February 15th marks the 18th birthday of Global Underground’s first ever non-British DJ mix compilation, courtesy of NYC’s own Danny Tenaglia.

The Global Underground series have been a cornerstone for many underground house and techno DJs for the last 20 years, and Danny Tenaglia’s Athens set (1999, Boxed) is no exception. Nestled between Sasha’s San Francisco and Nick Warren’s Budapest releases, both legendary on their own accord, Tenaglia’s debut on GU holds its own against any other release on the series, before and since, showcasing Danny’s tribal house style and helping cement his reputation as an international DJ at the turn of the millennium.

Solid track selection and impeccable mixing are the standard for any GU release, and Athens delivers on both (and then some), laying out a very different soundscape from any of its predecessors by incorporating deep grooves with tribal percussion and soulful vocals, with tracks from Miss Kittin, Cari Lekebusch, Mac Zimms, Robbie Rivera and Saint Etienne, among others. A sound akin to Tenaglia’s NYC residencies at Twilo and Tunnel, which he took to its darker, stranger and sexier side on the Athens set, raising his international profile and putting tribal house on the map in the process.

Danny Tenaglia remains to be an impressive figure in dance music culture, from his mid-80’s Miami days, passing through his 90’s remix work (for the likes of artists like Right Said Fred, Madonna, and Jamiroquai), to present-day 7-hour-plus sets at clubs like Pacha. A truly international DJ who has risen to the top thanks to talent, hard work, and unique sets, among them his now classic Global Underground Athens compilation.