Acid House Music

Father Disco
Origin of Disco: Disco came about first
in Paris, France during World War II.
When Germany occupied France,
Germany banned popular jazz music in
hopes of controlling rebellious young
people. In order to continue listening to
their favorite songs, the youth met up in
secret clubs to play their favorite
records and dance along. This practice
lead to future dance clubs which gave
way to disco once multi track record
players were invented and DJs began to
mix tracks.

Disco Father: Acid House music was created from disco music. Disco music was
known for being dancing/club music from the 1960s-1970s. Disco tracks were
made by Disc Jockey (DJ) artists by playing two records simultaneously and
mixing them at certain points in time to elongate the main song. When done
correctly DJs were able to keep the music playing non stop by mixing songs
together to create a seamless transition.

Disco to Electronic
After the historic transformation disco music had on the way music was
played/performed/produced music artists began to look for a new sound that would
develop into electronic music. In electronic music, artists would use electronic
instruments, audio files, computers, and computer software to write and mix music
which created the foundation of rave party music.
As music technology develops it pushes the artistic field forward in sounds, creation,
distribution, accessibility and instrumentation.

Culture of Acid House Music

Acid House Music attracted an eclectic crowd. The consumers of this type of music
were young (19-30 years old) during the prime time of the genre. People of all races
listened to the music. Homosexuals and Heterosexuals alike shared interest in the
music, and often enjoyed raves together. The demographic which reveled in the music
brought great attention to the genre.
Money: As the Acid House Music Scene became lucrative drug dealers and other undesirables began to seek a fortune from the consumers.

History in the Making

In this video you see the development of cultural and political views which coalesced
to create a youth culture up rise. Acid House Music was the result. This lead to the
development of a music genre which would grow into several other genres in the U.S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-XrlMpwEuM
In this video the development and evolution of House Music, later Acid House Music, in
America is documented.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1HpY65cXDA

Short Timeline
Walter Gibbons: Early 1970s Created Method for Disco Music Track
Mixing
Frankie Knuckles: 1977 Begins Djing at the Warehouse Nightclub in
Chicago
Ron Hardy: Begins the use of more experimental tracks with house
mixing leading it toward the current day genre
Steve Silk Hurley: Helps produce Music is the Key first house
record to use rap, its production leads to DJ International Records

Walter Gibbons

Walter Gibbons was an early DJ that is credited with popularizing the basic
mixing techniques for disco music. He pioneered the practice of mixing between
the breaks of multiple tracks to create one endless track. His innovative
practices in the 1970s helped pave the way for several underground music DJs
in the Chicago area in the late 1970s.

Walter Gibbons Sample: (1984) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLtZOoylne0

The Warehouse
Nightclub

Club Scene in America

Two of the most important clubs which helped
establish Acid House Music in America are
Chicagos Warehouse and New Yorks Paradise
Garage (later developing garage music).
The Warehouse is the venue after which Acid
House Music is named.
Residing DJs
Warehouse: Francis Frankie Nicholls
Paradise Garage: Lary Levan

Frankie Knuckles

Frankie Knuckles is known as the grandfather of Acid

House Music as he was a pioneering DJ who used classic
disco records, and Europop music to create a unique
blend of music that lead to a whole new genre in the U.S.
His work at the Warehouse in Chicago, one of the first
nightclubs composed of all races and sexuality in the
1970s allowed him to reach a vast and diverse audience.
He sees House music with a very clear tradition, a kind
of two-way love affair with the city of New York and the
sound of disco. If he were to list his favorite records, they
would be a reader's guide to disco, including Colonel
Abrams "Trapped", Sharon Redd's "Can You Handle It",
Fat Lerry's "Act Like You Know", Positive Force "You Got
The Funk" Jimmy Bo Horn "Spank", D-Train "You're The
One". History of Chicago House Music
Frankie Knuckles Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIdimVDuSEU

Ron Hardy

Ron Hardy was a DJ who took the genre of House music to a whole new level
from Frankies practices. Rather than rooting his tracks in disco music, he sought
out raw and extreme samples to create his mixes. He often utilized speech to
create his sound.

Ron Hardy Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSpNvS5fa_E

Steve Hurley

In 1985 DJ Steve Hurlely and Rocky Jones pooled their money to produce the
track Music is the Key which became a huge hit and lead to DJ International,
their production company for artists in the Chicago area.

Music is the Key: (first house track to use rap) https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRsasda3aNY

Cultural Issues of the 1970s-80s

During the 1960s a lot of political reform
was experienced by Americans and all
over the world. African Americans and
women were pushing for equal rights. The
Vietnam War was going on. Everything
going on painted a grim picture for the
U.S.
In the 1960s being helpful toward others
was the right thing to do. In the 1970s
and 80s Americans became more
individualized. After several years of
political turmoil and fighting, Americans
wanted to escaped these issues.

Society became more individualized in the 1970s and by the 1980s, people
who helped themselves and sought success through work/money were
considered great role models. The capitalistic economy was in full swing again,
and has a lead Americans to believe money to be the most important thing to
them.
Music, influenced by these social values moved from folk music, and songs
about social values toward rock and popular genres driven by the media.

Historic Events
During the decades leading to the
creation of Acid House Music the world
was undergoing a transformation
toward Democracy.
Nov. 9th 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn
down
Late 1980s-Early 1990s Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Romania and other
Eastern European Countries undergo
revolutions that over throw the
Stalin/communist rule.

Acid House Music

The term Acid was coined in order to
refer to the strange synthesizer sound
you will find a several house tracks.
Furthermore, those who listen to acid
house music often take ecstasy or LSD
as a psychedelic drug that enhances
their listening experience. Though the
audience partakes in these substances
artists do not promote the use of drugs.
As in every music scene there is always
drug use regardless of promotion or not.

Present Day Acid House Music

The current day presence of Acid House Music is still underground and very
strong in England and Europe.

The music has developed quite a bit from its original form.

Impact on History/Music

Acid House is just another step in

electronic music evolution. The
synthesizers and software used in this
genre have set the methods for
dubstep, garage music, and psychedelic
music.