Madchester
tagStarted 1988Peak 1989-1991Last big hit 1992From Manchester, United Kingdom
Located in 2 routes
Manchester's late-80s fusion of psychedelic guitar pop with acid-house and funk rhythms: loose, swung drumbeats, wah-wah and chiming guitars, dub-deep basslines and stoned, swaggering vocals. Built for both indie clubs and ecstasy-fuelled dancefloors, the sound is euphoric and groove-driven, soaked in 60s psych and the Haçienda's rave energy.
History
Centred on the Haçienda club and Factory Records around 1988-89, the scene was led by the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. The Roses' 1989 debut and the Mondays' 'Pills 'n' Thrills' (1990) defined it; the Spike Island gig (1990) was its peak. Drug excess, the Roses' legal limbo and Factory's 1992 collapse ended the moment.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madchester
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/madchester-ma0000012073
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/madchester