About this item

File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music. The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.

On Volumes Two and Three of the series - the first installment hit stores in 2017 - the Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse label founder takes us back to the turn of the '90s, a time he spent promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factories in and around Geneva and behind the counter of a record shop of the same name. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards US house and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a bass, breaks and techno-focused sound inspired by regular trips to clubs, raves and record shops in the UK.

Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of snapshots of euphoric dancefloor moments, Mental Groove Classics volumes Two and Three sees Olivier reaching for cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant tracks that have left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, historical archive and personal musical statement all rolled into one, inspired by a moment in time where musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and freedom inspired new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.



Matt Anniss

Original artwork by Soho's Brain Club co-owner and artist of early British club culture Mark Wigan.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Nice artefact documenting the cross-pollination between UK ruffage and the emergent Genevan rave scene. In doing so they've serendipitously uncovered some absolute gems that have been criminally neglected by the plethora of UK-centric rave compilations.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Ben J'ammin M - Evolvic
A2. Uncle 22 - Pain
B1. Point Zero - Coastal
B2. Escape - Escape (The Optical Mix)
C1. Ike - Euphoria
C2. Minimal Man - Outside The Window (Track 1232)
D1. Mad Musician - Jazz Out
D2. Sävel - Sunflower