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Explaining Rave Culture to the Americans

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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/rave-culture-a-handy-guide-for-middle-america

A pretty funny article on the whole "EDM" craze in the US, written by Clive Martin from Vice UK. Let the discussion commence...
Jan 16 2013 12:33PM
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panojibber.
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 683
"YOU DON'T NEED A DROP IN EVERY TRACK"

THANK YOU. This article is fucking great.
Jan 16 2013 12:44PM
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Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
that made me never want to go to a rave. thanks a lot
Jan 16 2013 12:45PM
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Swaggermager
Posts: 2576 - Karma: 950
that was funny as hell! threads to show my friends hahah
Jan 16 2013 12:50PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
It's been doing the rounds on just about every club in Glasgow's facebook page, so good.
Jan 16 2013 12:58PM
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maximiliaan
Posts: 7711 - Karma: 2,857
"and constantly asking strangers if they are "having a good night""

haha xtc
Jan 16 2013 1:01PM
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maximiliaan
Posts: 7711 - Karma: 2,857
after reading this, i cant agree more
Jan 16 2013 1:15PM
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*Nickdel*
Posts: 2264 - Karma: 956
Vice pretty much nailed it with that article hahaha
Jan 16 2013 1:16PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
Clive is easily their best writer, his "Big Night Out with..." series is worth a read as well.
Jan 16 2013 1:17PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51629 - Karma: 162,075
Love for sure. It's funny that I used to be really into eurotrance and house, then moved away from everything. All the sudden a few years later the america
"rave" scene blew up.


A bunch of kids with 12 pounds of beads on each arm eating bathsalts and listening to tracks that sometimes sound like bad abortions.
Jan 16 2013 1:24PM
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timmi
Posts: 12874 - Karma: 3,460
Mind you I'm not into the electronic scene, that dude sounded like a petty little bitch. OOO we had it before you we did it better you guys suck everything you do is lame everything we do is right. Shut up. Music is music. Dialect is regional. People will have fun doing whatever the fuck they want.
Jan 16 2013 1:30PM
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Pancake_Fucker
Posts: 1843 - Karma: 1,914
I am happy to have never called it edm. And David guetta pisses me off.
Jan 16 2013 1:32PM
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panojibber.
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 683
This is why you don't understand what he's getting at, these criticisms make complete sense if you've compared the european scene to the north american scene.

North American electronic music and the culture surrounding it is a complete perversion of the amazing music scene that has been created so painstakingly over such a long time in Europe. There is such a wealth of beautiful electronic music coming out of Europe, but over here the scene consists of shitty, formulaic electro-house and dubstep DJs on labels like OWSLA and Mad Decent and Dim Mak and such. And then everyone in North America writes electronic music off as shitty rave music and thinks its just about the drop and having the most bass possible.
Jan 16 2013 1:42PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51629 - Karma: 162,075
Yeah america does it so well. Weak versions of the electronic genre, way too much effort into putting on pounds of bracelets and your sweet pink moonboots, and enough bathsalts to rage all night.

One a great way to party. America actually had a rave scene at one point but it was never that big like it blew up in Europe. At least that was before it it was all about bathsalts and seeing how much weight in beads you could strap on and how much neon you could find.

The new "rave" culture in America is like the extension of dave mathews lot.
Jan 16 2013 1:42PM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
Good article, too bad rock and roll isn't dead and there is far better music out there aside from electronic.
Jan 16 2013 2:02PM
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panojibber.
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 683
Apples and oranges. Comparing them is daft.
Jan 16 2013 2:05PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
Well that pretty much explains it...you don't understand the article, so why are you angry about it?
Jan 16 2013 2:08PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
Actually pleasantly surprised with the response on this thread, I was expecting a flaming ball of "fuck you British faggot" comments coming my way.
Jan 16 2013 2:10PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51629 - Karma: 162,075
I thought the american "rave" scene has been a joke for a while. It keeps getting bigger though. Also did the last two camp bisco's. Place was a shit show. At least I had some good friends and I got to jam with barber the last night.
Jan 16 2013 2:20PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
I'm sure we've had this conversation in another music thread a couple of months ago hahaha
Jan 16 2013 2:22PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
wasn't really a fan of that 'article'... more like 'opinions column'. Besides Deadmau5 being Canadian, I don't feel like the article was written very well at all.

