And you can bet your bottom dollar that the sub-editors at The Sun didn’t realise that their “Shoot These Evil Acid Barons” front page splash in November 1988 would similarly be remembered long after the tabloid sensationalism about the scourge of Acid House had gone. The headline was an impassioned plea from the mum whose child had died after taking ecstasy, and it fitted in neatly with press hysteria about raves, which had outraged middle England. That hysteria persuaded thousands of youngsters to get involved in repetitive beats and MDMA use, and now the headline lives on through the Evil Acid Barons Weekender festival and, growing out from that, a new compilation album too.

“The Acid Barons Festival was born five years ago,” says the team behind the event, “when Jamie and Phil began working together in Phil’s new Devon-based studio on their recording project, Blavatsky & Tolley. While walking on the moors, they had the idea to throw an acid house rave rooted in their underground, electronic sound, bringing together like-minded friends and DJs. They discovered a unique spot featuring a natural outdoor amphitheatre, complete with a stream — the perfect setting for a one-night gathering. As plans began to take shape, Phil was called to a job on the moors at Great Potheridge House — now the festival’s home. It immediately felt like something special, a place where something bigger could grow. As they like to say, ‘it wasn’t that we found Great Potheridge — it found us… the portal opened, and we all got sucked in’.

“The rest is history. What started as a one-night rave has evolved into a fiercely DIY acid techno gathering, bringing together techno freedom fighters from across the UK. Rooted in free-party spirit and community values, the festival now boasts two serious sound systems set against the wild beauty of the moors.”

With the Evil Acid Barons Weekender marking its fifth anniversary with this year’s event – which took place on May 22 at its usual home – the loose collective has released a compilation album to celebrate: 20 tracks of the kind of gear that has helped the event make its name. The album is also dedicated to the memory of Mel Grindrod, who passed away and was one of the regular faces at the events and, according to those in the know, “the life and soul of any event she was at.” All proceeds from the 20-track LP will go to Macmillan Cancer Support, as well as to help pay for a memorial bench for Melanie on the festival site, making it a truly noble effort.

Here’s a guide to the 20 tracks, with the artists involved giving their thoughts on their contributions.

Ed Mahon – Si Barone “Si Barone is an emotive slice of acid house made with love and affection for our fallen comrades. Some parts to listen and reflect, some parts to move and to dance. A track you can lose yourself in the moment and reflect — simply say ‘Si Barone’!”

Rich Lane – Q (Acid Barons Cotton Dub) “A 1991 classic, remade with respect. An infectious hypnotic lead and beautiful chugging bass in true Rich Lane style.”

Rude Audio – Matty Dread “Matty Dread is a soundtrack for daytime shenanigans – a bit spacey, a touch haunted, with some acidic dubbiness thrown in, and something a bit more herbaceous. The 303 that kicks in at the end foreshadows the rambunctious sounds that echo around the club.”

Blavatsky & Tolley – Flight Into Egypt “Flight Into Egypt starts its journey with beautiful floaty synths and then, with the Blavatsky & Tolley twist, morphs into a peak-time rave cave monster.”

Jack Butters – Wonky Since ’88 “Wonky Since ’88 is a nod towards the second summer of love along with my own birth year. EVERY summer is a summer of love at the Evil Acid Barons weekender! Rest well Mel, you will always be muchly loved.”

Al McKenzie – Life Is Short, Live It Well (Vocal Mix) “The sound of hazy sunshine bleeding into early evening euphoria, with an upfront universal message of making the most of your time, cos it flies past so quickly.”

Ian Vale – Forever Transmission “Forever Transmission is a Detroit-leaning techno piece, built on driving drums and bass with warm pads and melodic arpeggios. Created as a quiet tribute, it reflects on memory as something that doesn’t fade, but continues to move and resonate — a signal carried forward, always present.”

Justin Robertson’s Deadstock 33s – Strange Angel “A spectral trip where ghost frequencies haunt the wires with spacious bleeps and staccato disembodied voices.”

The ESC Wednesday Night Boy’s Brigade – Hold You Tight “Hold You Tight is a driving acid house weapon, its squelching 303 bassline rolling with hypnotic intensity — built for hands-in-the-air moments in a dark, sweat-drenched underground room.”

