Talking about futuromania, about phases when the chase to get to tomorrow ahead of the pack is the fiercest... oooh that first half of the '90s.
Looking back, it feels like not just the music and the beats but everything that surrounded them and was attached to them - the names and the titles, the record artwork and typography, the flyers, promo videos - all of it, the sonics and the para-sonix constituted a massive surge of urge-to-newness
A kind of concerted front of cultural patricide - an across-the-board push by the young to make an adventure out of their own time.
A will to junk as much of the old still-lingering pop culture and to innovate, often gauchely, on all fronts simultaneously: sound, dance moves, fashion, graphics, slang...
Here are some of my favorite titles trawled from that fast-forward era:
"Noise Bleed"
Technophobic Lisa
Eros (Fun City Stereo-Type Mix)
Ghost Star (Long Drum Mix)
Girls On Pills - "Na copessa nini (Seagulls mating call mix)"
Set Up System - Fairy Dust (Blastomania Mix)
100HZ - LOW FEQUENCY OVERLOAD (HEBREPHENIC MIX)
"Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit (Hysteric Ego Dub)"
Lory D – "Allucinazioneacustica"
"Techno Cat (Dance Like Your Dad)"
"God Shave the Queen"
Generator - Belgium Calling (Clash Mix)
C-Tank "House Hallucination"
Brain Cycl - Mind Darts (1994)
Spira - Disturbulance (1994)
Babies from Gong
(Oink Oink Version)
Hardware - Heavy Metal (Doing! Doing! Doing!) (1994)
Zoomroom - "Black Fumes"
"Straight Up (Wris Spec)"
"The Mad One"
"Brutal Deluxe"
Two Terrorists - "Welcome to Jurassick Park"
Amethyst - Krakatoa
(Dharma Bums Mix)
The Bionaut - Octopus
Dee Rex - Gaia's Revenge
69 - My Machines
"Drum Fire"
Skinnybumblebee (Stingin Dub)
Flying Forest - Cyberlove
Amorph - Sunflow
The Paingang
Flange Squad - "Justice Juice (The Justice Jam)"
"Warriors of Mind"
Dos Deviants - "Sharkbyte"
London Tranceport - "Argon"
Genetic Waste - "Palace of Wisdom"
"Throw the Madness"
Members of Mayday - "Endspurt"
Braincell - "Time Is Suspended"
"Sunburst"
"Innerstream of Consciousness"
Public Art
"Transpulsation"
The Dentist - "Arena of the Gods"
"Burning Trash Floor"
"Starkissed"
"Possessed By Fire"
"Stealth Sonic Soul"
Disgraced Rolemodel
Z-Plane - "Hopium"
"Under City Rave"
"The Devil's Dandruff"
Holocube - "Noizology"
"Uncle Bob's Burly House"
"Angel-Headed Hipster"
"Nude Restaurant"
Energyflow - "Thunderstorm"
"I Could Be Him, I Could Be Her"
Annexia - "Escalation Fantasy"
"King of Death Posture (Attack Version)"
"Plasma Flights, Pt 1"
"The Trancequilizer"
"Mantra of X-Tremism"
Force Mass Motion - "The Pressor"
Phrenetic System - "Concrete Box"
"Nut Haus"
"Drying the Tears of the Forest"
"A Sonic Fairy Tale"
(Puddle Mix)
The Desintegrators - "Perfumes of the Deep"
Dancing Dolphins
"Bad Moog Rising"
Syncrotron II
"Tekno Bangelang"
"Sunhump"
Encephaloid Disturbance - Magnetic Neurosis
Encephaloid Disturbance - Renegade Ectoplasm
Encephaloid Disturbance - Spasmodic Fusion
"Moments of Inertia"
(Exterminated in 3D Mix)
"Infinite Climax"
Stardate 1973 - Planetfall (1992)
Ramirez - El Ritmo Barbaro (El Flagelo Mix) (1992)
Tracid Posse - Vivarium (1992)
The Saucer Crew - "Ghost Star (Long Drum Mix)"
Edge of Motion - "Overvolt"
Jambo - "Drumattack"
Spirit of Adventure - "L'Hysterie"
"Monotone Sickness"
"Waiting 4 My Shell 2 Crack"
"Xabrax (Drill Mix)"
"Outermind (Glide Mix)"
"Percussion Overdose"
Dry Throats - "Acid Speed"
Cyberpsychose – You Will Die
Generator - Narcomaniac (Adrenochrome Mix)
D.B. Hazard - Detro Mental
Mental & Dangerous - Xtrosy (Mary Poppins Hardcore Mix)
The Dead Kirks - "Mr. Kirk (Death Mix)"
Dry Throats - Acid Speed (1992)
DJ Dick - The Iron Raver (Part I) (1993)
Vauvenage - Flange Stereo (1993)
Nasty Django - Ey Loco! (Kinky Muthaship) (1992)
Phenomania - Phenothememia (1992)
i - Percussion Overdose (1992)
"Acid Eiffel"
Bi-Face - "Flota (Two)"
"Cyclotron"
"Lost and Intellect"
"The Realm of Spoo"
Aquastep - "Oempa Loempa"
Pot Cycl
"Franthic Thigh"
Sulfurex
"I Still Want Ya (the Nooshty Mix)"
Severe Damage - "Red Alert (Tremble Mix)"
"Afro Compressor"
"Sugar Robots"
"Megadrôme D'Yore"
"Jungle (Flappy Ears Version)"
Techno Trash Volume II - "Noise!"
