Music is a pretty integral part of my life, so it makes sense that I've been surrounded by musicians for most of it. In Jr. High and High School, a lot of these musicians I met in Band class or out skateboarding. Miles "Maze" Linton was one of them that I met skateboarding. I would run into him at parties in Cheshire (we had a lot of mutual friends). One of the first encounters I had with him, he had JUST purchased a brand new pager. Knowing that I didn't have a ride of my own, he peeled the number off the back of his pager and handed it to me, stating "if you're ever in a situation and need a ride out, just page me". To a little skate grommet such as myself, this gesture meant the world and solidified that Maze was good people.

Fast forward to 2000, Maze is now attending the same High School as me. He spends his days filling notebooks with graffiti, afternoons skateboarding and evenings spinning records. He and other varying members of R.S.E. (Ruff Sumpthin' Embassy) use a pre-computer disc-burner to make continuous, one-track mixtapes for their friends that get passed around from person to person, and party to party.

Fast forward to 2020: while digging through my personal archives, I found 3 of these mixes and gave a listen. Immediately I was transported back to those long days of skateboarding, mischief and mayhem. The long nights of smoke sessions, freestyles and friends. These were the soundtracks to those times.

After reaching out to Maze to get the green light, I now share this piece of our past with you. Recorded directly from 2 turntables and a mixer, just like Mom used to make it.