DJ Crystl – Meditation / Warp Drive

Outstanding both sides quality record great label, Meditation is massive & also Warp Drive it's Work off Art, sounds fresh today.

Who paid £195?... That's what I want to know. Wild.

This version of Warp Drive is the original dubplate version of the track, later repressed on the Hardcore Junglism label in 2022. On that release DJ Crystl commented on the differences which I'm pasting here for posterity. He prefers this version with the following reasoning:

Warpdrive Dubplate Mix – differences compared to the final Warp Drive / Meditation 12” release.

For starters, the mixdown is slightly more raw on the original dubplate first version – for me, the texture is harder over the entire track and is harder on the compression, also you’ll find that certain faze effects on the amen are more cutting through than the released version.

The one thing most noticeable in the original dubplate on one of the earlier drops at 2:28, is the snare edits are completely different from the released Deejay Warp Drive / Meditation 12” version. On the dubplate version, they are more sped up and crazy snare edits which continue throughout the track.

The main breakdown on the dubplate version is also a little more raw and sparse compared to the released Deejay version, where I added a chime kind of sound on top of the main pad. Again, the snare edit rolls in the dub are sped up throughout, which again are different in the released Deejay version with longer reverbs and less crazy edits.

At 5:14 on the roll out the reverse reverb noise is harder than the released Deejay version and again cuts through harder and louder. I being in the studio varying my original version (dubplate) for the main release as the label requested slight changes to the main release. Because of these slight but prominent changes for me, my original production of the first mix is the real Warp Drive and that’s the version that came straight from the heart. Even though they would both distinctively be Warp Drive when being played, for me, I slightly disliked the main release version and edits as it took away some of the essence that I put into the original first Warp Drive production.

For some reason, over the years there has been much talk and speculation of other versions and what-not but I can assure you all that there has only ever been are the main release and the original dubplate and my obvious remixes that were released. That’s it unless there was some bootleg shit going on but as far as Warp Drive goes, this is it.

The dubplate original production is also the one that I personally let DJ Peshay have exclusively before any other DJ and it totally tore up the dance floor every set. He had to keep cutting it as the acetate become pure hiss and crackles.

Big ups to all the DJ’s that rinsed this out!

Crystl

2022 - The man like Crystl has said there'll be *some* represses happening this year

Please reissue this for the benefit of me and all humanity

cant believe prices these days, i paid 12 quid for this about 10 years ago now

Just absolute amazing record. Everything, EVERYTHING about this is true to the art as could be. Dj Crystl must have really worked on these to make them that way in 93. Such unhinged soundboy flex.

I actually prefer the version of Warpdrive on this release over the original version. Both are obviously massive tracks, and if you can grab copies of both editions then you're laughing.

on Meditation ; the opening ambient/trance like synth/string ; where does it come from?
was it sampled or played?
does anyone know?
been wanting to know this for years!!

Bought my copy in Goodness records Croydon back in the day.