Hack the Planet – Episode 1321

Originally, I had planned to do a deep dive on Moby for this week’s show. Unfortunately, somewhere between the move and the chaos of reorganizing my music library, my Moby folder seems to have vanished—or at least most of it. That’s a bit of a bummer, because Play is a phenomenal record, and once you start heading down that electronic, ambient, pseudo-dance rabbit hole, it’s hard to stop.

So, we’re pivoting—but in the best possible way.

Do you all remember the 1990s movie Hackers? Yeah, the one where computers were magic, rollerblades were apparently essential hacker gear, and the internet looked like a neon acid trip. Totally unrealistic—but absolutely iconic. It’s one of those films that somehow manages to capture the spirit of its time even though it got almost everything about technology wrong.

And here’s the thing about that era: when a movie did well, they didn’t just put out a single soundtrack—they made sequels to the soundtrack. Hackers was one of those. The original was such a success that it spawned three soundtrack albums, each one a time capsule of 90s electronic and techno brilliance.

So tonight, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of Hackers—the movie, the music, and the energy that came with it. We’ll explore the tracks that made the film legendary, from The Prodigy to Orbital. And if you’ve been around Rolling with Scissors for a long time, you’ll probably recognize “Halcyon and On and On”—that song used to be how we closed out the show for years. It’s one of those tracks that’s forever tied to the late-night glow of this program.

Before we dive into all that, though, we need to acknowledge some news from the rock world: Ace Frehley of KISS passed away a few days ago. I could’ve done a KISS retrospective tonight—and maybe I should have—but to be honest, I’ve just never been much of a KISS guy. I might get some grief for saying that, but aside from “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You” from the Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack, their music never really stuck with me. Great players, larger-than-life personas—but it wasn’t my thing.

So instead of going down that road, we’re leaning into something that was a big part of my world back in the day: the electronic pulse of the 90s, the birth of mainstream techno, and the sound of a generation that thought computers were about to change everything.

Let’s jack in.



Hour 1

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Prodigy – Hackers (Techno Rave).mp3 – 05:37 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Kruder Dorfmeister – Original Bedroom Rockers – 06:06 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Underworld – Cowgirl – 08:56 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Prodigy – Voodoo People – 04:08 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Leftfield – Open Up – 06:53 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Carl Cox – Phoebus Apollo – 03:40 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Josh Abrahams – The Joker – 05:00 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Orbital – Halcyon & On & On – 09:28 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Hour 2

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Plastico – Communicate (Headquake Hazy Cloud Mix) – 06:24 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Prodigy – One Love – 03:53 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Stereo MC’s – Connected – 04:01 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Ramshackle – Eyes, Lips Body (Mekon Vocal Mix) – 05:20 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Urban Dance Squad – Good Grief – 04:30 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Machines of Loving Grace – Richest Junkie Still Alive (Sank Remix) – 04:12 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Squeeze – Heaven Knows – 04:34 – Hackers – Edel America Records

Prodigy – Firestarter (Empirion Mix) – 07:48 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Orb – Toxygene – 05:16 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

David Bowie – Little Wonder (Danny Saber Dance Mix) – 05:29 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Scooter – Fire – 03:31 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Hour 3

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Empirion – Narcotic Influence 2 – 05:54 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

BT – Remember – 07:59 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Moby – Go – 03:59 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Leftfield – Inspection (Check One) – 06:29 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Underworld – Cherry Pie – 08:17 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Luce Drayton – To Be Loved (Disco Citizens R+D Edit) – 03:48 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Orbital – Speed Freak (Moby Remix) – 05:40 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Brooklyn Bounce – Get Ready To Bounce (Radio Attack) – 03:33 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Chicane – Offshore (Disco Citizens Edit) – 03:08 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Leftfield – Original – 06:21 – Hackers Vol. 2 Soundtrack – Edel America Records

Fluke – Absurd (Whitewash Mix) – 05:59 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

BT – Godspeed (BT Edit Mix) – 05:34 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Moby – Why Can’t It Stop – 05:51 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Cloak – Quiet Then – 04:20 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Monkey Mafia – I Am Fresh – 04:51 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Carl Cox – Phuture 2000 (Radio Edit) – 03:49 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Orbital – An Fhomhair – 06:59 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Phunky Data – Fashion (Ian Pooley Mix) – 07:13 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

John Lydon – Psychopath (Leftfield Mix) – 04:21 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Cirrus – Stop & Panic – 07:17 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Chicane – Strong In Love – 07:48 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records

Brooklyn Bounce – Hack The Planet – 04:17 – Hackers Vol. 3 – Edel America Records [fade out]


Rolling with Scissors airs live every Tuesday from 2–5 AM on 89.9 FM in Madison and streams at wortfm.org. Missed it? You can catch the episode for two weeks after broadcast at archive.wortfm.org or at rwsradio.com.

While the audio disappears after two weeks, the episode notes and playlists don’t. Every deep dive, rant, and full album breakdown stays right here — so you can revisit the details any time.

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