ARTISTS & ACID HOUSE
artists & acid house
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HISTORY FRANKIE KNUCKLES TYREE MR FINGERS A GUY CALLED GERALD RALPHI ROSARIO 808 STATE PHUTURE ROLAND 303 ROLAND 808
Back in 1985, House music was something quite unheard of outside the closed walls of Chicago’s underground. It was a time when DJ’s such as The Hot Wax 5, Farley Jackmaster Funk and Frankie Knuckles were working at a Chicago club called The Warehouse, a three level dance extravaganza, that was two blocks away from the Sears Tower. They were experimenting with synthesised percussion tracks and hi-energy Eurobeat sounds of their own creation and fusing them with carefully mixed soul and disco hits from the early part of the decade. The regulars of this club loved the new sound and the term “House” music was born, named after a place where innovation was laying down the foundations for a new musical revolution. In late 1987, one of the first examples of “Acid House” came out of Chicago. It was by DJ Pierre under the name Phuture. It was called “Acid Tracks”. Yet again Chicago was leading the way in the House music, encouraging even more artists to experiment with the “Trance – induced” sound of “Acid House”. When I first head this new style I was gob-smacked. The music seemed to take over my whole brain, an experience which I could never forget. From then on House music took a back seat and Acid House became the second generation. New British bands, such as House Master Boyz, Bomb The Bass and S Express then seized on the opportunity to copy this sound and created a commercial equivalent which took the British charts by storm. Meanwhile back in America, House music has quickly taken up residence in New York and Detroit, where it was being copied and changed to suit the urban environment and political circumstances. Chicago, now bored of “jacking” itself into a repetitive groove, decided that the commercialisation of House music was threatening its future and producers such as Marshall Jefferson and DJ Pierre stumbled across a new sound called “Acid”. This was a highly synthesised drug which induced “deep” sound which when linked with House music, took people to a different level of sub consciousness. This was the new sound of Chicago – “Acid House”.
HISTOR
The summer of 1988 saw the growth of “Acid House”, both with the music and the culture. The drug L.S.D. was linked with the music and the ‘smiley’ face became the new symbol on T-shirts and badges everywhere. Over in Ibiza, party organisers set up “Acid House Parties”, where hundreds of people gathered to let themselves go. When this “Summer Of Love” ended, the parties were brought back to England and before long the press were exposing this new drug culture to a disgusted and frightened public. This was killing “Acid House”.
RY OF ACID HOUSE
He’s universally credited as a pioneer of dance music and was famously crowned “The Godfather of House Music” for his role in creating modern dance music’s global DJ culture. But ask Frankie Knuckles about his tenure in Chicago at the groundbreaking nightclub The Warehouse in the 1980s or his friendship with legendary Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan and Knuckles will likely reply by flashing a polite smile and changing the subject. Complimenting Knuckles for his 1997 Grammy Award for Remixer of the Year or his work with mainstream pop and R&B superstars such as the Diana Ross, The Pet Shop Boys and what will likely only get you a blush and a polite “thank you.” Don’t take it personal, though; Frankie Knuckles isn’t one to dwell on the past.
FRANKIE KNUCK
KLES
If he were less humble, he could regale you with tales of his days as an up-and-coming turntable talent. He could tell you about life growing up on the mean streets of 1970s Harlem. The thought of a career behind the turntables wasn’t even a part of the adolescent Knuckles’ consciousness. All of that changed, however, when Knuckles and his partner-in-crime Levan snuck into a party at the historic nightspot The Loft. There, the club’s resident DJ David Mancuso seduced Knuckles with his music and his destiny of a lifetime on the decks was cemented.
“BE FAIR, DON’T TRY TO DO WHAT I DID, DO YOUR THING AND I PROMISE YOU, THEY’LL LOVE YOU FOR IT” But it wasn’t until Knuckles journeyed to Chicago to helm the decks of a burgeoning nightclub called The Warehouse that his stardom rose to heights never before witnessed by a DJ. Packing the club week after week, thousands of revelers bowed down to Knuckles and his one-of-a-kind turntable wizardry. And following the closure of The Warehouse in 1983 Knuckles supercharged his career throughout the 1990s with a string of DJ residencies at some of the world’s most famous clubs.
Some Remixing highlights and hits were undoubtedly Fast Edde “Yo! Yo! Get Funky“, “It`s Alright” from the Pet Shop Boys and the Mixmasters “In the Mix“ which was featured in Madonna’s Truth or Dare. True to the scene Tyree still lives in Chicago and spreading his roots also in Europe’s exciting capitol Berlin – doing what he does best…. spinning and traveling to Europe for gigs and producing new tracks and of course together with Shik Stylkö for realbasic recordings. His contribution to Hip House widened the appeal of House music, laid House as a template for a kaleidoscope of musical styles and brought the Urban vibe of Hip Hop firmly into House Music.
