Synthpop-rave

Hay un maxi que no se mueve de mi tocadiscos desde el viernes pasado. Me lo pillé en Discos Paradiso (C/Ferlandina 39), tienda de reciente apertura y visita obligada para todo amante del vinilo que resida o visite Barcelona. El tema en cuestión es una producción de Midi Rain (aka John Rocca) del año 92. Se llama “Always” y puede que os suene porque fue la primera canción del “My Parade” de Ellen Allien. En ese momento no le presté demasiada atención pero ahora mismo ando bastante pillado con su fusión de synth-pop y rave. Al consultar la entrada del lanzamiento en el oráculo (aka Discogs), el texto que acompañaba su entrada me ha parecido tan ilustrativo que creo que poco mas se puede añadir.

“At some point in the late 1980's/early 1990's when acid house and rave music took over the UK as a storm, synth-pop fans had the delight to hear some of their favorite artists going towards more wild, fresh and experimental territories, crossing white synth-pop music and voices with the thrills of devastating acid and euphoric house. Some of these trans-genre mutants would become acid, rave and balearic classics (i'm thinking here of the Beloved's "Acid Love (Love & Ecstasy Mix)", Paul Rutherford's "Get Real - Happy House mix", New Order's "Round & Round (Kevin Saunderson remix)", Cabaret Voltaire's "Hypnotized", John Rocca's "Move" or even Depeche Mode's "Strangelove (Hijack mix by Tim Simenon)", among others). Phat beats, nasty acid lines over white soulful newwave singers, hypnotic voice cut-ups and effects, moody futuristic synth pads, longer rave-friendly versions : a new form of (synth) pop was born here, marrying proper song structures with the raveolutionnary "air du temps" and perfectly illustrating rave's "unity" aesthetics by musically marrying two scenes. Well, among all these beauties, the "Club Vocal Mix" of "Always" by Midi Rain (another John Rocca project) is perhaps the most outstanding and daring, with mad echoes all around, soulful angelic voice, drugged-up blurry sometimes almost cartoonesque production sounding like an E'd up manga full of panache, and a dramatic progressive construction that give the dancer this energy rush and love thrill which only great rave moments provide. This song mixes craziness, euphoria, feelings of hope and a certain melancholy, and in my opinion is a perfect testimony to that period's state of mind. In my book, a masterpiece.” Review by restless