Acid
The term "acid" first appeared as a designation for one of house sub-genres. After some time acid became the additional element to other styles, whose characteristic features also include the sound of the bass synthesizer Roland TBR-303.
Birth: 1987 Bloom: 1993
The Chicago project let out a track «Acid Traxx» that now is considered as style forming. As the name suggests the track was the brightest example of acid house music due to the psychedelic effect of Roland TBR-303. Composers made an analogy to the `60s psychedelic rock form, the destiny of which was determined by the influence of the hard drug LSD (acid in slang). Therefore, many musicians used to describe their LSD trips in songs.
The synthesizer was developed by the Roland company a long time before acid house, specifically in 1982. At first the instrument was supposed to be a cheap alternative to bass guitar in pop-music or punk-rock. But it`s specific sound didn`t became very popular with musicians. The sound of Roland TBR – 303 was used in the song «Let me go» by Heaven 17.
By the moment when Chicago DJ Pierre decided to use the sound of TBR-303 in becoming popular house music, the production of that synthesizer had already been stopped. That`s why the synthesizer turned out to be very expensive and cult.
Acid house gained mainstream success in Europe due to the popularity of ecstasy drug that was more than just suitable for music perception. The symbol of that acid epoch was a yellow smile that`s still one of the main club culture attributes.
Nowadays, the sound of Roland TBR-303 is still popular. Not only in house music, but also in other electronic dance styles.
Also read: House, Acid Techno, Acid Trance, Acid House
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