soundtrackism - Acen + Eno

In the new issue of The Wire, I have a big review of Trip to the Moon 2092, a six-disc vinyl expansion of the Acen classic "Trip II the Moon" - widely considered the greatest hardcore rave anthem ever, and  originally released through the summer of 1992 in three successive versions, each more tempestuous and grandiloquent than the last. The 2092 box set is out any day now on Kniteforce Revolution. In addition to the print-magazine-only review, at The Wire website there is an interview with Acen Razvi. He gave me the lowdown on his journey from breakdancing on a sheet of lino in West London to building breakbeat symphonies for Willesden label Production House and talked about his love of film soundtracks (John Barry's Bond music and Ennio Morricone's "Chi Mai" being key sample sources for "Trip" and the killer B-side "Life and Crimes of a Ruffneck"). 

Talking of the movies...  the winter 2020-2021 issue of Sight & Sound features my interview with Brian Eno about his career-long involvement in making music for film and TV, the influence soundtracks and scores have had on his ideas about sound, and what he's been watching during the pandemic. The piece is pegged to his new compilation Film Music 1976-2020.  It was a real delight chatting with Mr. Eno  - I can't remember the last time I laughed so much in an interview. 

              the other electrifying sample in "Trip II the Moon" - electrocuted diva Maureen Mason - here sounds freakily mellow in the original Tongue N Cheek Britsoul fave

                                           

                  look for the shadowy rave magus Acen amidst the amazing dancing twins (not actually twins apparently)

The "River Deep, Mountain High" of rave is how I described  this mix of "Windows" here once 

More box sets from Kniteforce coming this year I'm told, including one for this track, Acen's debut

 

lord of the universe

Acen's "River Deep, Mountain High" *

The second-best version:



The best of the rest










The best version again - i.e. the first video, the one at the top with the amazing female dancers - the "Monolythikmaniak Mix"  - only this time without the annoying hiss and the abrupt too early cut-off



* in the earlier Blissblog post I nominate "Window in the Sky (Kingdom of Light Mix)" as the 300th best hardcore tune of all time (this being an unfinished, indeed barely started project - the #300 tune entry was the only installment of it, I'm ashamed to admit).  Having already planned for "Trip to the Moon" to be #1 (ah, but which mix, which mix, eh?), and "Close Your Eyes" at #150, the circularity would place Acen Razvi at the centre of the Canon, its spine). 

At that point I'm not sure I'd heard the "Monolythikmaniak Mix" - or if I had, it hadn't really registered with me - but if I was to re-embark on that lunatic List, I'd be placing that mix high, much nearer the top. Which would mean that "Window in the Sky" appeared twice. (Not a unique occurrence, actually - three, possibly four, mixes of "Renegade Snares" would have to feature, obviously...  and at least two of "Open Your Mind").  

Somewhat unusually - given rave's general tendency towards the purely sonic, its downgrading of the visual component in pop's audiovisuality - this was a dance track whose glory was opened up for me by that promo video when I came across it a few years ago. (Who knew there were actually a fair number of rave promos made back in the day?) . Above all  it was those astounding dancers....  the chaste frenzy of their movements transmitting and incarnating the sheer ambush of rave -  its "something new under the sun" quality -  just as forcefully as Acen's beats and vamps.