The Mental Groove Classics series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard-to-find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland’s acid house and rave-era party scene.

On Volumes Two and Three of the series released last year, Olivier Ducret (founder of Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse, half of WRWTFWW) takes us back to the turn of the ‘90s. It was a time when he was promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factories in and around Geneva, all while working behind the counter of a record shop called Mental Groove. While others in Switzerland’s emerging dance music scene gravitated towards trance and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a sound focused on bass, breaks, and techno. This unique approach was inspired by their regular trips to clubs, raves, and record shops in the UK.

Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of euphoric dancefloor moments, this fourth installment sees Olivier reaching for more cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant classics — each selection has left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It’s an autobiographical audio document, a historical archive, and a personal musical statement all rolled into one.

The compilation is inspired by a moment in time when musical boundaries were being redrawn, if not exploded, in a wave of carefree optimism and the freedom that fueled new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.

Original artwork by Mark Wigan, co-owner of Soho’s Brain Club and an artist of early British club culture.

Tracklisting

Side A
303 Force – House U Tonight (Vocal) (1990)
Desert Storm – Scoraig 93 (1994)

Side B
The Sound Vandals – On Your Way (Deep Mix) (1991)
The Beloved – Pablo (Special K Dub) (1990)

Side C
Bizarre Tracks – Sensory Delights (1992)
L.U.P.O. – Hell Or Heaven (Extended Mix) (1990)

Side D
Jetstream – Seriously (F.U.S.E. Remix) (1992)
Bass Bumpers – Touch Me (Factory Dub) (1992)

Credits

Compiled by Oliver
Artwork by Mark Wigan
Mastering by CJ.
Eternal thanks to all the artists
Licensing by Brian Morrison
Mitwirkende