Raving Mad (Elevate, 1992)

Review
Raving Mad was released in July 1992, the first album on the Elevate label, a subsidiary of Passion Music that also brought us Future House and Totally Tranced. Obselete contact information: Skratch Music House, 81 Crabtree Lane, Fulham, London SW6 6LW. In a shrewd move, the vinyl version was spread over two LPs of four tracks per side.

There are some parallels with Telstar’s Rave Alert namely Smart Es’ Sesame’s Treet, Urban Hype’s A Trip To Trumpton, Messiah’s Temple Of Dreams and Acen’s Trip II To The Moon albeit different versions apply in the last instance. Open: swing to the old skool sound of The Ratpack – Evenson Allen (MC) and Lipmaster Mark (DJ) – Searching For My Rizla. The DNA flavour sends chills up the spine. As do Rhythm Quest on the piano pounder Closer To All Your Dreams, a foggy sound from Lorcan’s Mazda 323. Also tinkling the ivories was Nino’s The Gun, a pure breakbeat favourite from Blackmarket in Soho. Next comes a lost favourite, nature birdsong boys Progression with On A Rubbish Tip.

Papua New Guinea remains one of the definitive anthems of the era. The original mix samples the bassline from Meat Beat Manifesto’s proto-jungle track Radio Babylon, the tambourine from Bobby Byrd’s Hot Pants, vocals of Lisa Gerrard lifted from the Dead Can Dance song Dawn Of The Iconoclast and Shelter Me by Circuit. The bassline and piano lead are fantastic, the synth and harmonies appear at all the right moments. Sean Past Trip: “Sunrise at Beeston Castle, Cheshire 1992. With this immortal godly sound playing – A time of true trip and true hope – I beg for a TARDIS – We can all make this past time again. Let’s all stick together and make it happen. Sick of this bloody corrupt planet LUV YAH ALL FOREVER.” It is truly the sound of dreams, the sound of a better tomorrow.

There’s an exclusive mix of New Decade’s Get The Message here. It can’t be found anywhere else and is seriously frantic with a scattered hardcore finale. Banging on are the elusive N.A.M with the spiky Hot Chilli plus the carefully moulded No Other from Nightbreed. Elsewhere Humanoid revive Stakker Humanoid in Cobain ’94 guise. Pretending to see the future? A one-off from Little Jack, the questioning What’s E For Dad? Over to Acen for a second run at Trip To The Moon; which sounds like a form of alchemy now. You only live twice. Meanwhile Juan Atkins = Output and Reset is swirling and hard-edged. For the end of the night, Tequila Carter’s lonely solo rave Feel The Vibe.

Favourite tracks
Future Sound Of London – Papua New Guinea

New Decade – Get The Message (Remix)

Lest we forget
The Ratpack – Searching For My Rizla