Rabbit in the Moon

If you dipped your toes in the waters of the Florida rave scene during the past, oh, 15 years, you´ve probably collected some warm, fuzzy half-memories of Rabbit in the Moon. Remember that time at Ultra when that spaceman landed on stage and showered the crowd with sparks from his ray gun? Or when that Chinese dragon suddenly materialized in a shower of blue lights? Or that other time when a giant Day-Glo spider flew from the stage and threatened to eat the guy next to you? OK, maybe that last one happened just to us.

The duo behind Rabbit in the Moon, producer Confucius and elusive frontman Bunny, decamped to Hollywood (California) to break into the film-score biz almost three years ago. But the audiovisual juggernaut they created will forever be associated with their hometown of Tampa and the hippie-trippy Florida dance sound. And while the group (formerly a trio second producer Monk split in 2000) created hundreds of monster remixes, the only way to hear their original music was at their live shows. Until now, with the release of the group´s CD/DVD set Decade, its first full-length of original material.

¨We were just gonna put out a live album, but we had all these years of footage,¨ says Bunny, the group´s face, known for his trademark sci-fi costumes, bleached dreads, and Blade Runner makeup. And when we didn´t like the live footage of a song, we figured, We´re gonna make a music video.´ And it ended up that the final product had seven or eight videos and only six live pieces. So there´s a DVD, which features live versions of songs, and then the CD has studio versions, more heady mixes.¨

Tuesday´s appearance at Revolution celebrates the release and the slow revival of an underground vibe for electronic music. Dance isn´t dead in fact, it´s only really alive when you´re on the floor, locked in the tribal kind of groove that Rabbit in the Moon creates best.

Rabbit in the Moon performs at Freedom Fest on Tuesday, July 3, at Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 9 p.m., and tickets cost $25. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.jointherevolution.net.