The Shamen
The Shamen helped define pop in the early 90s. Their strobe light, cheeky, cockney pop – pushed the boundaries of commercial pop into the uncomfortable territory of drug fuelled rave. I remember listening to a rockumentary on Radio 1, where the band members insisted that Ebeneezer Good was not a celebration of E-culture.
SNAP!
SNAP! Battery gun pop. More interesting antecedent of the breeze block 2 Unlimited. Rhythm is a Dancer was the summer number 1 hit and anthem for 1992.
Stereo MCs
People say that Stone Roses somehow invented dance music or something. They certainly had rhythm. But it was the Stereo MCs that made a clear crossover. They were funky, sexy, cool, indie and somehow spoke dance too. I remember my friend’s dad wondering how someone so underfed and gaunt could make it on to top of the pops. Times were a changing.
Rozalla
One hit wonder, but wow, what a banger, and anthem for the start to the new school term in 1991! Worked on commercial radio, Pete Tong most likely played it on his dance show and had that kind of rave vibe in the background too, so was an acceptable offering to the alt-crowd.
Bizarre Inc
A screaming track – equal to Rozalla’s in terms of its anthemic status – better in terms of its complexity – but no face to put to the track – ‘who were Bizarre Inc’? One of several rave pop collectives who liked to keep their identity in the background.
Saint Etienne
Best track they ever made. Bedrock for everything else they ever did. Inspired dub take on Neil Young’s track. Not a commercial success, but a massive indie hit. Vocals by Moira Lambert, not SC.
Vic Reeves and Wonderstuff
The rave scene was pretty upbeat. Vic Reeves and The Wonderstuff capped it all off – with this indie-comic crossover, which stole the Christmas number 1. Dizzy, surreal, fun, mental – it somewhow dovetailed perfectly with the rave scene. Just found out that it was a cover (35 years later!).