"Acid Tracks" is a 1987
acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...
song by
Phuture
Phuture is an American house music group from Chicago, founded in 1985 by Earl "Spanky" Smith Jr., Nathaniel Pierre Jones aka DJ Pierre, and Herbert "Herb J" Jackson. The group is renowned for inventing and defining the sound of acid house, a ...
produced by
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Julius Jefferson (born September 19, 1959) is an American musician, working in the house music subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.
Biography
Sometimes known as the father of house music, Jefferson was originally a record produce ...
and released by
Trax Records
Trax Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It played a major part in the development of house music.
History
Larry Sherman was originally a collector of vintage jukeboxes, and, frustrated with ...
. Phuture consisted of Nathan Pierre Jones, better known as
DJ Pierre
Nathaniel Pierre Jones, better known by his stage name DJ Pierre, is an American DJ and performer of house music based in Chicago.
Musical career Phuture
Jones has recorded Audio Clash, Darkman, Disco Fuhrer, DJ Pierre, DJ Pierre's Afro Acid P ...
,
Earl Smith Jr (known as "Spanky"), and Herbert Jackson. Jones had been interested in developing dance music and became superficially interested in
house music
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
after Spanky had taken him to see DJ
Ron Hardy
Ron Hardy (May 8, 1958 – March 2, 1992) was an American, Chicago, Illinois-based DJ and record producer of early house music. He is well known for playing records at the Muzic Box, a Chicago house music club. Decades after his death, he is re ...
perform in Chicago. The trio began developing tracks without finding anything that they felt was satisfying; Jones had heard a track made on the unpopular
Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line (also known as the 303) is a bass synthesizer released by Roland Corporation in 1981. Designed to simulate bass guitars, it was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1984. However, cheap second-hand units we ...
bass machine, which led the group to purchase one.
In 1985, the group developed a track initially known as "In Your Mind", which they gave to
Ron Hardy
Ron Hardy (May 8, 1958 – March 2, 1992) was an American, Chicago, Illinois-based DJ and record producer of early house music. He is well known for playing records at the Muzic Box, a Chicago house music club. Decades after his death, he is re ...
to listen to. Hardy agreed to play it at the Muzic Box. Although the audience were not at first receptive, the song became more popular over the course of the night. "Acid Tracks" was bootlegged as "Ron Hardy's Acid Track", leading to Phuture seeking out a way to release it on vinyl. The group connected with
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Julius Jefferson (born September 19, 1959) is an American musician, working in the house music subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.
Biography
Sometimes known as the father of house music, Jefferson was originally a record produce ...
, then working for
Trax Records
Trax Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It played a major part in the development of house music.
History
Larry Sherman was originally a collector of vintage jukeboxes, and, frustrated with ...
, who released the popular
house music
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
song "
Move Your Body". Jefferson assisted with the recording by slowing down the
beats per minute
Beat, beats, or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact
* Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact
* Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
and suggesting a vocal change on the B-side "Your Only Friend".
Following its release in 1987, its popularity expanded outside Chicago and it became a foundational
acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...
track in the United Kingdom.
Development
Background

Nathan Pierre Jones, better known as
DJ Pierre
Nathaniel Pierre Jones, better known by his stage name DJ Pierre, is an American DJ and performer of house music based in Chicago.
Musical career Phuture
Jones has recorded Audio Clash, Darkman, Disco Fuhrer, DJ Pierre, DJ Pierre's Afro Acid P ...
, grew up in a musical family in Chicago suburb of
University Park. He played drums and clarinet in school bands before getting into DJing and scratch mixing. Pierre became interested in music through listening to the
Hot Mix 5
The Hot Mix 5 are an American DJ team originating from Chicago, Illinois, who were chosen by WBMX Program Director, Lee Michaels in 1981. The founding members were Farley "Funkin" Keith (later known as Farley "Jackmaster" Funk), Mickey "Mixin" ...
radio show, in particular the episodes hosted by
Farley "Jackmaster" Funk
Farley "Jackmaster" Funk (born Farley Keith Williams; January 25, 1962) is an American musician, DJ and record producer of Chicago house and acid house music. He is notable for writing and producing a number of highly influential tracks in the ...
. Jones was predominantly making break-dancing music, but changed styles after Spanky took him to a club called the Muzic Box, where DJ
Ron Hardy
Ron Hardy (May 8, 1958 – March 2, 1992) was an American, Chicago, Illinois-based DJ and record producer of early house music. He is well known for playing records at the Muzic Box, a Chicago house music club. Decades after his death, he is re ...
performed. Jones described it as being "baptized into real house music by going there, I'd never seen anyone yell for a DJ before Ron Hardy. I mean, they were screaming his name. People were so passionate that they would start crying."
