Formed in 1988 during London's acid house craze by college friends Ali Ghani and Mark Davies, Messiah's brand of techno encompasses the aggression and volume of punk and the diva vocals of house music. When Ghani and Davies met at an Iggy Pop concert, the two decided to purchase some electronic equipment and make music for fun; when musical chemistry became evident, they began to get into the English techno and rave scene. After the release of 1993's Temple of Dreams, their first full-length U.S. album, 21st Century Jesus, was released one year later. Messiah Meets Progenitor followed in 1998.