Book Review Mike Mannix

When the pioneers of those 2 great American cities Chicago & Detroit, created a sound that crossed the Atlantic, the UK picked up the baton and became the greatest powerhouse of dance music culture and creativity ever seen at that time.

We are really lucky as a magazine with so many genuine readers on this page, who do know their shit as regards dance music history and culture, and, who actually lived through the whole dance music revolution, and to this day are still involved, still listening and are genuinely still in love with those original beats, whilst also including today’s genuine seekers that this post is primarily aimed at.

Over the years there have been so many stories of how the UK dance music scene started, which area or city boasted the first-ever experience of playing Chicago or Detroit records blah fucking done to death waffle. The fact is, it was dispersed across the UK in varying forms and places and didn’t just land here from an island.

Once the British youth had been exposed to those captivating beats, they took the inspiration and started crafting their own sounds. The UK today has created more variations of the original Chicago, Detroit sound than any other country, and that should be the real social narrative!

Without dividing the readers this incredible book focuses on the forgotten North (UK) and its northern soul inspired foundations, that eventually paved the way for what was to come, the dance music/acid house revolution gifted to us in part from Chicago and Detroit.

This brilliant well-researched book goes through the social narrative of the times, growing up in the bleak northern cities whilst carefully crafting the Thatcherite politics of the day across the normal working-class existence, out of which birthed a uniquely UK sound that certainly wasn’t expected, anticipated or forecast.

The deftly curated words of the author Matt Anniss act as a time capsule for anyone who witnessed this incredible movement, enabling them to relive those top life-changing moments they still love today, whilst also educating the curious seeker of how it all really came together. This book is a ‘must-have resource’ for any dance music enthusiast, on how the early UK sound developed, in an era that can only be described as the greatest music revolution in history.

Book Review Mike Mannix