As Phuture, Jones, Earl Smith Jr. (known as "Spanky"), and Herbert Jackson began to experiment, but were not satisfied with any of the basslines they developed. Jones heard a friend's track; inspired by his bassline he created, he discovered that it had been developed using a
Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line (also known as the 303) is a bass synthesizer released by Roland Corporation in 1981. Designed to simulate bass guitars, it was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1984. However, cheap second-hand units we ...
, a bass synth designed to provide an automatic bass accompaniment for solo guitarists. Jones recalled that Spanky had found the TB-303 at a second-hand shop for about $40, while Spanky recollected that he his initial search for the machine had no result until he found it second-hand for $200, which he "
pent hislast dime on". Following the purchase of the equipment, the group began experimenting on their first tracks.
Production
Herb and Spanky worked on the track from late 1985, using the 303 to create a "bleeping" noise which then led to Jones to start "turning the knobs up and tweaking it just like
erb and Spankywere". Spanky recollected that the group was pressing a button that was supposed to sound like a live bass guitar, but the imitation was poor and afterwards "began pushing buttons
edidn't understand". Encouraged by his bandmates, Jones kept experimenting with the sound. When experimenting with the machine, Jones recalled that he "wanted to make something that sounded like things I'd hear in the Music Box, or I heard Farley play on the radio" and that "when we made 'Acid Tracks', that was an accident. It was just ignorance, basically. Not knowing how to work the damn 303."
The group sought a sound which Chicago DJs in might use as an opening track. They took a cassette tape of the recording to the Muzic Box for
Ron Hardy
Ron Hardy (May 8, 1958 – March 2, 1992) was an American, Chicago, Illinois-based DJ and record producer of early house music. He is well known for playing records at the Muzic Box, a Chicago house music club. Decades after his death, he is re ...
to play. They waited outside the club for two hours before giving it to him, believing that "he was the man. If he said he loved something, that was it. But if Ron Hardy had said he didn't like it, that would have been the end of acid." According to Jones, Hardy listened to the entire 30 minutes without saying anything. Jones recalled that they "were worried, because he didn't give us any indication that he liked it... and so we were just quiet. When it faded out he looked over at us and said, 'When can I get a copy?'"
Jones recalled that when "Acid Tracks" was first played by Hardy, everyone left the dance floor, leaving them to think he would never play the song again. He later played the song a number of times that night, getting a better reception each time; by the fourth performance around 4am, the crowd were "ecstatic". Jones recalled that "People were dancing upside down. This guy was on his back, kicking his legs in the air. It was like, 'wow!'" When originally conceived, the track was titled "In Your Mind". The track became a regular feature in Hardy's DJ sets, with fans resorting to bootlegging it on
microcassette
The Microcassette (often written generically as microcassette) is an audio storage medium, introduced by Olympus in 1969.
It has the same width of magnetic tape as the Compact Cassette but in a cassette roughly one quarter the size. By using ...
recorders. These fans began calling the track "Ron Hardy's Acid Track", leading to the track's title change. On the new title, Jones recollected that he was "very innocent" and was unfamiliar with the drug
lysergic acid diethylamide
Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a Semisynthesis, semisynthetic, Hallucinogen, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and ...
, colloquially known as "acid", recalling that "sometimes things will go right over my head. I was like, acid makes a gritty sound. Like you know, you have battery acid, you'd always see the sign 'acid' and then they show somebody pouring something out of a tube onto metal and be melting it. And I thought, okay, this thing is gritty. It's like acidic! It's a tough sound! So that's what I thought." The relationship between the song and drug culture led to the group developing the track "Your Only Friend", a song with anti-drug lyrics, which Jones recalled "didn't even get across like that, people literally, in Chicago, would go get their drugs when that song came on. And I was thinking, Oh crap, you guys, I'm trying to tell you something."
Re-recording and release
Unsure how to promote the track, Phuture approached
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Julius Jefferson (born September 19, 1959) is an American musician, working in the house music subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.
Biography
Sometimes known as the father of house music, Jefferson was originally a record produce ...
, a house music producer already known for the tracks such as "
Move Your Body". Jefferson was performing "Move Your Body" at the Power House in Chicago. Pierre recalled that he wrote a note stating "My name is DJ Pierre. I'm in a group called Phuture, and we did a track called "Acid Tracks", and Ron Hardy has been playing this track off a reel. Could you help us make a record?" The group was in front of a stage where Marshall was performing "Move Your Body", trying to pass him the note. House producer Curtis McClain eventually took the note and passed it on to Jefferson.
Jefferson had recently taken over A&R at
Trax Records
Trax Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It played a major part in the development of house music.
History
Larry Sherman was originally a collector of vintage jukeboxes, and, frustrated with ...
following
Vince Lawrence
Vince Lawrence (born January 6, 1964, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American dance music record producer, businessman and is one of the leading innovators of the genre of music called house music. Industry insiders recognize Lawrence as ...
