SLOW THE PITCH: THE ACID HOUSE, NEW BEAT, AND EBM CONNECTION

From Chicago to the UK and back to LA, the Acid House scene infiltrated the late 1980s' and early 90s' club scene despite some heavy heat from authorities and hallucinogenic concerns. Key players like DJ Pierre and even superstar trance producer Paul Oakenfold guided the way with resonant TB-303 squelches and deep 909 kick drums pumping energy on the dance floors. Acid influenced many offshoot genres. One of them was New Beat which would shape EBM Industrial for decades to come. Club promoters like Randy Moore facilitated high capacity venues filling in Los Angeles with wide eyed youth dancing to this new sound. 

“It’s not this real pretentious dress-up thing. It’s about putting all these different people in a room no matter whether they’re black, white, gay or straight and get them together.” 

- Randy Moore Los Angeles Club Entrepreneur (1988)


Meanwhile at the same time on another continent, EBM band A Split Second released "Flesh" on the Antler Subway label as a single. In Brussels at Ancienne Belgique (the city's most popular venue), DJs Marc Grouls and Fat Ronnie changed the pitch of tracks like "Flesh" creating a whole new vibe on the dance floor giving birth to New Beat. 

"We didn't think it possible to entertain 2,000 people with that kind of music," DJ Marc Grouls 


“Marc Grouls: "Here in Belgium we can't dance to an Acid record on normal speed - we can't follow it because we don't take drugs or anything! You just need a beat to bring you into a trance, with not too many words. It's not too difficult, it's dance music."”

"DJs from all around Belgium were playing 'Flesh' at different speeds," explained Electronic music Producer Praga Khan. "I saw there was a strange atmosphere on the dance floor when they played the record, so I asked Bellucci to produce another record with the same ingredients."

Roland Bellucci (Rolan Beelen) and Praga Khan (Maurice Engelen) started the Antler Subway Records label which would be home to 100 recordings with these same ingredients in one year under many pseudonyms. 

A Split Second would eventually sign with infamous Chicago industrial label Wax Trax! Records and achieve a Billboard chart position with "Mambo Witch" sparking their first US tour. This year they return and are coheadlining the yearly Cold Waves festivals in Chicago, NY, and LA. If you'd like to hear "Flesh" at multiple pitches they are included on exclusive Cold Waves LA Spotify playlist.

DAVID CHRISTIAN - SEPTEMBER 5, 2023