Anthology of American Acid House

Continuing the creative curatorial spirit of Harry Smith’s 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, this anthology presents the legacy of American acid house in three themed mixes curated and performed by CCC DJ Harry Bennett. Each mix contributes to the recognition of this musical subgenre, originating in late 1980s Chicago, as itself a rich strain of folk music.

“Acid Ballads” covers vocal acid tracks, which variously depict the trials of romantic love, feelings of erotic desire, communal ecstasy, and the phantasmorgia of urban nightlife. “Werk Songs” features the subgenre’s heaviest dance numbers, whose propulsive rhythms embody the jackhammer-style of “jackin” house. In “Slow Motion Acid,” signature acid tunes are spun in a chopped & screwed style which re-imagines classic Chicago house in the vein of the pitched-down rap music pioneered by DJ Screw in the 1990s.

The historical approach of the AAAH reflects the ambiguous etymology of the word “acid” in “acid house.” While the term initially referred to psychedelic sounds and the mind-altering substances traditionally consumed in nightclub environments, “acid” began to additionally invoke an “acid burn,” the act of stealing or sampling recordings endemic to dance music production. The anthology’s own acidic character can be found in its relation to history, which the anthology subjectively samples and re-presents in a psychedelic mix.

Anthology of American Acid House Vol. 1: Acid Ballads



Victor Romeo ft. Leatrice Brown “Love Will Find A Way (Club)” (Dance Mania – 1988)
The It “Donnie (Club Mix)” (D.J. International – 1986)
Jeanette Thomas “Shake Your Body (House Shaker)” (Chicago Connection – 1987)
Blake Baxter “When We Used To Play” (KMS – 1987)
Fast Eddie “Acid Thunder (Tyree’s SuperCooper Mix)” (D.J. International – 1988)
John Rocca “Move” (Criminal Records – 1985)
Blake Baxter “Get Layed” (KMS – 1987)
Tyree feat. Chic “I Fear The Night (Subterraranian Mix)” (Underground – 1986)
Adonis “We’re Rocking Down the House (Down Break)” (Trax Records – 1986)
The Party Boy “Twilight Zone (Bam Bam’s Corrosion Mix)” (Urban Acid – 1988)
Bam Bam “Spend The Night” (Westbrook Records – 1988)

Anthology of American Acid House Vol. 2: Werk Songs



LNR “Work It To The Bone” (House Jam – 1987)
Blake Baxter “Body Work” (KMS 1987)
Mike “Hitman” Wilson “Bango Acid” (Trax Records – 1988)
Endless Pokers “The Poke (The After Poke Mix)” (D.J. International – 1988)
Bobby Konders “Version” (Nu Groove 1992)
Phuture “Phuture Jacks” (Trax Records – 1987)
The Children “Freedom (Factory Mix)” (D.J. International – 1987)
Mr. Lee “Never Gonna Change” (Trax Records – 1988)
Pierre’s Pfantasy Club “Fantasy Girl (Club Mix)” (SRO 1987)
Phuture “Slam! (Vocal)” (Trax Records – 1988)

Anthology of American Acid House Vol. 3: Slow Motion Acid



Phuture “Your Only Friend” (Trax Records – 1987)
Adonis “No Way Back” (Trax Records – 1986)
Blake Baxter “When A Thought Becomes U” (Underground Resistance – 1991)
Fingers Inc. “Can You Feel It” (Serious Records – 1988)
Maurice “This is Acid (New Dance Craze)” (Trax – 1988)
Jamie Principle “Baby Wants To Ride” (ffrr – 1988)
Bam Bam “Where’s Your Child” (Westbrook – 1988)
Farley “Jackmaster” Funk & Ricky Dillard “It’s U” ( D.J. International – 1987)