's departure, and agreed to mix the track, suggesting them to slow it from the original c. 130 beats per minute to about 120 bpm. Although the group initially resisted, Jefferson reassured then that if a DJ wanted to play it faster, they could speed up the record. Jones slowed it to 120 bpm and later claimed that Jefferson's contributions were limited to "setting levels and stuff. But as far as producing, he didn't add any new sounds to it or anything like that". Marshall also suggested changes to the track "Your Only Friend", having Spanky do the vocals instead of Jones, and added a harmonizer to make his voice deeper. Jefferson stated about the recording that he "sat in the studio and watched them", and that Larry Sherman of Trax did not want to put the record out unless Jefferson produced it. "Acid Tracks" was released in 1987.
The band were each paid $1500 from Trax, but were unaware of the track's popularity outside the Chicago area. Looking back, Jones says that the deal "kick-started our careers, so I never look back and complain. I state the fact that Trax is the most crooked label on the planet. But good came of it. Phuture was born, and DJ Pierre was here to stay." "Acid Tracks" was followed up with the single "We Are Phuture" in 1988.
Reception and legacy
"Acid Tracks" became a pioneering song for the
acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just " acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synt ...
movement, especially in the United Kingdom and the acid style became known for the distinctive sound created on the
Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line (also known as the 303) is a bass synthesizer released by Roland Corporation in 1981. Designed to simulate bass guitars, it was a commercial failure and was discontinued in 1984. However, cheap second-hand units we ...
Bass Synthesizer. Following the release of "Acid Tracks", countless similar tracks were released.
The tune became popular in British clubs such as London's
Shoom
Shoom was a weekly all-nighter dance music event in London, England, between September 1987 and early 1990. It is widely credited with initiating the acid house movement in the UK. Shoom was founded by Danny Rampling, then an unknown Disc jockey ...
and
The Haçienda
The Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which became famous during the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was run by the record label Factory Records.
The club opened in 1982, eventually fosteri ...
in Manchester. By 1988, the British music press were describing the emerging
rave scene
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
as driven by acid house music. Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, authors of ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life'', wrote that this scene had many listeners "ignorant of any distinctions", leading to acid house becoming a shorthand for any
house music
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
and
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
becoming a blanket term in Britain for new
electronic dance music
Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and List of electronic dance music festivals, festivals. It is generally ...
. Matt Black, British DJ of
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...
, described tracks such as "Acid Tracks" and
Derrick May's "Nude Photo" having "a phenomenal impact" and that "even straight away you realised that here was a new form of energy that has materialised". British DJ Dave Dorrell recalled that "Acid Tracks" and Armando's "Frequency" and "Land of Confusion" were the first acid house records he got his hands on, stating that "acid house was so far out there that it was beyond anything. There were no direction signs."
Later reception included author Micah Salkind saying that "Acid Tracks" became "
e of Trax Records's most iconic releases", while John Bush of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the song a four-and-a-half star rating out of five, describing it as an "incredibly raw cut ... Still, the superb acid squelch, ripe for the picking by DJs across the world, continued to impress long after the first hundred or so 'covers' and answer records flooded the dance racks." Critic Garry Mulholland noted that other tracks featured an acid house sound prior to the official release of "Acid Tracks", but still included "Acid Tracks" in his book ''The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco'', describing it as "the longest, the deepest, the headfuckingest. It fascinated anyone who wanted more than hard disco, and of course, it gave a name to the biggest pop-culture revolution in this book."
Accolades
In 1999, ''
Muzik
''Muzik'' was a British dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.
''Muzik'' was created by two former ''Melody Maker'' journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of ''Muzik'' from its launch until he ...
'' magazine included the release on their list of the most influential records of all time. In 2015, ''
LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...
'' ranked "Acid Tracks" number 16 in their list of "The 20 Best Dance Music Tracks in History". In 2022, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' ranked it number 118 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". In 2025, ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine ranked it number 87 in their "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" list.
Track listing
* 12" single (TX142)
# "Acid Tracks" – 12:16
# "Phuture Jacks" – 7:48
# "Your Only Friend" – 4:48
Credits
Credits adapted from the singles label sticker.
*
Marshall Jefferson
Marshall Julius Jefferson (born September 19, 1959) is an American musician, working in the house music subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.
Biography
Sometimes known as the father of house music, Jefferson was originally a record produce ...
producer, mixing
*
DJ Pierre
Nathaniel Pierre Jones, better known by his stage name DJ Pierre, is an American DJ and performer of house music based in Chicago.
Musical career Phuture
Jones has recorded Audio Clash, Darkman, Disco Fuhrer, DJ Pierre, DJ Pierre's Afro Acid P ...
writer
* Spanky writer (on "Acid Tracks" and "Phuture Jacks")
* Herbert J writer (on "Acid Tracks" and "Phuture Jacks")
References
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1987 songs
1987 debut singles
Phuture songs
Trax Records singles
Song recordings produced by Marshall Jefferson