"Mastercore (Brain Mix)"
Phase Phorce
"Industrial Metal"
"Face the Mastermind"
"Turntable Tribal"
4-Nu-Tek
"Locked in Madness"
Exoterrorist
"Microillusions (Day-Mix)"
"Illegal Consume"
"Hatt Flash"
"Victim of Hardware"
"Bash Your Brains In"
"Night of the Neon Maniacs"
Pultec
"Drugtrash"
"Psycho Drums"
Dutch Department of Techno
"Original Mix with Bats"
Force Mass Motion
"Feef Logic"
The Brotherhood of Structure EP
"First Fright (Video Mix)"
"Space Paranoia"
"Psycho Fly"
"Cosmonoise"
E-Rection - Colonisation Of Space (1995)
Gigi Galaxy - Interview with An Alien
Gigi Galaxy - Spores from Outer Space
Gigi Galaxy - Cosmic Forces As They Were Taught In Mu
Ilsa Gold
Emmanuel Top
"Moby Tits"
Koenig Cylinders
Spastic Egg
"Entropy Step"
Public Energy
"Chronoclasm"
"Nightmares Are Reality"
Labworks
"Reptilian Tank"
Egma
"Stomach Basher"
"Korrekte Atmosphere"
"Trip to E-Land"
Hypp & Krimson,
"Tibetan Jazz"
"Are Am Eye"
Aldrin Buzz
Edge of Motion
"The Glitch Relapse"
"Zombies in the Mist"
"Sick (Dominator Is Dead)"
"Space Luxury"
"Faces of the Moon"
Meng Syndicate
"(Heinous Scream Version)"
"Ravedrug"
"Rush Bubble Mix"
Pneumatic Distress
"Fulminic"
Tones Energy
"Tone Exploitation"
"(Fratty Energy Version)"
Master Techno
"Time Problem"
Problem House
"Rhyde the Rithum"
"Twin Freaks"
80 AUM
E-Dancer
"My First Fantastic F.F."
"Tunnel Inspection
"Mindcontroller (The Obscure Mix)"
"The Kraken"
"Fairy Dust"
"Chiswick Days"
"Air Bounce"
"Cybernatic Noisefly"
"God's Percussion Dream"
"The Dove (Coloured Dream)"
"Planet Jupiter (Raggae Dream)"
"Acid Heartcore"
"Mutation Step"
"Technoblast"
"Biolunch"
"Single Minded People"
"Acid Creak"
"Trac-X"
Numbers & Feelings
"(Sexx Ambient Mix)"
Charlie Lownoise
Syncope
"Explosion of a Dancemode"
"X-Plosion of a Dancemode"
"Stronger Than Steel"
"Trance? Never Heard Before"
Xylem Tube
"Space Metal (Pt 1 and Pt 2)"
"Sulphur Stories"
"The Ravesignal"
"Demonomania"
"Walk on Base"
Spiritual Combat
"Lake of Dreams (Bay of Rainbow Mix)"
"Lake of Dreams (Dream of Drums)"
DJ Edge, "Bass Trnce"
Boscanese Hedgehogs Fall To Earth
Madame Xerox, "Fluxpod"
Cyberchrist
Sons of Aliens
(Sadcore Mix)
"Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit (Hysteric Ego Dub)"
"Techno Cat (Dance Like Your Dad)"
"God Shave the Queen"
Generator - Belgium Calling (Clash Mix)
C-Tank "House Hallucination"
Spira - Disturbulance
Brain Cycl - Mind Darts (1994)
Babies from Gong
Hardware - Heavy Metal (Doing! Doing! Doing!) (1994)
Generator - Narcomaniac (Adrenochrome Mix)
D.B. Hazard - Detro Mental
Mental & Dangerous - Xtrosy (Mary Poppins Hardcore Mix)
The Dead Kirks - "Mr. Kirk (Death Mix)"
Dry Throats - Acid Speed (1992)
DJ Dick - The Iron Raver (Part I) (1993)
Vauvenage - Flange Stereo (1993)
Nasty Django - Ey Loco! (Kinky Muthaship) (1992)
Phenomania - Phenothememia (1992)
i - Percussion Overdose (1992)
"Acid Eiffel"
Bi-Face - "Flota (Two)"
"Cyclotron"
"Lost and Intellect"
"The Realm of Spoo"
Aquastep - "Oempa Loempa"
Pot Cycl
"Franthic Thigh"
Sulfurex
"I Still Want Ya (the Nooshty Mix)"
Severe Damage - "Red Alert (Tremble Mix)"
"Afro Compressor"
"Sugar Robots"
"Megadrôme D'Yore"
"Jungle (Flappy Ears Version)"
Techno Trash Volume II - "Noise!"
