MIKE PLATINAS

Looking back, from my current perspective and experience, I honestly believe that this work is --along with "I Love Megamixes, The Megamix Of The Future" (Blanco y Negro, 2004)-- the most innovative megamix of my career, each one in its historical moment. Both works set a milestone and opened new paths that were later followed by the best creators of megamixes in the world.

In the 80s (and later) I used to buy and read between 15 and 20 magazines a month --in several languages-- about audio engineering and music technology. In one of them, the french SONO, I found a small ad about a very original and innovative device, the BeatBreaker II; a primitive MIDI sequencer that triggered a mono sample of less than 1 second, previously stored in a KORG delay unit. The BeatBreaker II allowed you to program sequences of only 2 bars (up to 16th notes), and to play each step in the right, left, or both channels). This is the *GREAT* secret of the magic of MAS MIX QUE NUNCA. I called the phone number in the ad (France) and closed a deal with Christian Valezy, its creator: he lent his unit for the recording of MAS MIX QUE NUNCA (and also for the Disc-Jockey Mix), in exchange for mentioning his invention on the record cover and sending him some copies, which he later used as demos. Of course, others soon copied that "out loud secret" (in Max Mix 4 and later). Some tricks that I invented (such as doubling the tempo in order to have 32nd notes, although in only one bar), and some limitations (such as using arpeggios because, despite my excellent musical ear, I lacked musical training) led to the final result that everyone knows.

"Cut-in/cut-out" beat mixes (thumping in and out, with no fades), sample sequences with arpeggios, turntable stop and start effects, quick switches between left and right channels, 32th-note edits and sequences, measuring tiny pieces of tape to make sequences, and other tricks and traps of this megamix ended up laying the foundations of the so-called "Spanish megamix" style, which other talented creators also followed afterward, often intensifying these effects, but always starting up from the very same ideas.

The technology available to me was very basic: no big recording studios for international productions, no sound engineers to improve the recording... Just two SL1200 MkII, my Revox B-77, my Aiwa F-770, and gear provided by ECLER for the rest of the equipment (mixer, EQs, power amplifier). All very, very primitive. Mixes (there's one with two song vocals answering each other!), clean cuts, stutter edits, BeatBreaker II sequences, and not much more. Or, maybe yes. Maybe *MUCH* more: creativity, imagination, exploration, and a maxed-up motivation. And, of course, very good songs, and very good cover art. As a whole, the MAS MIX QUE NUNCA is a perfect combination of elements: fantastic cover art by Xavi Aymar & Xavi Figueras, a great tracklist, an excellent management work by Javier Ussía, and the technical and creative part of the megamix itself (which was, as always, 100% "Mike Platinas style"). 

The MAS MIX QUE NUNCA --which means "MORE MIX THAN EVER"-- is the Spanish megamix released in most countries in the world, in most formats, and with most reissues over the decades. This new edition that you now have in your hands is unarguably the most extensive and complete one, and it actually "closes the circle". Here I have personally taken care of the mastering and assembly of the CDs, with a careful selection of the best available master for each and every track, the reconstruction of the megamix and the radio version of the Crazy Mix, and a radio version of the MAS MIX QUE NUNCA, also rebuilt (which now sounds better than the 1986's original). A "soft" mastering, keeping the "80s sound" --avoiding aggressive compression and limiting--, completes the technical audio part of this current edition, carried out in all its phases with a gigantic love for music and megamixing (the art of mixing and creative effects). An absolute must-have for collectors, megamix lovers, and, in general, for those who live music as a fundamental part of their lives and appreciate it as the great universal language -- I remind you that in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" they communicate with aliens through musical notes. Just sayin'...

Collectors and experts from all over the world think that this is one of the best megamixes (or the best one) of the 80s. And even of all times, some say. Anyway, there is no doubt that it has positively influenced and inspired many, many professionals and aficionados throughout the decades. And *this one* is the very best MAS MIX QUE NUNCA. Ever ;)

As a whole, all of my megamixes have brought surprise, fascination, and joy to the lives of, literally, *millions of people*. Nothing (and I repeat: *NOTHING*) could make me happier...

A million mixes, and a million thanks! 

Mike Platinas, 2023

JAVIER USSIA

Once our relationship with Max Mix ended up, due to Max Mix and Max Mix 2 unpaid royalties, we decided to create our own record label to keep on making megamixes.

I knew that Max Music had already chosen Toni Peret, a good friend of mine at that time, and Josep Maria Castells, so the Max Mix 3 release would not take long.

So we had to move fast to offer a great record to make a difference among the other ones released by other labels, as we all tried. 

My main goal was to work with Blanco y Negro Music as I have always had a good feeling with Felix Buget, someone I admire and respect although sometimes we have had some disagreements. Blanco y Negro Music worked with Raúl Orellana at that time for this kind of project so that door was closed. 

We wanted to do something outstanding, so I contacted one of the labels with more hits at that time: Memory Records. I proposed Alessando Zanni make a megamix with the Memory Records repertoire and after a trip to San Polo Di Torrile (nearby Parma, where the Memory Record office was), we had an agreement. It was a very simple deal. They would have the master ownership and would sell us as many copies as we could need at a cost price to be distributed in Spain, Andorra, and Portugal.

