Generation Ecstasy:Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture

Two eight-page b&w photo inserts and a discography. Reynolds prefers and champions the less intellectual, more anonymous and dance-crazed parts of the rave galaxy, "from the most machinic forms of house through bleep-and-bass, breakbeat house, Belgian hardcore, jungle, gabba, street garage and big beat." If you don't know what those terms mean, here's how to find out. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. One chapter explains, cogently, the pleasures and effects of the drug Ecstasy (MDMA, or "E"), without which rave would never have evolved; others describe the roles of the DJ, the remix and pirate radio, the "trance" and "ambient" trends of the early 1990s, the rise and fall of would-be stars, the impact of other drugs and the proliferation of current club "subsubgenres." Assuming no prior knowl

Excellent book for those interested in the origins of electronic M Excellent book for those interested in the origins of electronic dance music. Simon Reynolds, unlike many scholarly authors, writes in an engaging and personal way. He tells anecdotes from his own experiences in the dance music scene but also brings in an enormous amount of research and knowledge. There is so much good information in this book that it definitely deserves more than one reading.. S. Adams said Informative, but misses the audience. Most depictions of the Rave scene tend to preach from an extreme. They either present a picture of modern-day-Sodom, or will extol the discovery of Nirvana-on-Earth. Reynolds has the ability to [beautifully] describe both faces of the scene with an impartial voice.Unfortunately, that is the end of what he has done well. Simon will take one paragraph to state that in years past the focus was simply the event, and no one bothered to learn the names of DJ's, let alone the name of individual tracks. After which he will begin a 10-page meandering description about spe. "Good book" according to Michelle S. It can be a little in-depth sometimes, almost to the point of being inane, but the author carries the story so well, you find yourself being swept up in the madness, almost as if you were standing in the middle of the rave culture yourself.It sheds an important light on a rarely-reported but highly relevant side of music history; a must-have for any true fan of the art.

In Generation Ecstasy, Simon Reynolds takes the reader on a guided tour of this end-of-the-millenium phenomenon, telling the story of rave culture and techno music as an insider who has dosed up and blissed out. A celebration of rave's quest for the perfect beat definitive chronicle of rave culture and electronic dance music.