The year is 1985. The game-Innovation. The players- DJ Pierre, Spanky and Herb J. The story goes Pierre got wind of the uniquely interesting sound coming out of the small silver box infamously referred to as the Roland TB–303 at a friend’s house.
The story goes on to say Spanky rushed to purchase the 303 at a used equipment store, after Pierre’s urging. At the time it was defunct and no longer produced by Roland because it did not accomplish what it set out to do. It was originally designed to emulate a Bass Guitar and apparently that did not catch on to the general public.
So back to the moment when our players got a hold of the little silver box with 303 tagged on it. Their creative out-of-the-box mindset saw more to this machine. They saw DIFFERENT and they saw BIG potential. They didn’t see a defunct machine. They made contact and the squelchy sound that to a normal “lay” ear would sound like-nothing, sounded like sweet music to them. They were elated because they knew they found “IT”. Spanky started on drum beats, Pierre got on twisting the knobs…Herb J joined the jam session which lasted hours.
The end result was the very first Track that had elements of what we call Acid House. Acid Track is also tied to legendary DJ Ron Hardy and Marshall Jefferson who helped the group get it to where it is was when we first heard it on record. Ron Hardy was the first dj to play the track and caused an acid madness to sweep across Chicago and ultimately the world.
Acid House took over the UK and the Rave culture was born as a direct result. The Summer of Love in London primarily was a direct result of the first Acid Track and the innovative thinking of the members of PHUTURE.
DJ Pierre, the group’s creative director, began to produce other material and came to be known as the innovator of another sound-Wildpitch. Spanky as dj Spank Spank created notable tracks as well outside of PHUTURE.
At the time, the guys had no idea they would be the fathers of a scene that would last over 30 years, so the thought of leaving solo careers to remain as PHUTURE was not a priority.
With age comes wisdom. They looked around and Acid House is a genre that has it’s rightful place amongst electronic music in mainstream Hip Hop, Pop and what the industry refers to as EDM. You hear the impact in all of these genres.
And so the players are naturally back in the game because they are intimately connected to this thing called Acid House. It has a new energy now and it’s only right that the fathers, the original players return to help baptize the new generation.
Original members dj Pierre and Spanky with new member Rio The musician are gearing up to release their first album in over 20+ years with a tour to boot.