We had to travel again to Italy for an exhibition at the Ecler stand at the SIB Convention at Rimini, so we made a tracklist with the most successful tracks from their catalog, and me and Mike headed up to Italy a few days in advance. Mike had previously contacted the inventor of the ‘BeatBreaker’, so our first stop was Nice, so he could get the hardware. From there we went to Parma to visit the Memory Records Studios. Mike had an instant good feeling with Stefano Cundari so we agreed that they would send us the vocal tracks from the selected songs. 

The recording of MMQN started in Barcelona, once we got back from Rimini in our offices at Aragon Street, where Mike spent long days recording with the equipment set, once again, at the warehouse. 

My role was preparing the sales and promotion of the record, but also controlling Mike’s work. I got into the studio to hear samples of the recording and give my feelings about it and some extra ideas as much as possible. I always wanted to deliver a commercial product to be played and broadcasted at clubs and radio stations so I had to take care that the final product was not a compilation of fx with no meaning for the general audience. For megamix lovers, this might seem like some kind of sin, but from my point of view, without my guide, our records wouldn’t have been that much successful.

Before starting the production in Italy, I decided to speak with Félix Buget again to inform him about the project. Felix proposed the distribution of the record in Spain but Memory Records did not agree with that. I made the mistake of Informing ‘the enemy’ about our plans, giving them the chance to prepare a strategy to block the release in Spain. I think that the real mistake was not to have an agreement between both of us, because the real competitor was Max Music and we could have stopped the rise of Max Mix. 

Most of you know the rest of the story. We could only sell the record for one week, achieving 40.000 copies we had imported from Italy. Me and my brother Alvaro drove, uploaded, and downloaded the records from the Spanish border ‘La Jonquera’ to bring the records to Barcelona in two journeys! At the end of the week, two people from the courthouse came to our offices to require the copies we had. There were only 2 copies left. They also visited the main Spanish distributors and even record pressing plants but they could not find any record, as they were pressed in Italy and sold out in a few days.

Another side of the story is about the name of the record and the design of the cover.

The name of the compilation came up from a brainstorming where Mike and I were together with my friend/brother Tony Miranda and Luis Linacero (owner of a record shop in Zaragoza).

It had to be a master mix, something maximum… and suddenly Luis came up with ‘Mas Mix que Siempre’ [‘More Mix Than Always’] or something similar), so we decided to name it ‘Mas Mix Que Nunca’ [‘More Mix Than Ever].

About the cover, we kept on trusting in XAXAVIVI (Xavier Aymar and Xavi Figueras) who had already made our previous covers. Besides being a great cartoonist, drawer, and designer, Xavi Aymar was the ‘third Mixketeer’, a great DJ, and a person of our inner circle.

We wanted to involve all the people in this inner circle in the cover so Tito Planas, Tony ‘Pink’ Chito, Xavier Aymar, and Miquel Casas (owner of Don Disco) appear on the cover… together with a frog’s ‘¡BRGH!’. We wanted an imprint like the one we had for the previous Max Mix with the sample from ‘The Bottle’ (‘1-2-3-4’), so we took the KOTO sample from ‘Visitors’. We wanted to do something elegant with the frog but in the end, it’s what it is: a Burp!

MMQN was sold in several countries all over the world, selling hundreds of thousands of copies, although we will never know the real number. Nowadays it’s considered the all-time best megamix and, for all that it represented, it is.

XAVIER AYMAR

MMQN has been replicated, copied and even covered many times.

That usually happens when the original release becomes a masterpiece. It marked a turning point when mixes or megamixes like Magic Mix, Po-Lo Mix, Max Mix 3, Bolero Mix, Feel the Mix and many others, were competing to reach the top in the charts.

The competition in the Spanish market was really fierce. Max Mix and Max Mix 2 had left a very high standard and we felt the need to create a breakthrough. JUMP Records had been just established with low resources… and summer was coming. Mike and Javier had to manage themselves to prepare a revolutionary megamix. And they succeeded.

At that time, I was the director of the JUMP Disc-Jockeys Academy. This was the only DJs academy in Spain, located at Aragó Street, 208-210 (penthouse, 6) of Barcelona. Mike Platinas was the professor, teaching very nearby where the studio was.

Once, by the time the class should start, Mike did not show up. We were trying to find him,  and the studio door opened. There he was, wearing a t-shirt, with a few days’ beards. He had spent the whole weekend working at the studio. It was not the first time that happened, as Mike used to spend hours and days locked down in the studio recording in that tiny room.

While he was recording MMQN mostly at night, our beloved friend José Luis (Alé Alé) assisted him in delivering food, drink, and psychological support.

This is how MMQN was built: a mix of talented creativity and sacrifice.

Sometimes, there is no reward for all of this, but in this case, it became one of the most desired megamixes all over the world.

While Mike and Javier were the fathers of the creature, it couldn’t have been possible without the help and support of an excellent group of collaborators: Alvaro Ussía, Jordi, José Luis, Edu, Oriol, Tony, Tito… Many of these are displayed on the original cover that me and Xavi Figueras had the honor and privilege to draw.

FX Aymar, 2023