The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and features all styles of electronic dance music, including Trance and Techno. Originally the brainchild of Eddie Gordon the Producer of the Show from the very first broadcast in 1993 to 2001. After receiving weekly mix shows from DJs Tony Humphries and Frankie Knuckles on 2 hour cassettes from New York's Hot 96 and KISS 100 respectively in the early 90s Eddie felt that a BBC Radio 1 weekly show with DJs of different styles of music would offer more variety and the chance for the ever burgeoning UK dance music scene to flourish. He further encouraged the DJs he scheduled to flex their musical knowledge muscles by pushing the fact that the DJs were not strictly playing to a dance floor but to people listening in their homes all over the world. Hence the need for a straight out 4 on the floor mix for 2 hours was not essential. DJ Paul Oakenfold particularly benefited from this dire