Trade has always been known as a hard house night club, and when I first bought the Trade Summer Holiday CD from Virgin Record stores in Birmingham I was a little shocked.

First off, there was a rather handy, credit card sized piece of steel inside with the Trade logo engraved. Obviously provided to cut up Cocaine. No longer would you be getting out a tatty card to cut up coke in the toilets at your favourite nightclub. I was also surprised and instantly hooked by the mix from Alan Thompson.

This is a much more funkier approach from what you’d expect from Trade, and considering it was 1998; it perfectly reflected that people were moving away from hard-house to a more discerning funkier sound. I was instantly hooked!

Trade’s Summer Holiday: A Blast from the Past with a Not-So-Subtle Accessory

The world of clubbing in the late 90s and early 2000s was a vibrant, often hedonistic landscape. At the very heart of this scene, especially for those who embraced the harder end of the musical spectrum, stood Trade. The legendary London club was renowned for its high-octane sound, its inclusive atmosphere, and its uncompromising dedication to hard house. Among the myriad of iconic releases from the Trade brand, one particular compilation stands out, not just for its musical content, but for a unique, almost audacious, promotional item that accompanied it: Alan Thompson’s “Trade Summer Holiday” CD mix.

The Era of Excess: Clubbing Culture in the Late 90s

To truly appreciate “Trade Summer Holiday,” one must first understand the era it emerged from. The late 90s were a period of peak clubbing culture. Superclubs reigned supreme, DJs were elevated to rockstar status, and the rave scene had evolved into a sophisticated, yet still wild, industry. Nights out were often all-encompassing experiences, stretching from dusk till dawn, and sometimes beyond. With this intensity came a certain degree of hedonism, and for many, recreational drug use was an undeniable part of the nocturnal tapestry.

Trade, while celebrated for its music and community, operated within this broader context. It was a place where inhibitions were shed, and the pursuit of euphoria, often chemically enhanced, was a shared experience. This underlying reality is crucial to understanding the controversial accessory that came with “Trade Summer Holiday.”

Alan Thompson: The Maestro of Mayhem

At the controls of “Trade Summer Holiday” was none other than Alan Thompson, a DJ whose name became synonymous with the Trade sound. Thompson wasn’t just a mixer; he was an architect of sonic intensity. His sets were meticulously crafted journeys into the heart of hard house, characterized by relentless energy, precise transitions, and an uncanny ability to read and command a dancefloor.

Thompson’s involvement ensured that “Trade Summer Holiday” would be no casual listen. It was designed to recreate the feeling of a Trade night – a full-throttle, no-holds-barred experience that left listeners exhilarated and exhausted in equal measure. His mixes were always about propulsion, about driving rhythms and euphoric highs, perfectly encapsulating the raw power of the club.

The Mix: A Sonic Journey into Hard House Paradise

“Trade Summer Holiday” is, musically, a quintessential hard house mix from its era. From the opening beat, the listener is plunged into a world of driving basslines, intricate percussion, and often uplifting, yet undeniably tough, melodies. Thompson’s track selection is impeccable, featuring a blend of established anthems and harder-to-find gems that were staples of the Trade sound.

The mix flows seamlessly, with Thompson demonstrating his mastery of fast-paced, high-energy transitions. There are no moments of languid introspection here; the mix is a relentless charge forward, designed to keep the listener’s heart rate elevated. The breakdowns are strategically placed – brief moments of respite before the inevitable, exhilarating drop. These aren’t drawn-out, hands-in-the-air moments of pure trance; rather, they are tension-building crescendos leading to even more impactful blasts of sound.

What truly shines through in this mix is Thompson’s ability to maintain an almost hypnotic groove despite the intensity. The layers of synths, the driving drum patterns, and the occasional vocal snippets combine to create a rich, immersive soundscape. It’s a mix that perfectly captures the essence of a peak-time set at Trade – a collective release of energy, a shared euphoria driven by powerful, percussive rhythms. It feels raw, immediate, and utterly captivating, perfectly designed for those long, hedonistic nights that the “summer holiday” title implicitly evokes.

The Infamous Accessory: A Steel Card with a Purpose

However, what truly cemented “Trade Summer Holiday” in the annals of clubbing folklore was its infamous promotional item. Early copies of the CD, available in record stores, came with a credit card-sized piece of steel, meticulously engraved with the iconic Trade logo. On the surface, it appeared to be a sleek, branded souvenir. But its true, unspoken purpose was far more audacious.

In the clubbing world of that era, particularly within scenes associated with harder electronic music, the use of cocaine was prevalent. One common method of preparing the drug for consumption was to use a credit card or similar flat, rigid object to “chop” or “rack” it into lines. The steel Trade card, with its robust construction and convenient size, was perfectly suited for this very purpose.

This was not a subtle hint; it was an overt, albeit unspoken, acknowledgment of the prevailing drug culture within a segment of the clubbing community. It was a daring, almost defiant move by the Trade brand, acknowledging the reality of their audience’s lifestyle in a way that very few other clubs or labels dared to do so openly. While it raised eyebrows and was certainly controversial, it also, in a perverse way, resonated with a segment of the club’s loyal following who appreciated the no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is attitude. It became a legendary piece of clubbing paraphernalia, a wink and a nod to those in the know.

Legacy: More Than Just a Mix

“Trade Summer Holiday” by Alan Thompson is far more than just a hard house mix. It’s a time capsule, preserving the sound and the spirit of a specific era in clubbing history. It showcases Alan Thompson’s prowess as a DJ, delivering a relentless and captivating sonic journey.

But it’s the steel card, that brazen, unashamed accessory, that truly elevates this release beyond a simple compilation. It serves as a stark reminder of the often-unspoken realities of club culture in the late 90s and early 2000s, a period when boundaries were pushed, and hedonism often walked hand-in-hand with musical euphoria. “Trade Summer Holiday” stands as a testament to the club’s audacious spirit, its musical legacy, and its unique, if controversial, connection with its dedicated audience. It remains a fascinating artifact, embodying both the brilliance of the music and the raw, unvarnished truth of the scene it represented.