Blissblog: Talking of Wagon Christ, whole lotta love towards Luke Vibert's YosepH being shown out there. Haven't yet fully succumbed to its undoubted charms--sounds a bit disintegrated, and the acid element makes me yaaaaaawn.

Well I guess it's all down to personal taste. The slightest hint of 303 sends me into raptures, especially when it's as pure and old skool as this. But what exactly is Acid? Last month's Mixmag gave away a free CD called "Acid House Reborn", mixed by John Carter. I enjoyed it, but most of the tracks I wouldn't class as Acid House. I always understood it to be music dominated by the squelchy noises generated by the Roland TB-303 Bassline, and a quick look in the Bible (aka Reynold's "Energy Flash") confirms this definition - see page 24. Only a small percentage of the choons on Carter's mix actually featured 303. So what is the definition of Acid House these days? What makes Underworld's "Cowgirl" or LFO's "Freak" Acid House? Is it something in the groove? A certain lysergic quality? Come to think of it, there's quite a few old skool choons that are classed as Acid which don't feature the 303. Check last years' Double CD compilation "We Call It ACIEEED! - 36 of the maddest Acid Tracks ever". D-Mob's infamous call to arms, which kicks off proceedings (as well as giving this comp. it's title) has no 303. Neither does "House Nation", "No Way Back" or "Pacific State". And I can't see how anyone could class "Pump Up The Volume" or "Good Life" as Acid. Maybe it's just a shit, misinformed compilation. I couldn't resist it though. Acid or not, it's a delicious nostalgia trip. There are some examples of true Acid like Gerald's "Rockin' Ricki", and of course the one that started it all "Acid Tracks". But overall I'd say this should be best described as a diverse selection of late '80's House-based music, rather than Acid-specific. But what the fuck do I know?

Plus I've also developed this weird associational thing about Vibert's music being kinda gamey. Partly the resinous beard thing but also comes from something I once read in a Vibert interview that i've not been able to get out of my head since--how when he's working hard on his music he holes up and lives on nothing but really black coffee and really strong foods like olives and pungent French cheeses (and presumably vast quantities of weed) but "after a three days of this it really does your guts in".

Hahaha! I remember that interview too. That was back in the days when it was also essential for any self-respecting Cornish technocrat to claim that they only slept for 2 hours a week. Vibert's a family man these days, so we can assume that his missus keeps an eye on his diet and ensures he gets to bed by 10.30 every night. I'm sure he smells as fresh as a daisy now!