Jezebell – Magik Remix (Blavatsky & Tolley) “Magik is a long-whispered-about epic from Blavatsky & Tolley put through the Jezebell ringer, sprinkling their musical nonsense. An electro-acid overture in three parts comes stomping out the other side.”

Parissior – Neon Ritual “Parissior takes no prisoners with his signature wall-of-sound dark disco; a driving groove keeps the track thundering through – a real head-down groover.”

33rd December – Fur Tor Lento “33rd December returns with another slow-motion acid chugger, made for a gritty car journey to a free party in Devon in 1989.”

Matt Gunn – Great British Acid Test “The Great British Acid Test skewers British traditions as hollow rituals propping up tired social narratives. Framed as BBC-style coverage, it imagines LSD as routine as a full English breakfast, set to a Kraftwerk-on-the-sauce groove with Foxx-era cold minimalism.”

Duncan Gray – English Heatwave “English Heatwave definitely brings the heat to Acid Barons, a bumping driving groove with subtle acid melodies that teleports you to a smoke-filled dancefloor.”

Chad Jackson – Genius of Skank Pt. 1 “Inspired by dreamtime conversations with my friend Andrew W about the cosmic power of dub — and the genius of a proper skank — this track came together just in time for The Evil Acid Barons’ tribute to the lovely Mel. Made with presence, memory, and pure dub energy. Love + sabres.”

Peza – Electric Adventurer (Edit) “Peza works his magik on 1983 Italo artist Jo Squillo, giving it a perfect 80s feeling with soaring vocals.”

Frank Fern – Not Far From “Not Far From is ambient techno shaped by late-night introspection, reflecting a shared yet unspoken dancefloor energy, moving together through the haze and half-light as weighted kicks, evolving drones and an arpeggiated synth pattern gently unfold. A space where time dissolves; you’re lost in the sound and feeling every moment.”

Hunter With Gunn – Dubber Bullet “Dubber Bullet is the convergence of musical minds Matt Gunn and Simon S. Hunter, blending down-tempo, guitar-led dub with richly layered psychedelic synth textures and percussive depth — crafting immersive soundscapes that drift between the organic and the otherworldly, perfect for peering through the portal.”

TJ Lawton – Pleroma “Pleroma sits between worlds – dark, hollow and weightless. Ghostly synths drift, low end pulls, and restless drums keep you off balance. This one doesn’t ask you to dance. It asks you to disappear. A gnostic void – full, not empty. Older, quieter than darkness.”

Stash Magnetic – Mystic Sea “The mystic siren beckons you through the portal. Swim through waves of sustained Big Muff guitar, dripping reverb tanks, 909 drums and awash with 80s stereo chorus.”

Meanwhile, back to Devon and, after the fact, Mark Ratcliffe, part of the ever-wonderful Rude Audio, gives some insight into the weekend and bench reveal.

“The weekend kicked off with a Rude Audio dub set in gorgeous late afternoon and evening sunshine,” he says, “and finished with the barn going crazy over sets from DJs like Rich Lane (with some bespoke re-edits produced for the event, of tunes by the disparate likes of Renegade Soundwave and The Rolling Stones) and Tolley and Blavatsky (with chunky reimaginings of their own tunes), serving as a suitable climax to raging sets from people/acts like Jezebel, Carl Airsine and Stash Magnetic in the barn and Matt Gunn, Jack Butters and Ian Vale in the gorgeous gardens. Mention must go to Nessa Johnson and Zoe Jordan, both of whom played gobsmacking sets — Zoe was a real revelation.

“Melanie’s bench was commemorated in a big gathering on the Sunday afternoon. Greta, who helps run the event, spoke movingly of Mel and what she meant to everyone who pitched up to cavort and frolic for a few days. Not a dry eye in the garden during that.

“Everything wrapped up on the Monday with a huge roast dinner (beef brisket, slow-roast pork shoulder and all the trimmings) cooked by DJ and Producer Extraordinaire, Peza, who also seems to wield a mean basting spoon. Incredibly, everyone still seemed capable of mastication.”

Key Evil Acid Baron Jamie Tolley adds: “The stars aligned and the fifth Acid Barons’ was the perfect festival, with wonky acid electronic sounds played by a great selection of DJs to the best crowd all weekend in the sun and under the clear starry skies on the perfect setting of the moors; this really is the best little festival on the planet.”

The Evil Acid Barons compilation is here: https://evilplansrecords.bandcamp.com/album/evil-acid-barons