Rave

There's nothing like your first time . . . at a rave. An extra-sensory experience in every way, raves are dance parties with the subtlety of a backhanded slap — from neon lights that pierce the air like cracked prisms to rumbling speaker stacks that register on the Richter scale. And at the heart of it all, speed-freak beats and body rock, thumpin' bass and synths in-your-face, so let's get moving to Madchester anthem "Step On" from the Happy Mondays, New Order's electro-pop landmark "Blue Monday", and the Prodigy's 1996 call-to-arms, "Firestarter". New ravers keep things fresh for the '00s in Next Steps.

Do you feel that? The brisk, sobering breeze of a nearby air conditioner lashing the sweat beads away, as elastic basslines, 100-yard-dash pianos, and midnight-drive drums replenish your pores to the breaking point? No? Don't worry — that sweet sensation will kick in eventually. In the meantime, let our music take you higher, as the leading lights of new rave show the way: the unstoppable M.I.A. cleverly samples the Clash on "Paper Planes" and São Paulo's CSS groove merrily with "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above." You want some anthems? Then take a look at our Deep Cuts.

Not in the mood for marinating your mind in the chill-out room tonight? Stick on the main floor, then, as we keep the club hits coming at a clip so fast it'll give your wrists whiplash. Production duo Kicks Like a Mule (a.k.a. Richard Russell and Nick Halkes) stamp their signature on Awesome 3's "Don't Go" — and keep hearts racing ten-to-the-dozen — Liquid (Eamon Downes and Shane Heneghan) lays rolling breakbeats over CeCe Rogers' "Someday" to give us "Sweet Harmony", and Guru Josh sets our sights on "Infinity".

You know the phrase "God is a DJ"? Well, it's true, in the fantasy world of a rave, where the evening is endless, and songs are an extension of your emotional and physical being, forcing feet to move, arms to wave, and necks to snap in time with endurance testing tempos, frayed electronics, and sugar-rush synths. As for our Rave Essentials, they're like the ones featured on the ultimate flyer snagged from your favourite record store: a main room of jet-setting superstars (the Chemical Brothers, the Prodigy) and dance-rock godfathers (Happy Mondays, Primal Scream), along with sideshows of ambient techno bliss (Orbital, Aphex Twin), pumpin' house (Armand Van Helden), and its wormy acid variations (808 State). Bow down before the ones that serve you; you're going to get what you deserve.