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In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats brings Coventry's rave scene to the British Film Institute

Posted on 30 September 2022
 

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is an interactive virtual reality experience that invites audiences to go in search of an illegal rave, one night in Coventry in 1989.

In Spring 2022, the world premiere was presented by Coventry City of Culture Trust and East City Films as part of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021, selling out the month-long run. Now the project is part of the British Film Institute's film festival, running from 5 - 15 October and tickets have already sold out. Check on the day for last minute ticket availability.

Those who had/have tickets experience a social phenomenon first-hand. From poster-strewn bedrooms to pirate radio stations, police headquarters to secret warehouses, small groups of audience members step-into the shoes of rave culture pioneers and go in search of the party.

The immersive exhibition and explorable virtual world set in Coventry combine Acid House tracks with interactivity and multi-sensory simulation. In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats brings to life the stories of the promoters, police officers, and rave-goers, whose rivalries and relationships drove a revolution in music and society. Multi-sensory room scale interactive VR enables participants to feel the anticipation, trepidation, excitement, and euphoria of Acid House.

The Midlands rave scene was one of the most important in a youth culture movement that shaped a generation. Thousands from all over the country would make the pilgrimage each week to Coventry and party in woodlands, fields and disused buildings. In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats was created with extensive involvement of some of the leading figures of the Midlands rave scene at the time, including Coventry’s legendary promoters Amnesia House.

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is directed by the award winning filmmaker Darren Emerson, a leader in VR, producer and co-founder of East City Films.

Darren Emerson said: 

"With In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats I want to take audiences back to the thrill of one night in 1989, to use this immersive experience to re-examine what this moment means through the intersection of storytelling and interaction. It is a familiar tale of the Acid House experience, understood and lived by many, which contains universal themes of community, politics, and class disruption. It also serves as a revisionist take on this familiar story, because it is set in Coventry, a city not readily celebrated within the books, documentaries, and legends of Acid House. But for those that knew the score, they knew Coventry had its part to play. 

This is my most ambitious and complex work to date, and it is a thrill to have been commissioned by Coventry City of Culture and supported by the BFI Film Fund. The East City Films team, working with our long-term collaborators All Seeing Eye, are striving to push the concept of what a VR narrative can be within an immersive environment. We are creating a piece of work which will take audiences on an amazing journey; utilising immersive cinematic filmmaking, jaw dropping animation, sonic aural landscapes and euphoric music, combined with embodiment and interaction. 

Like the distant memories of Acid House itself, this experience will capture the feeling and energy of the setting, create new contextual narratives about the scene, and inform and delight in equal measure."

Kristin Irving, BFI Senior Production & Development Executive, said:

“We are excited to be working with East City Films to bring this project to audiences in such a unique way, thanks to funds from the National Lottery. Through the partnership with Coventry City of Culture, In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats promises to bring innovative interactive VR to new audiences. It will not only challenge their perceptions of how we engage with stories through the moving image, but also celebrates a vibrant and important scene that although anchored to a place and time, has had such a huge impact on music and culture beyond Coventry in the 80s and 90s."

Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: 

“The epic rave scene that swept the country and shaped a generation had one of its epicentres in Coventry. We are so excited to be working with Darren, one of the UK’s leading VR filmmakers to recreate that hedonistic time and allow audiences to be fully immersed in the energy and euphoria of the time.” 

In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats is produced by BPM XR LTD and East City Films. Supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery Funding, and Coventry City of Culture Trust.