Midi Rain - Always

At some point in the late 1980's/early 1990's when acid house and rave music took over the UK as a storm, synth-pop fans had the delight to hear some of their favorite artists going towards more wild, fresh and experimental territories, crossing white synth-pop music and voices with the thrills of devastating acid and euphoric house. Some of these trans-genre mutants would become acid, rave and balearic classics (i'm thinking here of the Beloved's "Acid Love (Love & Ecstasy Mix)", Paul Rutherford's "Get Real - Happy House mix", New Order's "Round & Round (Kevin Saunderson remix)", Cabaret Voltaire's "Hypnotized", John Rocca's "Move" or even Depeche Mode's "Strangelove (Hijack mix by Tim Simenon)", among others). Phat beats, nasty acid lines over white soulful newwave singers, hypnotic voice cut-ups and effects, moody futuristic synth pads, longer rave-friendly versions : a new form of (synth) pop was born here, marrying proper song structures with the raveolutionnary "air du temps" and perfectly illustrating rave's "unity" aesthetics by musically marrying two scenes. Well, among all these beauties, the "Club Vocal Mix" of "Always" by Midi Rain (another John Rocca project) is perhaps the most outstanding and daring, with mad echoes all around, soulful angelic voice, drugged-up blurry sometimes almost cartoonesque production sounding like an E'd up manga full of panache, and a dramatic progressive construction that give the dancer this energy rush and love thrill which only great rave moments provide. This song mixes craziness, euphoria, feelings of hope and a certain melancholy, and in my opinion is a perfect testimony to that period's state of mind. In my book, a masterpiece.

The Demented mixes are the ones Sasha used to play at Shelleys, Stoke, UK. Somewhat classed as a classic in the UK House/Rave scene.
"If ever you should need a friend, call and I'll be there, I'll never look back, I'll always look straight ahead..."