Frankie ‘Bones’ Mitchell is a prominent figure in the development of dance music within the United States. Widely regarded as the "Godfather of American Rave Culture". Throughout the 80s & 90, Frankie played a major role in developing NYC's underground party scene (primarily techno). Bones began his career in the early 1980s, spinning at clubs and parties throughout New York & New Jersey. Bones gained widespread global recognition after organizing the first outdoor dance music party in the US. Storm Rave took place in Williamsburg, Coney Island, & Plumb Beach. Throughout his career, Frankie has produced, remixed, and officially released countless tracks, albums, EP's, and mixtapes. He has also performed at many large scale music festivals around the world such as Love Parade and Insomniac's Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC).Frankie continues to be an influential figure in the community and remains active as a performer, producer, and author represented globally by Southfirst (S1).[1]
Just before Frankie graduated high school, his father was murdered. The death radically changed Frankie's life, and he inherited his father's entire vinyl record collection.[4] He began spinning records in 1981[2] and he began to produce house tracks with Lenny Dee.[3][when?]
His brother, Adam "X" Mitchell, is also a techno DJ and producer,[5] and their colleague Heather Heart is a DJ and music writer/zine maker who helped create the community for underground techno music in New York and beyond.[6] Bones, Adam X, Heather Heart and others are associated with the record label Sonic Groove. The three co-owned a record store with the same name at 41 Carmine St in New York City, where it had relocated to from a Brooklyn location in 1995. The shop closed in 2004.[7]
Bringing rave culture to America
After he had begun producing records, Bones was offered a gig to play for 5,000 people in England called "Energy".[8] As the event started on August 26, 1989, he played to the unexpected number of 25,000 people.[9]
Together with his brother, Adam "X" Mitchell, Bones took to forming his own event in Brooklyn in the form of a series of ″Storm Rave″ events that started on May 11, 1991.[10][11][12] The events began with only a few hundred people in attendance growing to over thousands where the likes of Josh Wink, Doc Martin, Sven Väth, The Horrorist, DJ Keoki and Richie Hawtin were able to launch their performances into international careers.[13][14][15]
Bones is recognized to have spread the idea of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect (PLUR) into rave culture.[1][16] Supposedly in response to a fight that broke out at one of his Storm Raves in Brooklyn in June 1993, Bones is said to have got on the microphone and yelled: "If you don't start showing some peace, love, and unity, I'll break your faces."[17] Other sources report that as early as "on July 4, 1990, [...] Frankie's brother and Storm Rave collaborator Adam X painted 'Peace Love Unity' on a train car".[1]
Berlin's Love Parade, which had been generally considered to have been the largest rave festival in the world at the time, named its 1991 and 1992 parades after well-known compositions by Frankie Bones: "The Future is Ours" in 1991, and "My House is Your House (And Your House is Mine)" in 1992.
Discography
Singles
B2B (12") – ESP-SUN Records
Dirty Job (12") – X-Sight Records
High I.Q. (2x10") – Hyperspace
In The Socket (12") – ESP-SUN Records
The Candle EP (12") – High Octane Recordings
The Mutha Fuckin Good Life (12") – Underground Construction
The Way U Like It (12") – Bellboy Records
We Call It Tekkno (12") – Bash Again!
Baseball Fury (12") – Sonic Groove
Masters Of The Hardgroove (12") – Hard To Swallow
My House Is Your House (12") – Bash Again!
Electrophonic (12") – E Series
Filthy Dirty Animal Crackers (12") – Blueline Music
Remains 10 (12") – Remains
The Falcon Has Landed (12") – Hard To Swallow
The US Ghetto Selecta (12") – Pro-Jex
Speedometer EP (12") – Synchronicity Recordings
Dangerous on the Dancefloor - Musto and Bones
12" Vinyl Releases
Bonesbreaks Volume 1 (LP) Underworld Records 1988
Bonesbreaks Volume 2 (LP) Underworld Records 1988
Bonesbreaks Volume 3 (LP) Underworld Records 1989
Call It Techno (12") Breaking Bones Records 1989
New Grooves EP (12") Nugroove Records 1989
Bonesbreaks Volume 4 (12") Breaking Bones Records 1990
Bonesbreaks Volume 5 (12") Underworld Records 1990
Call It Techno (12") JEP Records 1990
Call It Techno (Remixes) (12") X Records (US) 1990
Cross Bones E.P. (12") Rave Age Records 1991
Crossbones E.P. (12") Fabulous Music UK 1991
Bonesbreaks Volume 6 (12") Groove World 1992
Trapezoid (12") Fabulous Music UK 1992
Bonesbreaks 7 (Progressive Vibe EP) (12") Groove World 1993