As the most requested broadcast on
BBC Radio 1, the
Goa Mix has been considered pioneering. First broadcast on the early morning of 18 December 1994 as the 59th edition of
Essential Mix, the sound was predominantly influenced by the
trance parties taking place on the hippie beaches of
Goa, India at that time. These Full Moon parties involved European travelers dancing to the Goa trance sound, and its contrast with the bass lines and rhythms of
house music that was prevalent in UK night clubs made it an introduction to the sound for many UK listeners. As prompted by Gordon, Oakenfold lightened the harsh, dark sounds of Goa trance by incorporating European records into this broadcast and mixing in
movie soundtracks and
audio samples to retain audience interest. Whilst it has been noted that many contemporary big name DJs use this aesthetic today, it has been considered unheard of at the time of the
Goa Mix. Partly due to Gordon witnessing various DJs delivering two hour house or trance mixes which he found too repetitive, the
Goa Mix featured musically changing gears to take the listener up and down in mood. Oakenfold would later state that with the
Goa Mix, he "wanted to do something that for [him] felt right at the time," saying that, with
films serving as a big influence thanks to his father in his early days, he tried to combine
electronic music,
trance music and
film score music, and then to overlay the result with vocal parts,
samples and additional production. The two-hour broadcast was split into two halves. These halves have been referred to as the "Silver Mix" and "Gold Mix" respectively, although they are not truly halves, with the "Silver Mix" lasting 54 minutes whilst the "Gold Mix" lasts 64 minutes. The Silver Mix begins with the "eerie" vocals of Mr. V's "Give Me Life", later described by Oakenfold as "the traditional opening of a set that creates the mood, gives you the vibe, very atmospheric." It continues over the rhythm of Oakenfold's band
Grace's "Skin On Skin", one of many tracks from Oakenfold's underground Perfecto label. With the third track, "Point Zero", Oakenfold would later state that "what really appealed to [him] was the atmosphere and the atmospheric vibe" and noted that when he came across it, he said it was "perfect to put the headphones and get lost in the music, and that was key to [him] on the mix." From the conclusion of the "frenetic, bleak piano" of Virtual Symmetry's "Vaporize", released
Sven Väth's Eye Q label, heralds the first of many soundtrack pieces on the album, including
Vangelis' "
Blade Runner" and an excerpt of replicant
Roy Batty's lament of memories lost, "
Like Tears In Rain". After
Salt Tank's "Eugina", the mix shifts a gear with the iconic "LSD" by Hallucinogen, followed by a strings composition from the
Dracula soundtrack, which segues into the Arabic-tinged "Alcatraz" by Electrotete. Concluding the first hour is a trio of works from
Man With No Name: "Floor Essence", his remix of Scorpio Rising's "Dubcatcher", and "Evolution". The Gold Mix begins with
Metalheads' "
Inner City Life", which then progresses into a predominant Goa trance session including
The Infinity Project's "Stimuli", Marmion's seminal "Schöneberg", a Man With No Name's "Deliverance".
Lisa Gerrard's vocals from
Dead Can Dance’s "Sanvean" start the show's conclusion with the Northern Mix of 4 Voice's "Eternal Spirit", and finally Man With No Name's "delirious" "Sugar Rush". ==Reception and legacy==