Voodoo Ray

A Guy Called Gerald

"I remember when you brought that record home; I was like WHAT is that?..." Mark Wallace

My brother, Hip-Hop connoisseur that he is, was never given to acknowledging my record collection favourably. Him telling me this nugget of infomation, 35 years later, while curating the exhibition is high praise, indeed.

"A Guy Called Gerald's, Voodoo Ray" is considered one of the most important and influential tracks in the history of club music, particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s, due to its role in the evolution of electronic music, house, and rave culture.

Released in 1988, Voodoo Ray blended elements of Chicago house, acid house, and UK rave, creating a distinctive sound that was ahead of its time. Its deep basslines, synths, and rhythmic complexity were a bridge between the more straightforward Chicago house sound and the emerging acid house and rave scenes in the UK.

It marked the emergence of a distinct UK club scene and captured the spirit of experimentation and freedom that defined that era of clubland.

The work of A Guy Called Gerald, particularly Voodoo Ray, helped define the unique sound of British acid house, which differed in tone and atmosphere from the Chicago house sound. His contributions to the genre extended far beyond this track, but Voodoo Ray remains his most enduring legacy.