Amsterdam-based Rush Hour is a company that defies simple categorization. Since its founding in 1997, the collective has based its output on “impulse and faith,” regardless of its form, whether record label, distributor, or brick-and-mortar store. From releases by Carl Craig and KiNK to events in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Berlin, Rush Hour remains committed to the international electronic music underground. To celebrate 303 Day, dig into this carefully curated collection of lesser-known gems featuring the Roland TB-303 Bass Line, courtesy of Rush Hour impresario Antal Heitlager.
Playlist
Make Some Room by Sade (1988)
Sade on acid. It’s so inspirational to hear the Sade team work that acid bassline into what became a crossover tune. A very precise and delicate use of machinery brings out the vibe typical of the singer’s music, while almost paying tribute to the Chicago house sound. This was released in 1988 and is exactly what makes B-side digging so much fun.
I Wanna Look To The Stars by Sideral (1994)
To me, this is actually a new discovery, but the record originally came out in 1994 on the German Klang label. I found it while digging through a secondhand pile in our store. I check almost every record that comes in, and I got completely stuck when I heard this tune. I later found out that the Spanish label Canela En Surco released a retrospective of the artist’s work in 2021. Sidereal is the pseudonym of Alex Martin, a now-cult electronic producer from Barcelona, Spain.
Rainbows Over Paradise by UR (1993)
Of course, as a house and techno lover, I dig every record that says UR. I mean, they are the essence of Detroit techno, and this B4 track is a special one. Taken from the Acid Rain series released in 1993, this tune uses the same atmospheric, emotional synth sounds as their classic Final Frontier track. In this track, the rhythm speeds up during the two-minute jam. I really love this one. I closed many nights with it, as it puts you on a high and slowly fades out. And, oh yeah, the acid bassline is incredibly catchy.
Dream 2 Science by Dream 2 Science (1990)
There’s a video of Daniel Wang breaking down how inspired he is by the acid bassline used in “Dream 2 Science,” a house record from 1990 produced by Ben Cenac, who also produced Sha-lor’s “I Am In Love” as well as the group Push/Pull’s “Bang the Drums.”
But Cenac is better known as Newcleus. Yes, the group that produced Jam on Revenge, “Computer Age,” “Space Is the Place,” and more. So you know where you are: right at the crossroads of hip-hop and house music in New York in the late ’80s. This song uses the Roland TB-303 particularly well, which is what this article is about. But I highly recommend checking out his full repertoire; it’s fantastic.
Acid Reaction by Rude Futures (2025)
Danilo Plessow, also known as Motor City Drum Ensemble, produced this one. I know him from his Inverse Cinematics period, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since for over 20 years now. Like many others, we fell in love with anything coming out of Detroit or Chicago. It’s clear where he gets his influences, and over the years, he has really grown as a producer.
This record is a response to the current geopolitical landscape. There’s love, aggression, and dark energy in it. You can hear references to past production styles, like those of James “Jack Rabbit” Martin, but they’re done in a contemporary way. Modern acid with one leg in the past and one in the present.
Dancing Ghost by CTI (1984)
Formed in 1981, Chris & Cosey emerged from one half of Throbbing Gristle after the group split. The duo produced a wealth of industrial, synth, and electronic music, and the track “Dancing Ghost” is taken from the album Elemental 7 (1984).
Personally, I really got into this sound around the time Minimal Wave released their two Minimal Wave Tapes compilations, around 2012. Growing up in Amsterdam, I was heavily influenced by the Chicago house sound, which is also why I eventually got into Italo disco.
The same goes for acts like DAF and Liaisons Dangereuses. These were all artists played by the more adventurous Chicago DJs, and in that way, the sound made its way back to Europe again. Connecting the dots slowly but surely, this track here feels like experimental acid music by true electronic pioneers.
Sexual Behavior by Deep Contest (1993)
In Holland, most of us electronic music lovers were influenced by DJ Dimitri. He was the one who consistently pushed the Detroit and Chicago sound in Holland. There are stories from back in the day that Derrick May wouldn’t even step up to the decks and would give his DJ time to Dimitri because he was so on a roll.
At Record Time in Detroit, back in the day, there were flyers on the wall for a party at the Detroit Tigers stadium featuring legends such as Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and DJ Dimitri. That tells you the level of importance this DJ had, not only in our city of Amsterdam, but far beyond.
I remember one night in 1995 at the Chemistry club night when he played incredibly well. He dropped tracks by artists like Chance McDermott, Eddie “Flashin” Fowlkes, Ken Ishii & Luke Slater—and this one. Mind you, this wasn’t Shazam-able at the time. I later found all those tunes just by digging and remembering the sounds and melodies. This record was one of them: DJ Deep & Ludovic Navarre. It sounds close to something Laurent Garnier could have produced. This is techno with a capital T—and an acid bassline.
Opus 303 by Le Mystere (1990)
This is Belgian new beat, a period I never experienced myself but discovered by digging backwards. It’s an important genre, as it was a time when electronic music really became popular in Belgium and beyond. Tracks from that period were also played on house dance floors in Amsterdam. I even think a house record by Eric Nouhan was based on this sound. This is a slower electronic jam with a very typical acid bassline. The original production dates back to 1990 and was released on the legendary Belgian label BUZZ.
Museum from Minimal Nation by Robert Hood (1994)
When I first started getting into electronic music, I mostly bought productions by Carl Craig and Masters at Work. Later, I began learning more about the deeper side of Detroit techno.
It was a former Rhythm Import employee, Nitan, who put me on to Drexciya, for instance. I remember the moment I walked into the store very clearly. There were no customers, and Nitan said to me, “You should check this record,” and he introduced me to Drexciya’s Deep Sea Dweller. Not long after we started our own store, Nitan began working at the Rush Hour store. As time went on, his interests shifted toward documenting street football and similar projects.
After a long period, he stopped working with us and sold his records. In that collection, he put me onto a very rare pressing of Robert Hood’s Minimal Nation. Do you know the blue test pressing of this record? It includes an extra track. But anyway, “Museum” was always the main go-to track for me. I believe this kick-started what they later called the “minimal” genre in Europe. But in my eyes, Robert Hood and Jeff Mills were really the first ones. And this is a badass tune, and an original release from 1994.
Acid In The House by Miss Nicky Trax (1988)
I used to live near a club called The Waakzaamheid. My brother was doing the lights there. When he started working there, he was around 17 or 18, and I was about 13 or 14. As soon as I turned 16, I got into this sound called house music. I didn’t know much about it at first, but within a year, I was really into it. I got a job in the club working in the cloakroom, collecting glasses, and handing out flyers.
During that time, I heard so many inspirational national and international DJs. The list of people I heard there is long: Derrick May, DJ Rush, Alton Miller, Darryl Wynn, Dave Lee, Jedi Knights, Aubrey, Kevin Saunderson, and many more. They played a lot of Detroit techno, Chicago and New York house, and more. I also used to listen to a lot of tapes coming out of that club. Miss Nicky Trax (Belgian new beat) was one of the artists featured on those tapes.
