For a tiny island, the UK has incubated and exported a vast quantity of cultural phenomena; none so prevalent today as dance music. From acid house, hardcore and rave to jungle, UK garage and drum & bass, we’ve put together a whistlestop tour of the UK’s electronic dance music evolution.
1988: Acid House
It’s worth noting that this is by no means a comprehensive history or list of UK dance music. For the purpose of this discussion, we’ll pick things up from the moment that UK dance music truly came into its own; the Second Summer of Love, 1988. What is widely recognised as the moment of total inception here in the UK, the long hot summer opened ravers’ eyes to the potential of long nights dancing their cares away. The soundtrack to these hedonistic adventures? Acid house, of course.
Despite its roots in Chicago, acid house blossomed in the UK. The genre found fertile ground in the UK’s underground scene, where its hypnotic beats, synthetic melodies and the iconic squelch of the Roland TB-303 captured the imagination of a generation. Clubs like The Haçienda in Manchester and Shoom in London became the epicentres of this musical revolution, drawing crowds eager to lose themselves to the music and reach for the lasers.
As far as tunes go, “Oochy Koochy” by Baby Ford is an acid house classic. Released in 1988, it boasts a plethora of tropes commonly associated with the genre, including the unmistakable 303 bass lines and punchy kicks. The track’s infectious groove made it a hit among ravers and solidified acid house’s place in UK music history.
1989: UK Techno
Despite its origins in Detroit, Techno found its second home here in the UK. The UK techno scene of the late 80s and early 90s was game-changing, leaving a sizeable imprint on the electronic music scene worldwide. Following the acid house craze of the late ’80s, UK techno carved its own path with a raw, punchy, industrial sound. Clubs like Rage at Heaven saw artists like Aphex Twin, LFO, and 808 State breaking new ground with their blend of industrial beats, intricate rhythms, and mind-bending sounds.
Labels like Warp Records played a key part in the nurturing of the genre, with cities like Birmingham and Sheffield contributing to the scene’s diversity. Birmingham, for instance, became known for its relentless, industrial techno style, championed by artists like Surgeon and Regis. The early ’90s UK techno scene was characterised by a DIY ethos, underground raves, and a strong sense of community, which together laid the foundation for the global techno culture that followed.
1990: Rave & Hardcore
From the irresistible charm of acid house and techno came breakbeat hardcore, igniting the dance with energetically chopped drum breaks, four-to-the-floor kicks and euphoric pianos. Taking the energy of techno and acid house to new heights, breakbeat hardcore, or rave as it was often known, became the soundtrack to the illegal raves that defined the early ’90s UK dance scene. These raves, often held in abandoned warehouses and remote fields, were a breeding ground for musical experimentation and communal ecstasy.
Total Confusion by A Homeboy, A Hippie & A Funki Dredd epitomises the genre, capturing the raw, high-energy vibe of early ’90s raves with its euphoric introduction, stabby breakdowns and tribal-esque vocal samples taking the listener on a real journey.
1991: Jungle
As is the case with every point in this discussion, the history of jungle music could be an article on its own (in fact, it is). For the sake of brevity though, we’ll keep it short and sweet.
The progression from rave and hardcore to early jungle can be boiled down to two distinct factors: a shift in tempo and the movement away from four-by-four kick patterns in favour of syncopated drum breaks, meticulously engineered snare rolls and deep rumbling bass lines. Jungle music emerged in the early ’90s as a darker, more complex evolution of the rave scene, with influences from reggae, hip-hop, and funk. This genre quickly became a staple of the UK underground.
Early-Mid 1990s: UK Garage (UKG)
As jungle matured, a new, equally energetic sound emerged from the streets of the mid-1990s; this bubbly genre would soon come to be known as UK Garage (UKG). UK Garage fused the soulful, vocal-driven elements of American garage with a distinctive British twist, incorporating elements of R&B, jungle, and house. The result was a sound characterised by shuffled rhythms, syncopated beats, and bubbling basslines. A step away from the somewhat in-your-face reputation jungle had earned itself, garage was all about bouncy vibes, club-ready rhythms, champagne and glowsticks.
Much like jungle, UK garage both informed and reflected the identities of its following. Slowly but surely, garage made its way into the mainstream consciousness, blossoming from an underground phenomenon into a cultural movement that influenced not only music, but fashion and art worldwide. As it gained popularity, UK garage became synonymous with the vibrant nightlife of the late 90s and early 2000s, dominating clubs and radio stations across the country.
Mid 1990s: Drum & Bass
Before we continue, it’s worth clarifying that the difference between jungle and drum & bass has long been a point of contention among fans. While many argue that the terms are interchangeable, with the distinction only being applied retrospectively, it is mostly agreed that drum & bass existed as a development of jungle.
Taking the complex breakbeats and subby basslines of jungle and stripping back to produce a more polished, high-energy sound, drum & bass gained mainstream recognition. Higher tempos of 170 bpm and above, combined with lighter samples than its predecessor, gained drum & bass mainstream attention and it soon found its way into clubs and radio stations across the UK.
Mid-Late 1990s: Trance
Make no mistake, the UK wasn’t just exporting club-ready rhythms in the 90s; DJs were sourcing their sounds from the international stage, finetuning their selections in an attempt to spin the latest and greatest from around the world. Specifically, it was the import of sounds from European clubs that saw trance step into the limelight.
A genre born from the German dancefloors and Euro-raves of the early 90s, trance blossomed into the most popular dance genre in the UK during the mid to late nineties and early noughties. In the early days, labels such as Hooj Tunes and Platipus Records defined the UK sound, giving artists and producers a platform for their craft. As the decade progressed, larger labels such as Ministry of Sound pushed the genre into mainstream consciousness, with DJs and producers like Pete Tong, Sasha and Digweed all flying the flag for trance.
Characterised by climactic build-ups, other-worldly arpeggiated synth lines and kick drums that cut to the core, trance built a devoted following that still stands strong decades later.
The Resurgence Of Rave
Ask any house-head, junglist or two-stepping garage lover, and they’ll tell you that dance music will never die. From breakbeat to gabba, dubstep to drum & bass, the UK scene is constantly evolving and reinterpreting itself, reflecting and informing the tastes of younger generations everywhere. Whether it’s Korea’s bubbling jungle scene, or New York’s love for old-school speed garage, UK dance music can be heard around the world, creeping into clubs and dominating dance floors.
Here at ACM, we’re proud to nurture the next generation of creative talent, providing the expertise and resources required for students to innovate, experiment and carve their way within the future of music. Discover our range of courses and kickstart your journey today.