Besides that, my knowledge of electronic music festivals at the global scale is pretty much non-existent. At a regional level though, the scene is awesome! Southern British Columbia is absolutely killing it in the electronic music festival relm between the months of July and September. From small, free, underground events like Carrington to internationally renown events like Shambala... I don't know where I'm going with this, so I guess I'm just going to stop typing now.
Jan 16 2013 2:30PM
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timmi
Posts: 12874 - Karma: 3,460
I just thought he came off as snobby and pretentious.
Jan 16 2013 2:32PM
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MNS
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 3,241
Click for larger image

but threads for when i have time.
Jan 16 2013 2:36PM
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Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
.

trying to say your whole scene is so much fun but being arrogant is a terrible way to get anyone into something
Jan 16 2013 2:36PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
Sorry, should have put a disclaimer at the top, but Canada has some seriously healthy music scenes, Toronto and Montreal areas seeing a massive growth of quality artists.
Jan 16 2013 2:55PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
I don't think you understand, the point of the article wasn't to encourage people to go to raves...and it was written as satire, much like the rest of his articles.
Jan 16 2013 2:56PM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,565
Dubstep originated from south-east london, so it's been around a lot longer for us, dubstep was being produced by garage artists before a name was given to it. It is pretty mainstream nowadays, most people my age (15/16) listen to dubstep, more than anything else I'd say.
Jan 16 2013 2:57PM
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.Tom.
Posts: 1176 - Karma: 910
So spot on, you look back and you're like, ...why? Haha.
Jan 16 2013 2:58PM
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Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
i still thought it came off as trying too hard. i'll leave
Jan 16 2013 3:00PM
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Schoellkopf
Posts: 1300 - Karma: 122
All of this. ^

Also, I thought it was a pretty funny/good read. I've never been a huge fan of "house" but I do enjoy some other genres in the electronic music category. My only complaint is his diss on live instruments. I've seen several electronic acts that utilize live instruments like Gramatik (guitar), Break Science (drums and synths), Griz (sax), and RJD2 (playing with an entire band, drums, bass, guitar, keyboard). IMO these are some of the best live electronic shows I've ever seen.

And maybe this is where I'm wrong, if the author is referencing purely and only house music then I have litte to no knowledge of the genre. A rave in my opinion is any kind "dance music" show though, so, to each their own.

Just to reiterate Arab1an's point, kids who are in the know understand that a lot of this EDM shit in the US is ridden with fratastic whorehouse bedazzled jizz kids.
Jan 16 2013 3:01PM
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Bubba-Snax
Posts: 541 - Karma: 11
I don't know if it's because i couldn't help but read the article in a condescending British accent in my head but it made me want to punch the author in the face. I agreed with most of it though. funny stuff.
Jan 16 2013 3:14PM
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foodisfun
Posts: 5427 - Karma: 287
"Time spent arguing about music is less time spent enjoying music."

listen to what you want, do what you want, wear what u want, take whatever drugs you want... i'll be in the clubs and warehouses with everyone else who doesn't give a shit what other people do
Jan 16 2013 3:51PM
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Skavengers303
Posts: 964 - Karma: 192
just sounds like a pretentious asswipe whining hipster to me.








Jan 16 2013 4:28PM
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Woman_are_equal
Posts: 24 - Karma: -23
Honestly that was very inaccurate
Jan 16 2013 4:33PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,169
Have you ever been to Toronto? Fuck that city. It is the most culturally boring repressive that I have been to. Montreal is a completely different story.
Jan 16 2013 4:47PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 361
yeah i dont care if you personally created electronic music, let alone understand the scene. That guy wrote that article like a douche
Jan 16 2013 4:50PM
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Broommasta
Posts: 764 - Karma: 56
I enjoyed that read made me laugh
Jan 16 2013 4:57PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
Not sure about the live drums thing. What's the point of trying to limit the creative possibilities of a genre?



The guy who wrote it, although correct on some of his points, sounds like a pretentious bitch.
Jan 16 2013 4:58PM
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Willgum
Posts: 3254 - Karma: 3,066
This.

Americans havent tried to copy the scene overseas, we adopted our own version. And like everything American, its bound to upset alot of people, but this is just how it goes. Seems like the writer cares a bit too much about a scene that doesnt concern him.


