| The style of dance that exploded American house music around
the world, acid house first appeared in the mid-'80s in the
work of Chicago producers like DJ Pierre, Adonis, Farley Jackmaster
Funk, and Phuture (the latter of whom coined the term in their
classic single, "Acid Trax"). Mixing elements of the house
music that was already up and running in Chicago (as well
as New York) with the squelchy sounds and deep bassline of
the Roland TB-303 synthesizer, acid house was strictly a Chicago
phenomenon until stacks of singles began to cross the Atlantic,
arriving in the hands of eager young Brits. |
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The sound jelled in small warehouse parties held in London
in 1986-87, and then went overground during 1988's infamous
Summer of Love, when thousands of clubgoers traveled to the
hinterlands for the massive events later known as raves. Acid
house hit the British pop charts quite quickly, with M/A/R/R/S,
S'Express, and Technotronic landing huge hits before the dawn
of the '90s. By that time, the acid house phenomenon had largely
passed in England and was replaced by rave music. New-school
U.S. producers like Cajmere and Felix Da Housecat (owners
of Cajual and Radikal Fear Records, respectively) kept the
sound of acid house alive and well. |