"Mastercore (Brain Mix)"
Phase Phorce
"Industrial Metal"
"Face the Mastermind"
"Turntable Tribal"
4-Nu-Tek
"Locked in Madness"
Exoterrorist
"Microillusions (Day-Mix)"
"Illegal Consume"
"Hatt Flash"
"Victim of Hardware"
"Bash Your Brains In"
"Night of the Neon Maniacs"
Pultec
"Drugtrash"
"Psycho Drums"
Dutch Department of Techno
"Original Mix with Bats"
Force Mass Motion
"Feef Logic"
The Brotherhood of Structure EP
"First Fright (Video Mix)"
"Space Paranoia"
"Psycho Fly"
"Cosmonoise"
Ilsa Gold
Emmanuel Top
"Moby Tits"
Koenig Cylinders
Spastic Egg
"Entropy Step"
Public Energy
"Chronoclasm"
"Nightmares Are Reality"
Labworks
"Reptilian Tank"
Egma
"Stomach Basher"
"Korrekte Atmosphere"
"Trip to E-Land"
Hypp & Krimson,
"Tibetan Jazz"
"Are Am Eye"
Aldrin Buzz
Edge of Motion
"The Glitch Relapse"
"Zombies in the Mist"
"Sick (Dominator Is Dead)"
"Space Luxury"
"Faces of the Moon"
Meng Syndicate
"(Heinous Scream Version)"
"Ravedrug"
"Rush Bubble Mix"
Pneumatic Distress
"Fulminic"
Tones Energy
"Tone Exploitation"
"(Fratty Energy Version)"
Master Techno
"Time Problem"
Problem House
"Rhyde the Rithum"
"Twin Freaks"
80 AUM
E-Dancer
"My First Fantastic F.F."
"Tunnel Inspection
"Mindcontroller (The Obscure Mix)"
"The Kraken"
"Fairy Dust"
"Chiswick Days"
"Air Bounce"
"Cybernatic Noisefly"
"God's Percussion Dream"
"The Dove (Coloured Dream)"
"Planet Jupiter (Raggae Dream)"
"Acid Heartcore"
"Mutation Step"
"Technoblast"
"Biolunch"
"Single Minded People"
"Acid Creak"
"Trac-X"
Numbers & Feelings
"(Sexx Ambient Mix)"
Charlie Lownoise
Syncope
"Explosion of a Dancemode"
"X-Plosion of a Dancemode"
"Stronger Than Steel"
"Trance? Never Heard Before"
Xylem Tube
"Space Metal (Pt 1 and Pt 2)"
"Sulphur Stories"
"The Ravesignal"
"Demonomania"
"Walk on Base"
Spiritual Combat
"Lake of Dreams (Bay of Rainbow Mix)"
"Lake of Dreams (Dream of Drums)"
DJ Edge, "Bass Trnce"
Boscanese Hedgehogs Fall To Earth
Madame Xerox, "Fluxpod"
Cyberchrist
Sons of Aliens
(Sadcore Mix)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The original "neophiliac" era, the 1960s - that would be the real rival. But it had older sonic forms embedded within it - blues, soul, folk, country.... Although FX, electrification, amplification, and studio tricknology increasingly come into play, the instrumental line-up is largely shared with earlier forms of popular music like jazz: drums, guitars, horns, bass. So not quite as a big a break as the digital 90s.
New Wave is another rival (especially with all the inorganic fabrics and hair-dyes... the angular graphic language and dance-moves... the quirky vocal styles and herky-jerky rhythms and melodies). But New Wave was largely based in rock's well-established instrumental template (gtr-bs-drms) and it had echoes and deliberate reach-backs to the Sixties in much of it. Rather than synths, New Wavers tended to use keyboards - 60s-style organs, Farfisa etc. So overall it doesn't match the tekno-rave era for full-bore futurism . The first half of the '90s had all these newness-enabling tools to work with (samplers, digital audio workstations).
Eighties synthpop, yes - but it is still tied to the Song, and to the impassioned human voice - to the idea of "soul" and to actual influences from soul music (think of all those fire-and-ice singer + synthesist duos).
Theory of Names, aka Nameology.
I've mooted this before, based on ample empirical evidence that the shitness / non-shitness of a genre is in direct relation to the shitness / non-shitness of its artist names and track titles. (Same applies to the decline of a once-great genre - the canary in the coalmine is the enshittification of names, titles, graphics).
To me it makes sense - the names and titles would be a textual efflorescence of the music, reflecting and revealing its inner essence.
The milquetoast mildness of most postdubstep is given away at the pre-auditory stage from the aroma wafting off the artist aliases and the opaque titles they come up for their tunes.... Ditto broken beat, ditto downtempo, ditto all the other tasteful, "good music society", cosmopolitan / cosmigroovy sounds.
The you-won't-like-this-steer-clear of most contemporary music (not just dance, across the genrescape) alerts my antennae through the advance warning system of names (the album artwork is also a fairly reliable giveaway - has it ever been shitter than the present era?).
But that corny-yet-awesome spirit of the '90s survived in pockets into the 21st Century... flickering in bassline, in donk, in brostep, a little bit in deeptech.... UK drill too... and I daresay it is out there to be found even now.
