Two previously unheard Frankie Knuckles mixes have recently been released for the first time to mark the 1000th episode of the Resident Advisor podcast. Since the passing of Frankie in 2014, there have been very few instances of new or previously unpublished material becoming available. Earlier this year, the Frankie Knuckles Foundation, the official charitable organisation established following his passing, made available a number of rare cassette tapes that had been stored for decades.
These tapes contained some of Knuckles’ earliest known mixes, originally created for close acquaintances. Now digitised and remastered by Shadow Child, they authentically capture the signature “tape sound” and preserve an important part of house music’s heritage, illustrating the formative years of the Chicago music scene from around 89-95.
Frederick Dunson (FKF): “These recordings are from my personal collection of over 200 cassettes that Frankie recorded and gave to me spanning our friendship. They reflect his Chicago years and move on to NYC and production. You will also hear the development of his signature sound that is synonymous with his name. Please enjoy!”
The two featured mixes from this collection, labelled Part I and Part II, originate from 1989–1995 and comprise both disco and house selections. Some of the cassettes feature handwritten inlays by Frankie himself, complete with notes in his own handwriting.
The mixes have been released by Resident Advisor as part of a celebration to mark 20 years and 1000th edition of the RA Podcast with RA.1000, a series of ten exclusive mixes from various electronic artists, as well as a full reissue of the publication's signature series.
Launched in March 2006, the weekly RA Podcast has apparently become one of the world's longest-running mix series. As well as possibly helping supercharge the careers of hundreds of DJs, the mix is an archive of club culture, and a barometer of electronic music's development. RA.1000 is a milestone project that ran across the summer of 2025, concluding in 10 special editions that celebrate electronic music today.
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