I remember listening to DJ Boonie and Cascada back in the day, making scoobies with my next door neighbour and imagining the day I turned 18 - the day I could wriggle my way into clubs and see my favourite DJs in action. Thankfully, something changed when I heard the likes of Graeme Park and The Prodigy; when I discovered that the legendary '80s club, Shellys, was my local haunt back in Stoke On Trent; and when my dad showed me his Black Box records. These events all hold a special place in my heart, because they're what inspired my love of electronic music - here are the top 10 tracks that went on to cement it.
Faithless / 'Insomnia'
At the end of August, I'll be able to tick another thing of my all time bucket list, as Faithless will grace the stage at Ibiza Rocks. There's no tune that makes me want to rave more than 'Insomnia' - it featured in every dream I had about clubbing; it was the soundtrack to my Ibiza daydreams; it was the ringtone on my Blackberry. Soon after, I ventured into the deepest realms of Faithless - their discography burnt its way on to every one of my computers and I downloaded every album downloaded on LimeWire.
The Prodigy / 'Everybody In The Place'
Not long ago I was enlightened with the news that The Prodigy's 'Fire Starter' was the song at number one when I was born in 1996, which I find pleasing. However, it's the stand out song 'Everybody In The Place', from the album 'The Prodigy Experience', that really speaks to me. Why? I've always been a dedicated vinyl collector, but comments were being made that I listened to too much rock - too much Zeppelin - so it was time to expand my mind with some of The Prodigy's finest. This track was the gateway to my everlasting love for the group - I travelled all the way to Scotland to see them live a few years ago, and of course, it met all of my expectations.
Jem Atkins / 'Pushin' On (Darius Syrossian Edit)'
'Pushin' on' has seen tons of edits in its time, but I firmly believe that Syrossian's version is the grooviest, and it would take a lot to convince me otherwise. This track was one of my first introductions to house music - it birthed my love for vocal house and gospel samples soulful enough to drag me to the dance floor with immense force when it was played. This also sparked my love for Darius Syrossian, a DJ I've seen countless amounts of times and still look forward to seeing. Add it to your Spotify playlist and see for yourself.
Public Domain / 'Operation Blade'
I remember watching Blade Runner when I was about 12. I was too scared to watch the entire thing, but the one thing that was engraved in my brain (except the blood drinking scene) was 'Operation Blade'. Its pounding bassline returned later in my life when I just turned old enough to go clubbing - I was bouncing about at The Sugarmill in Stoke to the likes of Kasabian and Oasis, when the DJ decided to heat things up a little by playing Public Domain. I remember rapidly tapping nearby clubbers on the shoulder to find out what the track ID was. A special moment in my life, even if blood sucking scenes were intruding my mind at the time.
Black Box / 'Ride On Time'
It's probably no surprise to anyone that this track is on my list. Black Box really set the bar for piano house when this record was released. For as long as I can remember, I would YouTube videos of the Haçienda in the '90s, and search for footage of illegal parties in warehouses. 'Ride On Time' is the epitome of the late '80s/'90s house scene and is on every Haçienda DJ's USB.
Moby / 'Honey'
My love for Moby is so exceptionally overwhelming it gets a bit too much when any of his tracks are played in any situation I'm in. I confidently state: Moby is the best producer of all time. Every one of his tracks bring back some sort of memory from the 20 years of life. 'Honey' has seen me speed walk to work; it's given me confidence while on the way to a first date; it's seen me air piano on the table during pre-drinks, and spin around in my wellies at Glastonbury. This track introduced me to a different kind of electronic music - a kind that doesn't involve vigorously fist pumping, but the kind I'll pass on to my children... Still, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Aphex Twin / 'Digeridoo'
This track was featured on a compilation album my dad had in the car. I remember the green horse logo that I later learnt belonged to R&S Records and In Order To Dance was written on my bedroom wall in biro for a while after - 'Digeridoo' was one of my first introductions to techno and a faster BPM, and has always been a must on my playlist before I head out to a free party since. Since my discovery of Aphex Twin my path joined with the likes of Tessela and Floorplan - as you can see, at this stage I was beginning to spread my wings in the many-genred world of dance music.
Disclosure / 'White Noise'
Now, I know what you're probably thinking - Disclosure seem a wee bit modern, a bit commercial to be as significant as to 'get me into' electronic music. I'm a firm believer that Disclosure were a twosome that really helped dance music push into the limelight of popular music. Disclosure made house music cool again - they got people back out raving and the dance tents at festivals busier. Of course, it's bold to say they were the sole reason, but I remember 'White Noise'´ being released and it taking the radio by storm. Suddenly, my local club was playing music worth dancing to, and Disclosure soared in popularity, so much so they're playing DC-10's Circoloco this week...
A Guy Called Gerald / 'Voodoo Ray'
Boxing Day 2014 - The Warehouse Project, Manchester. It's Haçienda night and a sea of bucket hats have overtaken the abandoned warehouse, commonly known for holding a string of WHP parties each year. My time had come to see A Guy Called Gerald live and my dreams came true that night as he played 'Voodoo Ray'. Again, another obvious choice but this track means something to everyone. To me, 'Voodoo Ray' takes me back to my rebellious days - the sneaking out to go to house parties or whizzing around in cars at my local car park. All good times I'll never forget, or repeat.
Calvin Harris / 'Acceptable in the 80s'
What an album, 'I Created Disco', was. I picked it up for £1 at Poundland (obviously) because I loved the artwork, and since then I've never been able to throw it away. To be clear, my love for Calvin Harris tends to stay within his 2007-2009 era - the time when I was venturing out with music and looking up festivals on the interweb. 'Acceptable in the 80s' is a classic - a fusion of funk and pop that sparked Calvin Harris's career. Catching him live at V Festival 2013 was a special moment for my neon-paint covered self. Those were the days.
WORDS | Ruby Munslow