In the early 1990s, the UK was utterly inundated by raves: illegal techno parties with an endless supply of drugs. In an attempt to staunch the tide, the government proposed a bill in 1994 to criminalize such gatherings. This prompted massive protests and even more raves. With this point of reference as a backdrop, Beats tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two Scottish teens, Spanner and Johnno. Spanner lives with his thuggish brother; Johnno is about to move to a different town with his mother and his potential stepfather – who happens to be a police officer. On their last night together, they rob Spanner’s brother and set off for a wild night of anarchy and freedom, as well as confrontation with gangs and the police. This turbulent, universal story is constantly in thrall to music; the intensity of its rhythm is as electrifying as the rave scene itself was.