Sounds of infinity: <br>AlfredoとAmnesia

By MusicForecast

Sounds of infinity:
Alfredo and Amnesia

The origins of UK acid house

In the 1980s, Ibiza, Spain, was more than just a resort town. There was a story of a DJ and a club there that would later revolutionize the dance music scene.

The DJ was Alfredo Fiorito and the club was Amnesia : the intersection of these two entities gave birth to the British acid house movement, and ignited the UK rave revolution.

Here we explore Alfredo & Amnesia's influence on UK acid house and how they changed the course of dance music history .

Amnesia: Ibiza's legendary club

Ibiza's club culture had been developing gradually since the 1970s, with Amnesia being one of its most iconic venues.

Originally a converted 18th century farmhouse, the nightclub opened in 1976 and featured an open-air dance floor and an exotic atmosphere .

Main features of Amnesia

  • An open-air floor (a unique atmosphere created by the morning sun shining in after dawn)
  • High degree of musical freedom (mixing a variety of sounds without being bound by existing genres)
  • An international audience (tourists from all over the world visit Ibiza)

This club would later become the starting point of UK acid house when a certain DJ became a resident DJ in 1983.

Alfredo Fiorito: Founder of the Balearic Beat

Alfredo Fiorito is an Argentinean DJ who moved to Ibiza in the early 1980s and became a resident DJ at Amnesia .

His playing style was completely different from previous DJs. His weapon was "free selection of music that completely removed the boundaries of genres."

Features of Alfredo's playlist

  • Chicago house meets disco (influenced by Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy)
  • Mix of new wave and pop (Talk Talk, The Cure, New Order)
  • Incorporating African rhythms and Latin elements

This free-spirited style would later come to be known as "Balearic Beat."

Defining the Balearic Beat

  • An eclectic DJ style from Ibiza
  • A mix of various genres including house, rock, pop, Latin, and new wave
  • Emphasis on emotional flow and maximizing energy on the floor

This musical experience was what would later spark the UK acid house revolution .

1987: UK DJs experience Ibiza

In 1987, a group of young UK DJs including Danny Rampling, Paul Oakenfold, Nicky Holloway and Johnny Walker travelled to Ibiza to see Alfredo play at Amnesia .

The shock they received

  • Overwhelming freedom in song selection (no genre restrictions)
  • The high of combining music and MDMA (ecstasy)
  • A liberating club experience where you can dance until dawn

They decided to bring this experience back to the UK and launch the acid house movement in London.

Influenced DJs and clubs

  • Danny Rampling → Shoom (Birthplace of UK acid house)
  • Paul Oakenfold → Spectrum (a cornerstone of UK rave culture)
  • Nicky Holloway → The Trip (New Generation UK Club)

Alfredo's style became the catalyst for a revolution in the UK club scene.

The impact of Amnesia & Alfredo

1. The birth of UK acid house

  • Alfredo's song selection is directly linked to the style of London's Shoom and Spectrum
  • Laying the foundations for acid house's "genre-less DJ play"

2. The development of rave culture

  • Ibiza's "dancing until dawn" style has evolved into UK rave festival culture
  • Since 1988, outdoor raves such as Energy, Sunrise, and The Hacienda have proliferated.

3. Globalization of festivals

  • The influence of Balearic beats leads to the festival boom of the 90s
  • Glastonbury, Creamfields, Love Parade and others continue this trend.

summary

  • Alfredo & Amnesia are at the origins of UK acid house
  • The birth of Balearic beats transformed DJ culture into a genre-less genre
  • UK DJs' experiences in Ibiza gave birth to Shoom and Spectrum, sparking a UK rave revolution

The "musical freedom" that Alfredo created at Amnesia still lives on in club music around the world today.

References

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    In the 1980s, Ibiza, Spain, was not just a resort. There was a story of a DJ and a club that would revolutionize the dance music scene. The DJ was Alfredo Fiorito, and the club was Amnesia. The intersection of these two entities gave birth to the British acid house movement and the seeds of the UK rave revolution were born.

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