āRaves arenāt political.ā
āDJs should stay out of politics.ā
In reality, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and politics can not be separated from each other, and hereās why.Ā
Within the rave community, there have been a growing wave of artists incorporating “controversial opinionsā within their music. From the use of visuals to changing their songs lyrically, there have been growing instances of artists making their stances clear. Their opinions range across a wide spectrum of topics, including their feelings towards the current administration and their advocacy towards wide-spread issues such as gun control and immigration. Examples include big headliners such as John Summit condemning ICE and homophobes, Sara Landryās response to Trumpās re-election, and Steve Aokiās criticism towards the current administration.
As a result, there have been mixed responses from current rave and concert-goers. There are those who feel that rave culture is defined by its inclusivity and historical LGBTQ+ support, and there are those who feel that, āpolitics shouldnāt be involved in festivals or ravesā.Ā
As a frequent attender of both raves and festivals, I found myself questioning my own belief. Myself, and others around me, attend these events as an escape from everyday life. Itās a moment in time where everyone around you shares the same goal of wanting to enjoy the music and environment. This notion is exemplified by the outfits people wear and how they treat each other. A rave is one of the few places where you can dress however you want and not be in fear of being underdressed or overdressed. At these events, there is no such thing. Additionally, everyone is expected to abide by the rules that define rave culture: PLUR. Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. Every one of these values contribute to facilitating an inclusive, welcoming and diverse community.Ā
With all of this considered, I can see the argument that something as stressful as politics shouldnāt be included in the conversation. However, to not include politics at such a scene in todayās political climate, also doesnāt seem right either. The reason why it doesnāt feel right goes all the way back to how raves started.
Entangled within the roots of raves, lies the story of resilience and resistance. It is impossible to distinguish historical rave culture away from the LGBTQ+ community.Ā
The foundation of clubbing culture and what we consider to be current EDM scenes can be traced back to the Stonewall Riots. Although many associate the Stonewall Riots with the Gay Rights liberation movement, it is also important to note that the importance of gay bars continued to be significant after Stonewall. Gay bars attracted alienated and marginalized groups of society who faced struggles such as discrimination and systemic violence. It was seen as a refuge from (at the time) mainstream America. As a member of the community, dancing, celebrating, and being able to express yourself was a political act. Eventually, these safe spaces spread across the country and even went underground.Ā
These spaces evolved and emerged as different styles of music but due to there being many niche, emerging and disputed styles of EDM music, I wonāt include an analysis for each one of their origins within this article. However, there are two I would like to highlight. After the decline of Disco, House music was introduced in a well-known club called Paradise Garage. A majority of the audience were queer people or people of color (or both) and set up the stage for the style to be called āgarageā, then to āChicago Houseā, until eventually it was referred to as just āHouseā. Additionally, rave music can be attributed to the rise of Acid House, which grew popular at a gay nightclub called Heaven. Within the 80s and 90s, the EDM music scene largely went underground as clubbing venues changed to secret venues.Ā
After the 90s, EDM music became increasingly popular throughout Europe and continued to flourish internationally, however, the historical presence of the LGBTQ+ community’s role in its popularity began to be left out.Ā
It is with this knowledge that I now realize that raves are a product, response and eventual result of societal resistance and resilience. Therefore, I canāt help but acknowledge that raves and EDM music are political, have been political, and will continue to be political.Ā
Additionally, if you would like to read more about each sub-genres root, an article written by Jenna Dreisenstock in Playy Magazine titled āThe Forgotten LGBT & Racial Roots of Clubbing Cultureā, includes a much more in-depth analysis that I highly recommend checking out.