Genesis '88
Encyclopedia
Genesis'88 was a party promotion crew who threw some of the first acid house parties also known as raves in the United Kingdom
from 1988 to 1992. It was founded during 1988 during the U.K's discovery of acid house
. They were an organisation that staged acid house parties in empty industrial warehouses in London and within the M25 motorway
. "Over the course of 1989, promoters such as World Dance, Genesis, Helter Skelter and Energy succeeded in setting acid house nights free of the urban core's constructions, staging ever more elaborate Orbital parties in borrowed and rented fields, the odd warehouse, or some other similarly vacant structure". At that point in time acid house parties were deemed illegal by authorities because most promoters of the period gained entrance into buildings by breaking and entering.
goers in London
were desperate for events that catered to their needs and went on until the early hours of the morning. Genesis’88 found empty warehouses in London
and transformed them into state-of-the-art
dance arenas that consisted of professional lighting rig
s, sound system
s and colourful decorations. Unbeknownst to the buildings' owners the Genesis promoters would wear their best business suits and convince police riot squads that the warehouses were acquired through legitimate channels.
Matthew Collin writes in Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House: "From their first party in October 1988 onwards, Genesis developed a prodigious reputation for cracking open huge warehouses and holding illegal raves, week after week, from Aldgate to Hackney, Tottenham to Walthamstow".
To give themselves more credit they would assume official titles such as George Michael
’s personal manager or project manager
for a major record company. Genesis enjoyed a succession of events that saw attendances rise from 300 to 15,000 people
. Victims of their own success, Genesis were targeted by the UK government and the criminal underworld
attracted by media
articles of huge profits (£500,000) being made by such promoters. The Genesis organisers were kidnapped and threatened with death
if they didn’t comply with the gangster
s. They demanded 25% of all profits in return for 24 hour protection. Thisplight was shared by other promoters who had also encountered the same terror tactics.
This, coupled with the government’s label of "Public Enemy No.1", brought about the end of illegal acid house parties. Genesis continued arranging parties until 1992 before deciding to quit staging these events. One of the promoters Wayne Anthony, penned a book called Class of 88 - The True Acid House Experience (ISBN 0-7535-0240-2).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1988 to 1992. It was founded during 1988 during the U.K's discovery of acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
. They were an organisation that staged acid house parties in empty industrial warehouses in London and within the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
. "Over the course of 1989, promoters such as World Dance, Genesis, Helter Skelter and Energy succeeded in setting acid house nights free of the urban core's constructions, staging ever more elaborate Orbital parties in borrowed and rented fields, the odd warehouse, or some other similarly vacant structure". At that point in time acid house parties were deemed illegal by authorities because most promoters of the period gained entrance into buildings by breaking and entering.
Overview and history
Fuelled by the drug MDMA (Ecstasy), nightclubNightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
goers in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
were desperate for events that catered to their needs and went on until the early hours of the morning. Genesis’88 found empty warehouses in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and transformed them into state-of-the-art
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
dance arenas that consisted of professional lighting rig
Stage lighting
Modern stage lighting is a flexible tool in the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts. Several different types of stage lighting instruments are used in the pursuit of the various principles or goals of lighting. Stage lighting has grown considerably in recent years...
s, sound system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
s and colourful decorations. Unbeknownst to the buildings' owners the Genesis promoters would wear their best business suits and convince police riot squads that the warehouses were acquired through legitimate channels.
Matthew Collin writes in Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House: "From their first party in October 1988 onwards, Genesis developed a prodigious reputation for cracking open huge warehouses and holding illegal raves, week after week, from Aldgate to Hackney, Tottenham to Walthamstow".
To give themselves more credit they would assume official titles such as George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
’s personal manager or project manager
Project manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications or software...
for a major record company. Genesis enjoyed a succession of events that saw attendances rise from 300 to 15,000 people
Person
A person is a human being, or an entity that has certain capacities or attributes strongly associated with being human , for example in a particular moral or legal context...
. Victims of their own success, Genesis were targeted by the UK government and the criminal underworld
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
attracted by media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
articles of huge profits (£500,000) being made by such promoters. The Genesis organisers were kidnapped and threatened with death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
if they didn’t comply with the gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
s. They demanded 25% of all profits in return for 24 hour protection. Thisplight was shared by other promoters who had also encountered the same terror tactics.
This, coupled with the government’s label of "Public Enemy No.1", brought about the end of illegal acid house parties. Genesis continued arranging parties until 1992 before deciding to quit staging these events. One of the promoters Wayne Anthony, penned a book called Class of 88 - The True Acid House Experience (ISBN 0-7535-0240-2).
1988
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1989
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1990
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1992
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Other promoters
- Sunrise / Back to the Future
- Biology
- Energy
- Hypnosis
- Unit 4
- Pasha
- Tranquillity
- New Generation
- Fantasy FM Radio
See also
- Breakbeat hardcoreBreakbeat hardcoreBreakbeat hardcore is a derivative of the acid house and techno, of the late 1980s and early 1990s, that combines four-to-the-floor rhythms with breakbeats, and is associated with the UK rave scene.-The rave scene:...
- Criminal Justice and Public Order Act
- Disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
- Electronic musicElectronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
- Free partyFree partyA free party is a party "free" from the restrictions of the legal club scene, similar to the free festival movement. It typically involves a sound system playing electronic dance music from late at night until the time when the organisers decide to go home. A free party can be composed of just one...
- HardcoreHardcore technoHardcore techno is a type of electronic music typified by the rhythmic use of distorted and atonal industrial-like beats and samples...
- House musicHouse musicHouse music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
- RaveRaveRave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
- Rave musicRave musicRave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
- Techno music