909rewind Vol. 14… Terry Farley
Welcome to 909rewind, a new series from 909originals that explores the early musical careers of some of clubland’s biggest names, uncovering hidden gems and familiar classics from the archives.
We dive into an artist’s back catalogue to uncover rare singles, albums, productions, remixes and more… the tracks that helped shape their sound and set them on the path to legendary status.
This week we pay tribute to a one of the founding fathers of the UK acid house scene… Terry Farley.
Farley first came to prominence as one of the main protagonists behind the Boys Own fanzine in the late 80s (alongside Andrew Weatherall, Cymon Eckel and Steve Mays) – a football-casual-turned-house-music publication that surfed the initial wave of acid house in London… or, as one infamous headline put it, ‘Bermondsey Goes Baleric’ (sic).
As he told 909originals last year, the rumblings of house music were evident long before ecstasy arrived.
“Early house certainly didn’t sound different from electro or New York club tracks until Acid Trax was created. In London it was just a part of the rich tapestry that was the soundtrack to a million warehouse parties between 1986 and 1988.”
As curators of a nascent scene, Boys Own soon begat a record label and promotions vehicle, and Farley took to the studio, to bring some ‘daisy age’ vibes to some of the biggest artists of the time, like the Happy Mondays, Soup Dragons, Primal Scream and even U2.
In addition, under guises such as Bocca Juniors, Roach Motel and Fire Island, often alongside long term compatriot Pete Heller, Farley produced a litany of house classics, including Movin On, The Rising Sun and Ultra Flava.
A legendary selector that stays true to his old school roots (check out his epic Acid Rain and Acid Thunder compilations), Farley never disappoints, as the playlist below indicates. [Main picture taken from Terry’s Facebook page]
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