⚡️High Energy: Evelyn Thomas, Ian Levine & the Birth of Hi-NRG — Part 1

The Twelve Inch 193 : High Energy (Evelyn Thomas) Part 1

You’d think a song called “High Energy” would be easy to label. But it really isn’t. At roughly 120 BPM, it barely meets the usual definition of Hi-NRG. I know that’s a minority opinion, but it’s true. Still, the track became one of the biggest and most influential dance records of the mid-eighties. It was part of the remarkable year 1984, arguably the most queer year in dance-music history. The single sold an estimated 7 million copies, and if the stories are accurate, Evelyn Thomas saw little to none of that success in financial terms.

“High Energy” would go on to name an entire genre, a sound that became central to the gay dancefloor and has stayed there ever since. It also arrived just after Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s first hit, “Relax,” and in many ways mirrors its structure and energy. For producer Ian Levine, “High Energy” stands as the most iconic moment of his career, a peak for one of Britain’s most influential dance-music creators.

The forces that shaped the record were alre…