Recommended club and dance music

[For Beginners] A collection of classic rave tracks: Introducing the rave anthems you should start with!

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!

Rave culture—the musical and cultural revolution that swept across the world in the 1990s.

Thousands gathered in extraordinary spaces like warehouses, beaches, and forests, dancing as one with music and light until morning.

That feverish experience remains vividly etched in many people’s hearts even today.

Rave music, a fusion of genres such as house, techno, and trance, continues to have a profound impact on today’s dance music scene.

So this time, we’re introducing legendary rave anthems—historic tracks that are perfect even for beginners!

[For Beginners] A roundup of classic rave tracks. Introducing the rave anthems you should listen to first! (21–30)

Pumpin’RAVEMAN

RAVEMAN/PUMPIN’ [Arrangement] Vo. Hatsune Miku

Pumpin'RAVEMAN

Raveman was a three-member unit consisting of t-kimura, motsu, and DJ GEE from m.

o.

v.

e, and it was popular as a domestically produced track.

The records have been traded at very high prices, and it remains a classic that still excites audiences today.

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AnasthsiaT99

T99 – Anasthasia 1991

AnasthsiaT99

This is a rave track that reached number 14 on the UK charts.

In Japan, a mondegreen became popular where the vocal sample sounded like “Panchira ne-chan, in front of Jusco!” Beyond the cool rave stabs, it also features a soothing midsection that uses four-part chords.

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[For Beginners] A Collection of Classic Rave Tracks: Introducing Must-Listen Rave Anthems! (31–40)

Let Me Be Your FantasyBABY D

BABY D – Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Original Version)

Let Me Be Your FantasyBABY D

Baby D, who had a hit with early jungle-style breakbeats, piano, and female vocals.

Many artists have covered them.

With a very gentle, easy-to-listen late rave vibe, their tracks were often included on UK compilation albums.

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I WANNA GO UPBULLDOZER & DR. D.O.P.E.

BULLDOZER & DR. D.O.P.E. – I WANNA GO UP

I WANNA GO UPBULLDOZER & DR. D.O.P.E.

This is Juliana-style techno with an upbeat rave vibe, released from the Bulldozer label run by Dave Rodgers—known as the producer of Namie Amuro’s Eurobeat series—and his crew from Italy.

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Rave the RhythmChannel X

Channel X – Rave The Rhythm

Rave the RhythmChannel X

A no-nonsense early rave track from Belgium by Oliver Adams.

He also made great works with Praga Khan and Jade 4U.

As the title suggests, this track exudes a somewhat dark, mysterious rave atmosphere.

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Playing With KnivesBizarre Inc

Bizarre Inc – Playing With Knives (original promo video)

Playing With KnivesBizarre Inc

This track isn’t built on a sped-up hip-hop breakbeat rhythm; instead, it uses a house-style four-on-the-floor beat.

From the middle, it develops into an acid house-inspired section, and with its main phrase, it’s a fast-paced, hit-worthy song.

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Wizards Of The Sonic (Red Jerry Mix)Westbam

Westbam – Wizards Of The Sonic (Red Jerry Mix)

Wizards Of The Sonic (Red Jerry Mix)Westbam

This is a cute rave anthem from WestBam, known as the African Bambaataa of the West, from his Love Parade era.

The remix is by Red Jerry, head of the Hooj Choons label, and it’s an unabashedly bright 1998 rave track.

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