SO WHAT'S the rave about Rave music? Several people who know me to be a musician ask me this question, incredulous that I could even listen to Rave music, let alone be well into it.
'But...it's incredibly loud, monotonous and reper tive...it's nothing but a load of trolled by big business...it's escapist.... These are all com mon argumenis thrown at me by those who claim to be into 'Real Music Ever heard these arguments before, about her Kinds of youth sub-cultural music? his head around the door to comment on the Sex Pistols single you'd just rushed out to buy? If you're a little older, this would be the new Pink Floyd LP you'd be listening to, lying on the floor, two feet from the speakers.
Now I'm NOT saying that people should not make judge ments or have strong opinions about different musical forms. But these should be considered opintons, not prejudiced impressions, with inste wil atay harry greatly.
Yes, Rave is loud, monotonous and repetitive. But so is most dance music. Repetition and variation of rhythm patterns are used to induce the semi-france like state your body and dance. And I, like millions of others, love dancing:
Yes, Rave is full of bleeps and buzzes and countless other new-to-music noises. But I would say that this is one of its creative points. At least it's not another guitarbased indie rehash of what the Velvet Underground and Iggy and the Stooges were doing cooh...my musical prejudices As for the accusation that Rave is controlled by big business; it is simply not the case. Most Rave is released through small independent labels or artist self-financed white aleis Of course, there are "Yes, Rave is loud, monotonous and repetitive.
But so is most dance music. Repetition and variation of rhythm patterns are used to induce the semi-trance like state of mind that allows you to relax your body and dance. And I, like millions of others, love dancing." pressures to conform to popular styles within Rave and House. But these styles are dictated not by big music kicks on the dancefloor. That is, by what grassroots Ravers go for.
The big labels are doing their usual 'smash and grab' raid into the Rave scene, picking up tunes that have been popular in the underground for a year or more and mass promoting them into the charts. But the independent Do It Yourself philosophy, inherited from punk and black dance music, remains very much dominant within the Rave scene as a whole, especially in the underground.
This extends from the right through into the setling up of illegal free Raves by loose, informal collectives - called crews or possees — of DJs, sound and light tech nicians, MCs and general organisers, and of pirate radio stations.
Yes, Rave is escapist by and large. But there is a loose overall philosophy of unity and 'positive vibes. For example, a statement of intent from Nottingham Massive DIY Sound Crew reads: "From the start DIY has promoted unity and cooperation, challenging people to drop their prejudices and ego-oneupmanship stances, and will con480000 It is this more than any thing cise that gives the Rave scene its positive dynamic. For no one, excep would fail to acknowledge the massive influence of black youth sub-culture on the Rave scene. Raving on...
Some readers may remem ber my artetes on the rup Hop and House scenes in Lanour briefs thee years one where I stated:
*This [scene) represents a positive development: the com ing together of many black and white working class youth in multi-racial inner city areas, the increasing sest connacie and openness of many young black people, and a generation of young white people growng up with, and to some exent respecting and learning rom the rebelbous combativity of black culture. Socialist cultural activists must build on this to create a rock-solid counterpole of attraction the next time the state whips up racism (as it will when the capitalist crisis deepens):
Three years on and the crisis is deeper, the spectre of a lasist upsurge is haunting Europe. But the Rave scene is creating ever stron ger links between white and black youth. Raves against racism and fascism should be an essential ele ment in the creation of an antiTascist T0017 87078 youth.
Just to give a taste of the un derground Rave scene at the moment, l'll describe a Rave l recently went to. It was in a and murder. disused warchouse squatted by a few anarcho-travellers, and set up to make it very difficult for he police to easily set in and chess down Word of mouth over a two lay period generated a crowd 1300-400, mainly inner city black and white youth, a fair mix of both and also of lasses and lads. Entrance was in the form of donations towards costs through a very secure door. The overall vibe was streetwise, goodtime unity -sort of a psychedelic norther soul buzz. A brilliant example The police came, snouted outside for a while, decided there was not alot they could do about it, and pissed off again. Not bad for he times we live in.
Rave muric will eventually get even better, as it cross-fer hybrid being Ragga Rave and neing out. Hot tips for the out. Hot tips for the future - Rebel MC and other Tribal Base stuff, the Moody Boys, sister Levi, Bad Base and two l'aris crews, 1AM and Vatch this space for furthe articles about the influence of black culture on the youth sub