Whether you were there to experience rave culture of the late 80s and 90s first-hand or are curious to get a sense of what it was actually like, then this is the experience for you.
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats opened at the Barbican in London in May and runs until 3 August. Transport yourself back to 1989, where finding the party is the only thing that matters.
Travelling back in time to the heart of the acid house scene was impossible, but thanks to the UK’s biggest virtual-reality (VR) experience this can now be achieved. Using technology to create a truly collective experience, groups of four people can share the same virtual space and interact together as rave culture pioneers.
The rave scene has always been centred around organic, energised communities creating shared experiences in physical and spiritual spaces. This honours that ethos and aims to unite participants in a new and transformative way.
Following the VR experience, there is a small exhibition containing archive and other audio-visual materials exploring the British acid house scene, which you can enjoy at your leisure.
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats was produced by East City Films and it’s creator is immersive artist Darren Emerson, who revealed, “Normally, the reaction to this experience is one of wonder and delight, and we get a lot of emotional people. We’ve given out a lot of hugs, especially if they’ve lived it – they come out welled up, because they connect with the details, I’m approaching 50 now, and I ache for that 19-year-old excitement of getting lost somewhere.”
Lee Fisher, a Birmingham-based house DJ who appears in the VR, added, “It’s a dreamlike, surreal experience, but when you’re driving along in the car, or when you’re walking through the rave, it does feel very authentic, it feels very real.”
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is designed for groups of one to four people and is a truly unique way to experience rave culture through the medium of VR. We cannot wait to attend.
