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Shortcut Code: [l1421]
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Exist Dance

Profile:
Well-known West-coast label founded in the early 1990's in Los Angeles by Tom Chasteen and Michael Kandel releasing ravey breaks, deep and trippy house and other sounds in a West-coast style. Best known releases are Freaky Chakra's 1994 sleeper hit "Hallucifuge" and Tranquility Bass' ambient classic "Cantamilla".
Label had a brief hiatus between 1996 and '97 after which Tom Chasteen returned to take over the label on his own in 1998 to release primarily his own material. The label's renaissance reflected a diversion into even broader styles of music with many of the new releases featuring guest musicians on a variety of instruments as well as a far more expansive range of sampling sources. Musical styles as far apart as dub reggae and country and western are examples of the many genres Chasteen began fusing together over the course of the following years in an altogether succesful attempt to steer away not only from the "rave" name the label had acquired over the years but to escape the musical stagnation affecting much of the dance scene at the time.
As a result Exist Dance continues to assert itself as one of the most ground-breaking labels the west coast has seen since it appeared at the start of the nineties alongside contemporary peers Hardkiss, Garth, Dubtribe et al.
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Discography

Releases:
ED 001 Merge (7) Merge (12")  
ED 002 Tranquility Bass They Came In Peace (2 versions) 1991
ED 003 High Lonesome Sound System Love Night (12") 1991
ED 004 High Lonesome Sound System We're Go (12") 1991
ED 005 Eden Transmission I'm So High (12") 1991
ED 006 Odyssey 2000 The Odyssey / Hop On Pop (12") 1992
ED 007 Voodoo Transmission Voodoo Fire (2 versions) 1992
ED 008 High Lonesome Sound System Waiting For The Lights (12") 1992
ED 009 Up Above The World Unleashed In The East (12") 1993
ED 010 Freaky Chakra Halucifuge (12") 1993
ED 011 Up Above The World Trying To Reach Sawaan (2 versions) 1993
ED 012 Tranquility Bass Broadcast Standard Issue No. 1 (2 versions) 1994
ED 013 Tranquility Bass Broadcast Standard Issue No. 2 (12") 1994
ED 014 Cap'm Stargazer Vs Commander Mindfuck EP (12") 1994
ED 015 Off And Gone EP (12") 1994
ED 016 Commander Mindfuck / What Of Sane, The Whiskey And Blood / The House That Tyler Built (12") 1997
ED 017 High Lonesome Sound System Champion Sound Remixes (2x12") 1998
ED 018 Le Pimp Hijack Party (12") 1998
ED 019 Ballistic Mystic Miami (2 versions) 1998
ED 020 Ballistic Mystic Rock The Place (2 versions) 1999
ED 021 Tom Chasteen Salome (12") 1999
ED 022 Skull Valley Green Woman EP (12") 1999
ED 023 Skull Valley Granite Mountain Morning (12") 1999
ED 024 Ballistic Mystic Imperial Cruise EP (12") 1999
ED 025 Tom Chasteen Together (12") 1999
ED 026 Tom Chasteen Together Ep2 (12") 2000
ED 027 Dada Munchamonkey The Operator (12") 2000
ED 028 Heaven & Earth* The Business (12") 2000
ED 029 Heaven And Earth Very Happy (12") 2000
ED 030 Tom Chasteen Steam Dream (12") 2001
ED 031 Ballistic Mystic Imperial Cruise Remixes (12") 2000
ED 032 Dada Munchamonkey Outside Time (Remix) (12") 2000
ED 033 Hand, The The Hand (12") 2000
ED 034 Various Musical Rampage Volume One (12") 2001
ED 035 Various Musical Rampage Volume Two (12") 2001
ED 036 Various Musical Rampage Volume Three (12") 2001
ED 037 Renee Ruffin Now I Know (12") 2001
ED 038 Heaven And Earth The Flippet & The Bouncet (12") 2001
ED 039 Tom Chasteen Salome - The Remixes (2x12") 2001
ED 040 Tom Chasteen Caramel Blond (12", W/Lbl) 2003
ED 043 Tom Chasteen Movin' (12", W/Lbl) 2004
ED 044 Ballistic Mystic Fire Burning (12", W/Lbl) 2004
ED 045 Tom Chasteen Clean Heart (12", W/Lbl) 2004
ED CD-001 Various Transmitting From Heaven (Comp) (2 versions) 1993
ED CD-002 Dada Munchamonkey Untitled (CD) 2000
ED CD-003 Various Bombshelter DJ's Emile And Radar Present Future's Past (CD, Comp, Mixed) 1999
ED CD-004 Dada Munchamonkey Rebaked (CD) 2001
ED CD-005 Various Put Your Hands Together (CD) 2001
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Reviews & Discussion

Review by djnameless Mar 07, 2008
Back it the 90's, Exist Dance was responsible for some serious, yet strange underground releases. Never falling victim to the status quo, Exist Dance was able to incorporate their own brand of electronica with the help of some amazing producers. The result was a style of music that went down well on a dance floor.
Then around 2000, Exist Dance records started to lose touch with their audience. Tracks like "Very Happy," were fun, but not dance floor friendly. It became harder for dj's to play new Exist Dance records, so they stopped buying them. A few years later, Exist Dance was no more.
Fortunately, there is a large back catalogue of amazing releases which have yet to be discovered by dj's that are trying to map out their sounds. Anyone who looks deep enough will find what they need and discover that these blasts from the past are as relevant today as ever.