90s dance music: Radio Deejay and Time Records team up for a memorable show

3 December 2014: a day that will go down in the history of dance music. It all kicks off at 2 pm on Via Massena in Milan, with the live broadcast of the reunion of the Deejay Time to a full house. A resounding success: hundreds of messages sent in by listeners, an all-time record in Italy for the number of tweets (#deejaytimereunion).
But it couldn’t end like that… to round off the day in style, Deejay Time moved to Brescia, to an exceptional venue set up in the industrial area on Via Viterbo, to celebrate the 30 years of Time Records by Giacomo Maiolini, an independent record label that, over the past thirty years, has left an indelible mark on the history of dance music in Italy and around the world. The audience was the sort you see on special occasions; there were plenty of industry insiders and distinguished guests, including Maya, the Authere Brothers and today’s “rising stars”, such as Imany. But let’s take it one step at a time.

From 10 pm, when the venue opened, the DJ was Robert Passera, regarded as one of the most influential DJs on the Italian lounge-deep scene, who served up a mix of cool sounds, infused with swing, funk, nu-jazz and bossa nova. A track I spotted in the set: “Kobrasmile” by Barrio Jazz Gang

The evening, presented by Andrea and Michele, opens with what represents the future of Time Records: two new but already well-established artists: the Panzer Flowers, with ‪We Are Beautiful‬

before moving on to a more subdued tone, with Imany, *You Will Never Know*, followed by Feder with a new track featuring a deep sound, and Robert Passera returns to perform, following the initial warm-up, this time with a more dance-oriented sound.

ALBERTINO: LET’S KICK OFF WITH SOME LEGENDARY 90s DANCE!

At the stroke of midnight, he takes to the stage Albertino, who kicks off the set with Snap’s ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ (a track many describe as the icon of 90s dance music), before moving on to Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up The Jam’, ‘It’s Like That’ (Run D.M.C. by Jason Navins remix) and King of my castle by the Wamdue Project (a song launched by Albertino himself back in 1998). Final track: a song that never fails to move you God is a DJ by Faithless.

Presented by Albertino, the great Tony Scott , a Dutch rapper of Indian origin, who enjoyed global success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Incidentally, he was the first artist for whom Time Records acquired the international licence, back in 1989. Alberto himself recalled that Tony Scott composed the first theme tune for Deejay Time!

DJ MOLELLA: WHAT A SPIRIT!

After a brief foray into rap, it’s back to dance music! It’s time for the DJ Molella. He got off to a flying start, with Mauro Picotto (Komodo), Soundlovers (featuring Surrender), Real 2 Real (‘I Like to Move It’), and Storm. A more electronic set than Albertino’s, evoking the atmosphere of Molly4Deejay (Do you remember the programme? Here’s a reminder HERE). A superb performance, followed by his long-standing friends (with whom he has enjoyed many successes): the The Outhere Brothers. Here they are in action below – truly memorable! (photo credit: deejay.it)

These lads from Chicago created an incredible atmosphere amongst the audience – two real showmen, whom I had the honour of meeting before the show: they were very approachable and friendly, and promised to return in style! They performed all their famous tracks, starting with the one that first put them on the map: Pass the toilet paper.

FARGETTA… MIXING FOR EVERYONE. FEATURING A HIGHLIGHT FROM TWENTY 4 SEVEN

Accompanied by the famous jingle “Fargetta mixing for you”, a self-congratulatory figure takes to the stage Mario Fargetta (aka Get Far), who kicks off the set with two of his own songs: Music and *The Music Is Movin’*. The third track on the set list is a surprise: a change of style and BPM, with “I Can’t Stand It” by Twenty 4 Seven (a hit at the start of the 1990s: it was the summer of 1990). Once the set was over, Albertino took to the mic, recalling the huge hit that Mario Fargetta had achieved with Alex Farolfi (as part of the project The Tamperer): ‘Feel It’. And then, wrapped in a white dress (which she would later take off… to be left in very skimpy outfits), the beautiful Maya appeared.

PREZIOSO… IN ACTION! HIGH-BPM MUSIC

The evening is drawing to a close; it’s about half past one, but there’s still one “big name” to come! Precious! Greeted by the audience’s applause, there was Giorgio – who looked as though time had stood still – with his hat and long hair. His was the set with the most high BPM: for a while, we were travelling really fast, with The Mountain of King by Digital Boy e 'Move Your Ass' by Scooter, which really got the crowd going (I must say, quite unexpectedly!). But I know you’re already keen to find out which track he opened with: here you go. The legendary ‘James Brown is Dead’ by L.A. Style.

But the evening isn’t over yet: it’s two o’clock, Andrea and Michele thank everyone, Giacomo Maiolini from Time Records and Linus takes to the stage to present the awards to the Deejay Time staff, followed by farewells and… the grand finale, featuring Black Legend (how could we forget his Barry White-style “deep voice”) and his ‘You See the Trouble with Me’.

Just when it all seems to be coming to an end, though, the party starts up again: straight from Ibiza, the happy music of Flower Power.

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Listen to the best dance tracks from the 90s – ten tracks in 10 minutes, mixed just for you