Robin Ball’s Memory Box builds on the success of early releases with a big new outing that features two of his own tracks and one from the legendary Luke Vibert.
Memory Box is a party that has hosted Derrick Carer, Trevino and A Guy Called Gerald among others, and is a place to hear proper acid house. Ball himself is a master of the genre and most often released on his own Groovepressure label, having been making music since his teens. Now his latest labour of love is once again reaffirming his status as a vital voice in the UK scene.
Luke Vibert has a rich history that makes him a key part of the UK’s dance counterculture over the last 30 years. His always animated music is wild and inventive and comes on greats like Mo Wax, Warp and Planet Mu. Here he offers ‘X to C’, a wild melange of warped synth tones, grizzled basslines & acid flashes. It will twist and turn the dance floor inside out.
These are three devastating club cuts that expertly draw on the past, present and future of acid. In occasion of this release, we asked Robin Ball to share his all-time favorite acid house classic.
A nostalgic one for me as this was my first acid record. I still play it out sometimes but more importantly it got loads of plays in my bedroom when I was younger and it takes me right back to those days when I hear it. I believe this was the first Moody Boys release. They did some other great releases through the early nineties which are worth checking out.
It’s hard to pick which of DJ Pierre’s or Phuture’s early releases to mention but I still play Box Energy in the clubs sometimes and it’s probably the one that most suits my acid house sets. A tough kick, crashing snares and an acid line to die for. It’s got a glorious loose feel to the drums which messes with your head. This track still stands up against the new school of acid music which can’t be said for a lot of the earlier acid house releases. (Also check out Pierre’s Phantasy Club – “Fantasy Girl” and “Dream Girl” and Phuture “We Are Phuture”)
There aren’t many vocal acid records that stand the test of time. This one rips the dance floor apart. Great vocals here from Charles B but possibly more importantly produced by Adonis who is one of the acid house greats.
My other vocal acid favorite. Paul Rutherford was in the band “Frankie Goes To Hollywood” who are not known for acid house :-) but this is a killer track! Nice vocals with a good acid line and lovely old school synths and drum work.
Produced by Laurent Garnier & Shazz. Garnier has been one of the most consistent DJs in the history of electronic dance music and has released a few nice acid records. This was released on Fragile which was one of the best Detroit techno labels in the 1990’s. A beautiful track that takes us on a 13 minute emotive journey.
I wanted to put a track in the list from this decade as the acid sound is very relevant and current today. And hopefully, I’ll shake a few peoples perceptions of it all being about the 1980s and 1990s which is far from the truth as there’s lots of great acid music being made at the moment. Acid Battery came out on Scuba’s DJ-Kicks release in 2011. This was in the post-dubstep era and Boddika and Scuba were at the forefront of that scene. They were making house and techno that held the bass music edge and felt freer than the normal constraints there seems to be on dance music. I was excited to hear the acid sound being done in a different way and it was in the early days of the latest acid revival.
Tracklist:
01 Luke Vibert – X to C
02 Robin Ball – Gripper
03 Robin Ball – The Edge
Luke Vibert and Robin Ball’s X to C is out on Memory Box and available here
