I’ve just returned from experiencing the 'In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats' installation at Cardiff Millenium Centre and I’m still buzzing.
For those that don't know, 'In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats' is an interactive VR experience for up to four people where you experience the thrills of tracking down and joining a 1989 acid house warehouse party. This wasn’t just an exhibition - it was a time machine, a rave, and a love letter to our culture, all wrapped into one unforgettable experience.
From the moment it began, the level of immersion was astonishing. All participants are kitted out with a VR headset, a pair of headphones, a set of controllers and a haptic feedback device strapped to your chest. The haptic feedback wasn’t some novelty add-on - you literally felt the bass in your chest, just as you would have in a warehouse at 3am, sweating among strangers who instantly felt like family. The controllers allow users to interact with the environment, such as picking up rave flyers, turning up the radio, and even using a public phone box to receive secret directions to the rave location.
One of the moments that hit hardest was stepping into a meticulously recreated early ’90s bedroom, flyers plastered to the walls, pirate radio atmosphere buzzing in the air. That detail alone could have carried the whole experience - but this goes way beyond simple nostalgia. It captures the vibe, the anticipation, that pre-rave ritual where the night still felt full of possibility. I swear I could almost smell the tape inserts and vinyl sleeves.
And the soundtrack was excellent, beginning with a beautiful opening sequence that makes good use of Orbital's 'Chime' right through to the pounding of Joey Beltram's 'Energy Flash' once the party is in full swing. The sequencing moved with the heart of a night out rather than a history lesson. It didn’t just tell you what rave meant - it reminded your body.
What really impressed me was how it honoured the culture with sophistication but without sterility. It wasn’t polished to museum death - it was alive.
In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats isn’t just a celebration - it’s a resurrection. It captures why it mattered and, more importantly, why it still does. I left not just moved, but re-energised - reminded that rave wasn’t just music, it was a feeling, a movement, a way of being. And for a brief moment - thanks to the bass in my chest and the glow of the CRT in some teenager’s bedroom - I was right back there again.
Originally produced for the Coventry City of Culture festival in 2022, "In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats" has traveled to film festivals around the world, earning numerous accolades.
It was a beautiful thing to share with my kids and I'll definitely be going back for a second experience!
