Genesis'88 was a party promotion crew who threw some of the first acid house parties also known as raves in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 1992. It was founded during 1988 during the UK's discovery of

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...

. They were an organisation that staged acid house parties in empty industrial warehouses in London and within the

M25 motorway The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...

area. "Over the course of 1989, promoters such as World Dance, Genesis, Helter Skelter and Energy succeeded in setting acid house nights free of the urban core's constructions, staging ever more elaborate Orbital parties in borrowed and rented fields, the odd warehouse, or some other similarly vacant structure". At that point in time acid house parties were deemed illegal by authorities because most promoters of the period gained entrance into buildings by breaking and entering.

Overview and history

Fuelled by the drug MDMA (Ecstasy), nightclub goers in London were desperate for events that catered to their needs and went on until the early hours of the morning. Genesis’88 found empty warehouses in London and transformed them into

state-of-the-art The state of the art (sometimes cutting edge or leading edge) refers to the highest level of general development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field achieved at a particular time. However, in some contexts it can also refer to a level ...

dance arenas that consisted of professional lighting rigs, sound systems and colourful decorations. Unbeknownst to the buildings' owners the Genesis promoters would wear their best business suits and convince police riot squads that the warehouses were acquired through legitimate channels. Matthew Collin writes in ''Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House'': "From their first party in October 1988 onwards, Genesis developed a prodigious reputation for cracking open huge warehouses and holding illegal raves, week after week, from Aldgate to Hackney, Tottenham to Walthamstow". To give themselves more credit they would assume official titles such as

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

’s

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project manager A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers have the responsibility of the planning, procurement and execution of a project, in any undertaking that has a defined scope, defined start and a defined f ...

for a major record company. Genesis enjoyed a succession of events that saw attendances rise from 300 to 15,000 people. Victims of their own success, Genesis were targeted by the UK government and the criminal underworld attracted by media articles of huge profits (£500,000) being made by such promoters. The Genesis organisers were kidnapped and threatened with death if they didn’t comply with the gangsters. They demanded 25% of all profits in return for 24-hour protection. This plight was shared by other promoters who had also encountered the same terror tactics.Collin, M. ' ''Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House''. p. 142. This, coupled with the government's label of "Public Enemy No.1", brought about the end of illegal acid house parties. Genesis continued arranging parties until 1992 before deciding to quit staging these events. One of the promoters Wayne Anthony, penned a book called ''Class of 88 - The True Acid House Experience'' ().

Genesis events

1988

1989

1990

1992

References

External links

Wayne Anthony's Acid House '88 Email List
{{Electronic music festival Acid house Rave Rave culture in the United Kingdom Electronic music festivals in the United Kingdom Electronic music event management companies