“HEY, I GOT A TUNE I WANT TO PLAY FOR Y’ALL”
TYREE COOPER
Growing up on the streets of Chicago’s South Side Tyree Cooper discovered his love for the soul music of the 60s. Tyree Cooper is now considered as one of the most influential artists in the international house scene. The first 12” – “I Fear The Night“ - promptly became an underground classic in Chicago.
MR
“ALL THESE KINDS OF TITLES END UP BEING PUT ON YOU, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY ORIGINAL GOAL AND INTENT” Born on the South Side of Chicago, Heard grew up hearing jazz and Motown at home, and could play several instruments from a young age. Before beginning his solo musical career in 1983, he was a member of the bands Infinity (a jazz fusion cover group that included house legend Adonis). He also worked for the U.S. government as a benefit authorizer, which enabled him to buy his first studio equipment.Heard’s work which was particularly prolific during the late 1980s, early 1990s is credited with helping to birth the deep house genre and influencing numerous house, techno, nu-jazz and nu-soul artists.
House music is made up of a rich, warehouseladen saga spanning more than 25 years. Larry Heard was present for the seeding of that genre in the fertile music-soil of Chicago, and has written some of the most essential and emotional music ever to grace worldwide discotheques. As a 17-year old rocker, Larry played drums in the group Infinity. Fed up with the limitations of that instrument, he acquired a TR707 and Roland and recorded Mystery Of Love in 1984 as Mr. Fingers. His legendary Can You Feel It soon followed, along with worldwide notoriety, an MCA record deal, a deluge of releases on several imprints, and residencies across the world.
R FINGERS
A GUY CALLED GERA Where do you start with A Guy Called Gerald? A hidden gem, the gateway between Chicago house / Detroit Techno and the UK dance music explosion in the late 80s. He is one of a few special producers who entered dance music in the jacking zone. He is the first UK acid house producer and probably the first producer to have two instrumental dance tracks in the UK charts at the same. He formed 808 State with a drum machine, a 303, 2 Roland SH101s and 2 other humans. His collaborations stem from Frankie Knuckles, Goldie, Finley Quaye and Derrick May through to Herbie Hancock, remixed for David Bowie, Lamb, Stone Roses, Black Uhuru, Can, Tricky, Roman Fluegel and The Orb and toured with New Order, Tricky and Bebel Gilberto. When the history of postmodern dance music is written he is ubiquitous: his visions, his stylistic versatility and open mindedness had a huge influence on the development of global dance culture. Very early on, he experimented with acid house and helped pioneer the style that was later called jungle and drum’n’bass. Fiercely independent he’s preparing himself for a string of new releases, the launch of his online shop and touring worldwide.
The Manchester scene in the late 80s radiated from the Hacienda. It was a place which grew to be a breeding ground for the likes of Laurent Garnier and Chemical Brothers and in the Summer of Love the Hacienda had a theme tune called Voodoo Ray. It was A Guy Called Gerald’s first release in 1988 and became a seminal classic that put British house music firmly on the map. As part of 808 State’s first incarnation he co-produced another Hacienda classic, Pacific State. He soon decided to concentrate on his solo project and toured worldwide (and with a quarter of a ton of equipment!) performing live.
ALD
“YOU JUST NEED TO BE YOURSELF AND NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE. IF YOU DO THAT, YOU’LL FIND YOU’LL SLIDE THROUGH THE BULLSHIT”
Of Puerto Rican heritage, Rosario made a name for himself as one of Chicago’s “Hot Mix 5” DJs on radio station WBMX from 1981 until 1986. The crew consisted primarily of Rosario, Kenny Jason, Scott Silz, Farley Jackmaster Funk, and Mickey Oliver. Steve Silk Hurley & Frankie Knuckles were occasional mix show guests. They would do DJ sets for an audience that, at its peak, was in the hundreds of thousands. The Hot Mix 5 favored the influx of European dance music, much of it in the genre of new wave with its precise electronic sounds, and boosted the music with a strong beat from a drum machine. They are credited along with Knuckles and Ron Hardy for creating house music. The aforementioned DJs were among the first in Chicago to mix songs into extended sets on the radio, a feat that helped them gain a large following that would eventually spread beyond Chicago across the USA, then worldwide.