However, I agree with the "not every track needs a drop" bit, along with some other points the writer made.
Jan 16 2013 5:04PM
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Bmo.
Posts: 4907 - Karma: 2,667
I think you and I are some of the few kids on here who have had the amazing experience of european electronic music festivals :)


I think live drums in drum and bass tracks are siiiiiiiick


On another note, its crazy to see how rapidly america is warming up to electronic music. I've been in love with all different styles for the past 5 years, mainly trance and hardstyle, and its cool to see friends are finally getting an appreciation of it. Although I'm fucking sick of every party and radio station having a playlist of all skrillex and swedish house mafia
Jan 16 2013 5:26PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
Yeah both scenes are sick in their own ways. I really couldn't care less if people say "a molly."

Also, that article makes me think back to Soulwax's set at Hard Haunted Mansion '11. They killed it, and the majority of their set was played on drums and guitar, which proves the guy wrong on his "live drums are unacceptable" and "all dance music is electronic" points.
Jan 16 2013 5:36PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
I think he was meaning in terms of the rave/party scene rather the festival scene, which there is much less emphasis on in the UK. I think it was aimed more at the stupid gimmicks that clubs put on where you have shit like a DJ and a bongo player, or a DJ and a live saxophonist.

The article is written in a really British, satirical way, and if you read his other articles you might start to understand how to approach it better. It's a completely cliched thing to say, but I can understand why some Americans think it comes across as arrogant and snobby, because I've yet to read an American writer pull something off in the style that Clive Martin writes his articles, that type of humour doesn't seem to exist.
Jan 16 2013 5:43PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
Ah I see. That seems weird though, considering it was aimed at Americans (and so many people here DO hate on certain producers for just pushing play). Maybe I'm just missing the point
Jan 16 2013 5:55PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
I might be wrong, and I don't necessarily disagree with you - before the great DnB demise, I saw the full London Elektricity band and they were amazing, but it wasn't the same as a club environment.

Personally, I think there is just a different attitude over here about DJs, and you would be booed out of any decent club in Glasgow if people saw you were just hitting the "sync" button on Traktor, but while there may be a lot of people who hate on it in the US, it does seem to be the done thing over there with big DJs.

I think the whole DJ Shadow vs Mansion fiasco recent probably sums up the disparity between quality producers and apparently reputable clubs in the US. It's a shame because the chicago and detroit scenes (arguable less so, New York) were founded on integrity and quality, and that seems to have completely disintegrated.
Jan 16 2013 6:18PM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5852 - Karma: 4,531
I've never heard of 'EDM' must not be the sad thing in Aus.
Jan 17 2013 7:22AM
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Schoellkopf
Posts: 1300 - Karma: 122
That shit was a fucking disgrace. Did you happen to listen to the set from that night that he put on soundcloud?

And to Arab1an's point, I totally agree and understand and that's why I clarified that I was veering off from the typical rave scene. Again, I really don't know much about house/whatever other genres are played at raves so I can't really add much to that part of the conversation.
Jan 17 2013 12:03PM
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CliffyByro
Posts: 5678 - Karma: 3,903
HAHAHAHA yes. so. fucking. true.
Jan 17 2013 12:15PM
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Lord.Quasimoto
Posts: 958 - Karma: 33
spot on - really funny article. the whole deadmau5 thing is so true. im sorry deadmau5 but without mdma you'd likely be a nobody.
Jan 17 2013 1:44PM
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fortyvalve
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 1,573
was a great article but not ALL dance music is solely electronic, i layer in real guitar, bass, sometimes live drums for certain parts, and plenty of other live instruments.
Jan 17 2013 1:52PM
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alvy.
Posts: 2134 - Karma: 377
This... I saw Big Gigantic (live sax and drums) and GriZ (live sax) together and they killed it. Sax solos during the breakdowns really impressed me.

The only way his comment could have made sense was maybe house, trance? But it seems pretty fucking obvious that live drums aren't needed in those sub genres anyways lol
Jan 17 2013 2:03PM
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andrewblackie
Posts: 292 - Karma: 109
Yeah, I've listened to it all the way through. It's a bit of an obvious tracklisting for my liking, but it's technically brilliant and it was cool to see him throw some juke and footwork in there.
Jan 17 2013 2:16PM
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