“The Summer Of Rave 1989”
Documentary by the BBC on the development of rave culture in the United Kingdom during the summer of 1989.
“The Chemical Generation – Acid House documentary”
2001 Channel 4 documentary, presented by Boy George, looking at the history and legacy of the UK acid house, rave and clubbing culture since the 1980s.
The program goes into detail on the way UK society and attitudes changed after the dawn of acid house culture and, perhaps, more importantly the introduction of chemical of choice, ecstasy to the party diet of the young people of Britain.
Sub Berlin -“The Story of Tresor”
The original Tresor was in many ways the quintessential Berlin club: located in an unrenovated vault beneath a bombed out department store, it opened its doors amidst the general confusion and ecstasy that swept across the city when the wall fell.
SubBerlin traces the club’s history from its beginning in the early ’90s to the closure of its original location in 2005. It includes interviews with many of the artists that played at the venue, from Atkins to Sven Vath, as well as the people that made the club happen
“High Tech Soul – The Creation of Techno Music”
The first documentary to tackle the deep roots of techno music alongside the cultural history of Detroit, its birthplace. From the race riots of 1967 to the underground party scene of the late 1980s, Detroit’s economic downturn didn’t stop the invention of a new kind of music that brought international attention to its producers and their hometown. Featuring in-depth interviews with many of the world’s best exponents of the artform, High Tech Soul focuses on the creators of the genre – Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson while looking at the relationships and personal struggles behind the music. Artists like Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Eddie Fowlkes and a host of others explain why techno, with its abrasive tones and resonating basslines, could not have come from anywhere but Detroit.
“Pump Up the Volume” The History of House Music
A British TV series from 2001 that focuses on the inception and development of house music. While the film was rarely seen in the states during that time, a flood of Youtube uploads and a grass-roots movement have pulled the series back into public consciousness. The reason for the excitement around this series is the in-depth look at what was happening during the 1970s and 80s in New York, Chicago, and England. Interviews with legends such as Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, and Marshall Jefferson are inter-cut with bits from dancers and enthusiasts who were present at the dawn this movement. If you’re a fan of modern day house music, this documentary is a must watch for education.
“Don’t Forget to Go Home”
Don’t Forget to Go Home is a 2006 documentary film about the electronic dance music scene in Berlin. foloowing Germans who found it perfectly normal to stay up for 72 hours on weekends, Spending time at clubs like Berghain (often referred to as Ostgut), Watergate, Bar 25… and then go back to work on Monday like nothing happened. Filmed in 2006, this documentary explores the effect of the techno lifestyle on one’s whole life – identity, relationships, emotions, career – and shows the highs and lows of the commitment to clubbing. Mixing up Berlin locals, it also manages to showcase a softer side of Luciano, Villalobos, Nick Höppner, Ewan Pearson, and more.
“E is for Ecstasy”
Once upon a time, ecstasy was actually made of pure MDMA, as you can tell from this film which – despite feeling like a PSA/Just Say No ad campaign from the way it’s shot – extols the psychological and cultural virtues of the pill. That’s nice and everything, but the real fun of watching this is seeing the clothes, hairstyles, attitudes and dances of the early ’90s. It seems so earnest in these sordid times.
RICHIE HAWTIN – Pioneers of Electronic Music
The film draws from the important stages and events in Richie Hawtin’s personal and artistic life, revealing the journey of an introverted and transplanted computerminded teen that develops by way of Detroit’s radio and records fueled by pure driven passion into a successful techno-entrepreneur and global DJ entertainer.
“Synthesizer Documentary ~ Moog”
The story of Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synth. It’s amazing to think just how far-reaching the effects of his work have been: would your favourite electronic genres sound the same if it hadn’t been for the Moog? The film also includes many good interviews with people like sometime-Nine Inch Nail Charlie Clouser, Keith Emerson, Luke Vibert, DJ Spooky and Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike.
“Carl Cox: Space is the place”
Channel 4, follows Cox across the 2016 season in Ibiza, from the Music Is Revolution opening in June through to the closing in September. It offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on a momentous slice of clubbing history, as well as an honest and insightful window into Cox’s life inside, and away from, the DJ booth. This is the story of a clubbing icon coming to terms with the next phase of his career, and of a clubbing island facing up to an uncertain future.