RALPHI ROSARIO “IT WAS THE SAME WITH “YOU USED TO HOLD ME”. EVERYONE WAS DOING SAMPLE TRACKS AT THAT TIME - JACK THIS, JACK THAT, POUND THE 909; ETC. HERE I WAS, 23 OR 24 YEARS OLD, AND WE DID A SERIOUS SONG”
808 STATE 808 State is a name synonymous with the rise and popularity of house music both in Britain and internationally. Formed by three friends – Martin Price, Graham Massey and Gerald Simpson aka A Guy Called Gerald – who shared a collective passion for hip hop and studio craft, the band secured their reputation on the emerging Manchester free party scene in the late 1980s before achieving widespread commercial success with their hit Pacific State. The legacy of the band as early pioneers of acid house is consolidated by their prolific back catalogue of classic hits and timeless club anthems, many of which are regarded as milestones in UK electronica. They hold an enduring reputation for defining an era of electronic music and setting a blueprint of possibilities for future generations.
“I WOULDN’T DO IT OTHERWISE, D’YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT’S ABOUT EDUCATING PEOPLE, PLAYING THE CLASSICS, NOT ABOUT PLAYING A SET OF CHEESY ’90S RAVE”
Not exactly the same group that changed the sound of house music a decade before in 1987 as Phuture, with their infamous “Acid Trax,� Phuture 303 featured a different lineup of producers. Original group members DJ Pierre and Herb J. had left the group, leaving original member Spanky (born Earl Smith Jr.) and newcomers Professor Trax (born Damon Neloms), DJ Skull (born Ron Maney), and Roy Davis Jr.
This new lineup released the Alpha & Omega EP on Perspective in 1996, the Acid Soul EP on DJAX in 1997, and the Alpha & Omega full-length in 1998 on A1. Though the group’s acid house sound had indeed been revolutionary in 1987, by the late ‘90s it was commonplace; as a result, these releases were met with lukewarm enthusiasm, paling in comparison to the acid techno that had come out of Köln, Germany, earlier in the ‘90s. Following these releases, the Phuture 303 lineup splintered, with Davis Jr. going on to have the most success as a solo producer and DJ. Then, in 2001, original group members DJ Pierre and Spanky collaborated on another Phuture 303 album, Survival’s Our Mission. Released on Music Man, the album found the producers extending their reach far beyond acid house.
“YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, BACK IN THE MID-80S, YOU DIDN’T REALLY IMAGINE CONNECTING OUTSIDE OF YOUR CITY, LET ALONE YOUR WHOLE COUNTRY”
PHUTURE
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer with built-in sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation from 1982 to 1984 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music. The TB-303 (named for “Transistorized Bass”) was originally marketed to guitarists for bass accompaniment while practising alone. Production lasted approximately 18 months, resulting in only 10,000 units. It was not until the mid- to late-1980s that DJs and electronic musicians in Chicago found a use for the machine in the context of the newly developing house music genre. In the early 90’s, as new Acid styles emerged, the TB-303 was often overdriven, producing a harsher sound. Examples of this technique include Hardfloor’s 1992 EP “Acperience”, and Interlect 3000’s 1993 EP “Volcano”.
Roland 303 The well-known “acid” sound is typically produced by playing a repeating note pattern on the TB-303, while altering the filter’s cutoff frequency, resonance, and envelope modulation. The TB-303’s accent control modifies a note’s volume, filter resonance, and envelope modulation, allowing further variations in timbre. A distortion effect, either by using a guitar effects pedal or overdriving the input of an audio mixer, is commonly used to give the TB-303 a denser, noisier timbre—as the resulting sound is much richer in harmonics. The head designer of the TB-303, Tadao Kikumoto, was also responsible for leading design of the TR-909 drum machine.
By the late 80s and into the 90s the TR-808 attains legendary status among underground producers, and its fans are legion. Dr Dre, Richie Hawtin, Orbital, A Guy Called Gerald, Aphex Twin, Michael Jackson, Juan Atkins and Prince have embraced the sound. 808 State even named themselves after it. And the fascination with this humble beatbox goes on as artist after artist name-checks it in their tracks. Beyonce, Eminem, Madonna, Kanye, Outkast and Rihanna to name a few. 08.08.08 (that’s August 8th, 2008) saw a party held in London to celebrate all things 808, and 2014 will see a documentary dedicated solely to the TR-808. With Arthur Baker (who produced Afrika Bambaataa’s Planet Rock) helming the project it’s already looking like a classic in the making. Here’s the trailer…
Roland 808 Let’s kick this off with a little bit of trivia: the TR- 808 has been used on more hit records than any other drum machine. Read that again. This simple fact is made all the more improbable when you look back at the inauspicious launch of the TR-808. The year is 1980, and Linn has just unleashed the (much more expensive) LM-1 sampling drum machine. Consequently the TR-808 is considered a poor relation due to its synthesized sounds and lack of “pro” features. A pretty harsh debut, given that the TR-808’s designers intended for it to provide rhythmic backing for demos. So against the odds, just how did Roland’s all-analog beatbox prevail to become the world’s most popular programmable drum machine?