When Acid House was developed in the 80s by Phuture, it came about because they couldn’t figure out how to work their Roland TB-303. DJ Pierre says that it all started when they were trying to get it to work and he “just started turning knobs”, after 30 or 40 minutes of experimentation they eventually cut the track. Ron Hardy dropped Acid Trax four times the first night it played in a club; by the end of his set, acid was born! Since then artists such as Newcleus, Moby and Massive Attack amongst others have incorporated the electronic sequencer into their production. Originally designed to accompany live musicians while practicing, this piece of equipment managed to spawn the revolution that was acid and become an integral part of house music production. Acid Trax’s hypnotic flow entrances me in a way that is unparalleled by other forms of house. What is perhaps equally impressive is that this genre of house was born from relatively random experimentation.

It is sad that such a strong correlation between acid house, acid parties, and E in Britain in the 1990s. The music caught the negative association with ecstasy, one that may be justified all things considered. Everything Starts with an E was kept off of the radio because it was considered to incite youth to do ecstasy. It’s a shame that parts of our society couldn’t view it as a reflection a culture that existed, rather than a means by which the culture would be promulgated. (See The History of House Music for more info)

In the end Acid House is an awesome subgenre, one that the more I hear it, the more I love it. Here are a couple of acid house remixes as well as two songs that helped to create the genre.

Check out this clip from The History of House Music, at about 2:30 into the clip the members of Phuture explain how this track was incarnated.

So today, I bring you acid. I’ve included the original “Acid Trax” by Phuture, they are the one’s who gave birth to the sound.

[audio:Phuture – Acid Trax.mp3,Mauricce – This Is Acid.mp3,Moby – Ooh Yeah (Kris Menace Remix).mp3,Imogen Heap – Hide And Seek (Tommie Sunshine’s Acid Edit).mp3,Pharrel – Give It Up (DJ Grandtheft Acid Remix).mp3,Kanye West – Champion (Cousin Cole Acid Dub SLOW).mp3]