Howard Jones (Original 12" Version)

11) The War Song - Culture Club (Ultimate Dance Mix) - too bad I lost my taped 12-minute mix of this tune

12) Down Under - Men At Work (Hot Tracks Remix) - most successful 80s Aussie act

13) Animal Magic - Belouis Some (Original 12" Dance Mix) - early 12" mixes; still have the vinyl EP of this one

14) What Have I Done To Deserve This - The Pet Shop Boys feat. Dusty Springfield (Hot Tracks Remix)

15) Chains Of Love - Erasure (Disconet Remix) - my fave Erasure song

16) Don't Stand So Close - The Police (Original 1986 Dance Mix) - nice remix

17) Opportunities - The Pet Shop Boys (Dub For Money Mix) - this version first heard on XB102

18) Away - Bolshoi (12" Extended Version) - nice one along with Sunday Morning

19) If You Leave- OMD (Edge Mix) - my fave OMD track

Link... MyWXB102TributeMix_The Beatmeister

Kudos to "The Station That Dares To Be Different."