Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest orators of the 20th century. An activist who advocated equal rights and social justice in America, his rousing speeches in the ’60s continue to influence the world decades after his assassination. Over the years MLK’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech has found its way into club tracks and DJ sets, courtesy of mixmasters who share Dr. King’s dream of a world without racism. While the gold standard is undoubtedly Mr. Fingers’ “I Have A Dream,” which was released in 1986 by Chicago house legend Larry Heard, homages continue to surface.
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we present seven bootlegs created by purveyors of underground music from all over the world. They are spreading Dr. King’s message across the dance floor, one beat at a time. Happy MLK day.
1. Paul Kalkbrenner vs Martin Luther King (DJ Fly Tox bootleg)
Paris’ DJ Fly Tox does a masterful job taking a groove from Germany’s Paul Kalkbrenner and syncing it with Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
2. “I Have A Dream” – Martin Luther King, Jr. – Stickman Tribute – Cleaned Mix
Berlin’s Stickman sculpts an understated downtempo track with bass, drums and pads, and melds it to the landmark speech made on August 28, 1963. Precise work was done on tying the vocal and track together, and it shows in the quality of this bootleg.
3. House Classic – Alex Finkin & Reverend P feat Dr Martin Luther King (Animal House Vocal)
Another offering from a Parisian producer which uses a simple ’90s style piano house to get the job done.
4. Martin Luther King – DJ Jorge Andre House Mix
Jorge Andre, a DJ and salsa instructor based in London, crafts an uptempo mix that gives you something for your mind, body and soul.
5. Arno Cost vs Harry Choo Choo vs Martin Luther King – Head Up\Keep Your Head Up\I Have A Dream
Here’s a big-room electro-house mashup that builds into the sample of Cherrelle’s ’80s classic “Saturday Love” reworked from Junior Jack’s “My Feeling” which soars into Dr. King’s speech.
6. Tsunami (Regi’s Martin Luther Tribute Edit)
Belgian DJ/producer/reality star Regi Martin offers a bootleg for the EDM masses.
7. Fold – We Must Speak (ft. Dr Martin Luther King Jr)
Leeds-based trip-hop quartet provide music with a message, blending samples and speeches with live instrumentation “to speak for the weak.”
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