During the same time that WICKED was hosting their Full Moon events another crew with likeminded ideals was formed by Malachy O'Brien, Martin O'Brien and Jason Walker. This crew started a nightclub party called Come-Unity at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco. They eventually formed an event called Gathering.
San Francisco at this time was also enjoying the same Summer of Love feeling that had swept through Europe. In the 1960s people were taking acid and sharing their ideas and doing what they could to spread those ideas. At the turn of the 1990s the same notion was applying to ravers on ecstacy. Around this time parties had become similar to tribal rituals as theories of futurism and free thinking mixed with psychedelic experiences.
By 1991 a man named Mark Haley had arrived in San Francisco, also coming from England. He joined forces with Dianna Jacobs from Osmosis and also Preston Lytton to form a company called Toon Town. The crew decided that their first party was going to be centered around technology which borrowed virtual reality systems, lasers and other cool computer-based gadgets. They also introduced "smart drugs" into the mix which was made up of pills & drinks concocted of amino acids, vitamins and anticonvulsants which were supposed to stimulate the body's systems. This first party marked a period for the second wave of San Francisco's ravers as a younger group of kids were in attendance and many were wearing glow in the dark outfits, doctors masks lined with Vick's Vaporub, goggles and tie-dyed clothing. This marked a period where there were two schools of thought: Wicket/Come-Unity who were focused on the same ideals as that of the 1960s and Toon Town that focused on the future.
Raving had now blown up in San Francisco. Stores like HouseWares & Ameba opened up which sold clothing, stickers and mix tapes. They even sold tickets to events and passed out flyers for upcoming events. It seemed as if more parties were rapidly popping up and by 1993 there were so many people throwing parties that it was difficult to keep track of.
Toon Town had driven to make it's New Years party of 1993 the biggest rave San Francisco had seen by using the Fashion Center Expo Hall on Townsend Street and organized 3D Video, Holographic Exploration Exhibitions, Virtual Reality, Interactive Video and a huge sound system and laser show. The turnout was amazing but soon after the party had ended Dianna Jacobs left Toon Town. At that time the police had begun to crack down on parties by monitoring phone lines and collecting flyers.
In the Spring of 1993 WICKED had stopped promoting Full Moon parties and Toon Town had become extinct. While larger events came to a temporary halt, San Francisco continued to make an impact on the world of electronic music. Scott Hardkiss produced "Raincry" under the moniker of God Within while Gavin Hardkiss (aka Hawke) produced both "Speaking in Tongues" and "The Trip." Robbie Hardkiss made up the final part of the Hardkiss group. Together they tailored the sounds that they heard at San Francisco events into music that were sold & distributed around the world.
In other regions of the world, the first Essential Mix was released on BBC's Radio 1 in the UK. Rabbit In The Moon made their breakthrough debut with O.B.E./Freak To The Beat which came out on Hallucination Recordings. Later that year Phases Of An Out Of Body Experience was released on Hardkiss Records. John Digweed and Nick Muir debuted their label Bedrock Records, named after a clubnight in London.
This podcast features some of the biggest, most inspiring progressive and ambient songs from 1993 leading up to a remake of the very first trance recording which was produced in 1990 - The Age of Love.
Rabbit in the Moon - Out of Body Experience
God Within - Raincry
Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea
Bedrock - For What You Dream Of
Havana - Ethnic Prayer
Grace - Not Over Yet
Unknown - Unknown
Jam & Spoon - Age of Love (Watch Out For Stella Club Mix)
