THE NIGHT BAZAAR became the new weekly column and conduit for electronic music in The Sun newspaper’s award winning Something For The Weekend music section with this amazing playlist from Kirk Field, author of the fabulous book, Rave New World, on Friday 15th December 2023.
Every Friday, in print and online as we head into 2024, The Night Bazaar will generate and share new music in the pages of the UKs biggest tabloid and online for Sun Music, bringing insights from the artists producing it and the DJs playing it, across a variety of media. Read Mark Gwinnett’s announcement HERE.
To kick things off we invited Kirk Field, the author of the brilliant book Rave New World, to pick a playlist of the music he felt was instrumental in the early days of the rave scene.
Employed as a barman at the M25 Orbital raves, Kirk witnessed the moment acid house exploded. Inspired by media lies to start writing the truth about what he saw, Kirk became a “raving reporter” for clubbers’ bible MixMag. He covered all the historic parties from the inside and sent sweat-soaked dispatches from dance floors across Europe and beyond as the scene exploded. Kirk told us:
“Rave culture ignited a generation. Thirty years on it is now part of our national heritage. The tabloids were once in opposition to the rave scene, thankfully we are in a different era and the fact it’s now covered by The Sun shows how far we have come.”
Rave New World is by far the best account I have read documenting this incredible era of music and that time is such an important period in the cultural history of the UK. Kirk delivers his experience of it with a wonderful sense of rave humour, painting a vivid picture of his adventures using language that many rave scarred veterans from those times will be able to relate to, while avoiding patronising those that missed out or weren’t even born. The good thing about raving today that we can all relate to is that raving today is as good today as it was in the good old days. If you know which parties to pick.
I cut my teeth in the rave in the early 90s and by then the scene had moved to the super clubs of the era, but it was still relatively new, with the innocence still intact and the hangover from the summer of love still hanging in the air. I always wondered what it must have been like to be on the front line when it first happened and Rave New World transported me there.
Check out Kirk’s exclusive playlist for us featuring some of the iconic tunes from those halcyon days and read what he has to say about them below.
KIRK FIELD’S TOP TEN RAVE NEW WORLD TUNES
Frankie Knuckles – Your Love
“The ultimate goosebump-inducing intro and THE anthem of the summer of ’89.”
The KLF – What Time is Love? (Pure Trance)
“Modern trance started here. If excitement and anticipation were audible, this is what they would sound like.”
Joe Smooth – Promised Land
“Yearning, idealistic and hopeful. The national anthem of Utopia.”
Guru Josh – Infinity
“Heroic and triumphant fanfare to a rave new world and the best sax riff since Baker St.”
Moodwings – Spiritual High (State of Independence)
“If there’s a better back-to-mine blissed out tune than this, I haven’t heard it. Chrissy Hyde has never sounded so emotional.”
SL2 – On a Ragga Tip
“Evergreen fusion of reggae and early 90’s breakbeat which always raises hands and voices…singalonga Slipmatt!”
Bedrock feat KYO – For What You Dream Of (Renaissance Mix)
“John Digweed’s progressive masterpiece – like the man himself – never appears to age.”
Age of Love – The Age of Love
“Trance classic oozing with urgency, euphoria and release; “Move your body; your life’s a beat”
Future Sound of London – Papua New Guinea
“The soundtrack to the strangest dream you’ve ever had.”
Orbital – Chime
“The ultimate raver’s ring tone!”
