Acid Science Tracks

Cologne (Köln) is in northwestern Germany close to the borders with the Netherlands and Belgium — and at the start of the 90s it created a techno sound as fearsome as the gabber and hardcore of those two nations. Laced with the most simple repetitions of Chicago acid house, the likes of Air Liquide and the Force Inc label poured out music that had no function other than to soundtrack maniacal sweat-pits, but though raw and basic has stood the test of time. Robert Babicz aka Rob Acid aka Acid Warrior aka Cologne was a key player in all this and this compilation of tracks from various EPs on the Labworks label epitomises the sound. The 303 acid riffs don’t so much gurgle and bubble like in classic acid house as shriek and roar, and the beats pound like a mallet to the head — but it’s utterly joyous. The tonality of these acid riffs would later be codified in much more dully predictable form in acid trance — but at this point, they were still free, wild and glorious.