Phuture 303

Not exactly the same group that changed the sound of house music a decade before in 1987 as Phuture, with their infamous "Acid Trax," Phuture 303 featured a different lineup of producers. Original group members DJ Pierre and Herb J. had left the group, leaving original member Spanky (born Earl Smith Jr.) and newcomers Professor Trax (born Damon Neloms), DJ Skull (born Ron Maney), and Roy Davis Jr.

This new lineup released the Alpha & Omega EP on Perspective in 1996, the Acid Soul EP on DJAX in 1997, and the Alpha & Omega full-length in 1998 on A1. Though the group's acid house sound had indeed been revolutionary in 1987, by the late '90s it was commonplace; as a result, these releases were met with lukewarm enthusiasm, paling in comparison to the acid techno that had come out of Köln, Germany, earlier in the '90s. Following these releases, the Phuture 303 lineup splintered, with Davis Jr. going on to have the most success as a solo producer and DJ. Then, in 2001, original group members DJ Pierre and Spanky collaborated on another Phuture 303 album, Survival's Our Mission. Released on Music Man, the album found the producers extending their reach far beyond acid house. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi