A rave is a “party or event attended by large numbers of young people, involving drug use and dancing to fast, electronic music” (Dictionary).
With the aid of European and American techno music, raves emerged from 1980s dance parties and from that came the electronic dance music that is so well-known today (Justice). Over the course of a few decades, raves became much more well-established with companies such as Insomniac Events and Ultra Enterprises hosting some of the largest raves in the world, including Tomorrow Land, Ultra Music Festival and EDC (Electronic Daisy Carnival).
This antiestablishment type of party which featured electronic music like techno, house, trance and drum, and base originated in Europe in the 1980s (Anderson & Kavanaugh, 2007). In fact, they emerged as secretive after-hours clubs, open to only a selected group of people. In England, they were popularly called ‘acid houses’ and later they spread to other European nations like Germany, Sweden, and France.
In the 1990s, the rave phenomenon increased in tempo but it was more of a commercial activity, making them less secretive. Investors wanted many to attend to capitalize on mass sales and marketing.
With the establishment of raves came the subculture filled with individuals striving for a community of other like-minded people, expressing themselves through their skills in creativity and the desire for an unforgettable adventure or in some cases, an escape. The rave community is one that is full of diversity, a strong sense of unity and companionship. Unlike most other communities that require a person to know someone to successfully integrate into the group and have a good time, rave culture is free of those requirements.
According to Phoenix Rodriguez, a member of the subculture, “. . .you can run around with a complete no one and have a really fun time.” This is a subculture in which everyone is able to meet and talk with anyone without having to meet any prerequisites, which is arguably one of the most interesting aspects of this culture. One of the many things members of this culture came up with in regards to the community aspect is their “slogan” PLUR, which stands for peace, love, unity and respect.
According to Scott R. Hutson, a graduate student of The Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, “Explaining unity, the third pillar of the rave motto PLUR (Peace Love Unity Respect), ravers state that ‘[rave] has the ability and power of transcending all the minor details, no matter what race, creed, or religion’” (Hutson 66).
When asked what PLUR meant to her, Rodriguez responded with, “peace for the mind, love anyone and everyone, unify under music and respect everyone.” PLUR also plays a role in the exchanging of kandi bracelets, but in a motion that requires the hand to make various shapes and ending with two hands clasping and pulling the bracelets over each others hand to each others wrist.
Kandi bracelets, or more commonly referred to as kandi, are trinkets made by ravers with the intent to show off and sometimes trade away. Trading kandi, however, is not a common act and is only done when both ravers possess an equally appealing bracelet or if the raver comes across a person who is attending their first rave, in which case the newcomer is simply given one.
In addition to kandi playing a large role in the community, another driving factor for community building is the music and disc jockeys (DJs) playing at the events. According to Hutson, “in short, with the help of the DJ. . .ravers embark on an overnight journey to a primitive paradise where individuality is left behind and community is achieved” (Hutson 71).
Sociologically, night raves became more than normal partying that were known to be within the confines of the law. That is, they emerged as a socially inclined peculiar night-outs that were characterized by emerging European youths trying to identify with their own unique identity.
Raves play a multitude of EDM genres including, but not limited to, trance, trap, hardstyle and house. Stages are usually set up at these events in accordance to the type of genre being played. One of the most popular, if not the most popular genre at these raves, is trance music because of how it affects people. According to Hutson, “. . .ravers suggest dancing to trance music can bind communities together” (Hutson 70).
On a side note, the trance genre houses some of the most famous and influential DJs in the world such as Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Paul van Dyk and many more. This explains why this particular genre is so widely known and popular. With bigger and more well-known artists playing at raves, more and more people will attend which in turn builds that community. Creativity is one of the driving forces for freedom of expression in this subculture.
According to Hutson, “. . .ravers often make individualistic spectacles of themselves through flashy dancing, wild clothing, and fluorescent accessories” (Hutson 59). Through the use of clothing that is fuzzy, colorful, skimpy and bright, people can accurately show off the creative side of this subculture. When a person walks into an event, they are greeted with loud music, flashing lights and all the bright and colorful clothes the members of this subculture wear. When asked to give her opinion, Rodriguez states, “yeah, we wear our shit with pride. . ..”
People in the community seem to have a large sense of creativity that can only be expressed through items they wear to these events. Almost everything that a raver wears is completely handmade. Kandi bracelets are among the most commonly worn items that are hand crafted. These bracelets come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes from simple bracelets with a few color patterns to an intricate cuff looking bracelet similar to middle aged vambracers in size.
A quick Google search reveals the dedication people put into making these bracelets/cuffs as items other than just beads are sometimes attached such as small stuffed animals and childrens toy keys to add more flare and creativity (Google). Even though by making and wearing all of these items makes the person appear creative, it can also be attributed to a childhood obsession with intentional or unintentional results.
On the topic of childhood obsession in regards to females, Hutson argues that women might dress sexually, but they then overturn that oversexualization by wearing items that include stuffed animals, smiley face logos, lunch boxes, pacifiers and/or Hello Kitty backpacks, thus removing themselves from sexual situations (Hutson 69).
Ravers can be seen walking around with pacifiers and lollipops leading one to believe there is some intense longing to once again be a child. Ravers often wear outfits that seem childlike. These outfits include an assortment of childlike clothing and trinkets such as a colorful unicorn hoodie with the horn and hair on top of the hood and colored fuzzy stockings that cover their entire legs.
By wearing and adorning themselves with such items, male and female ravers unintentionally show off a form of innocence and immaturity. One of the main reasons why people attend raves is because people in this culture have a burning desire for adventure. People who go to raves are seen as celebrating life and want to have other people around them (either at the entire event or in the general vicinity) celebrate it with them.
When asked about what she had seen in regards to this, Rodriguez responded with, “. . .I’ve seen strangers party with each other like they’ve known each other their whole lives.”
This also re-enforces the “no requirements” narrative about being a community. A person is even able to attend an event alone and join any group there with no protests from said group.
On another note, drug use is as common as the sight of kandi bracelets. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy or E) is the most commonly used club drug at these events and is most commonly used by young adults. According to Shamila Nanda, a public health, addiction medicine and psychiatry specialist, “According to the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 12 million adolescents and young adults (12 and older) reported use of club drugs at least once (Nanda 710). The drug use fits in with a common criticism of raves, that people only attend these events to get high.
When asked about this, Rodriguez said, “the drugs are like enhancers. . .I wouldn’t say they take away from the community.” But some will argue it not only takes away from the community, but makes raves and the people who attend them a target for negative criticism. From an outsider’s perspective, ravers can be seen as just attending these events as an excuse to get high with their friends. With this in mind, it can also be seen as people dodging responsibility.
People who go to these events can be seen as trying to escape from the “harshness of reality”. By entering a sort of a fantasy land, the person is relieved of any responsibility pertaining to their everyday lives such as work, school, bills and family which can be seen as something dragging them down in their lives. The prevalence of drug use also adds on to the aspect of escaping. On the topic of the negative effects of drug use at raves, raves have been cracked down on by law officials due to the unfortunate deaths of teenagers at raves related to drug use.
Los Angeles lawmakers, for example, have talked about outright banning raves from LA County. However, on March 1st, 2016, Los Angeles lawmakers decided to not ban it. According to the journalist, Paige Austin, lawmakers instead came to the decision of “voting instead to move forward with an ordinance that allows case-by-case consideration of ‘mass gathering events’ expected to draw 10,000 people or more on county property or in unincorporated areas” (Austin).
This further adds to the stigma of raves being perceived as dangerous and at times, life threatening. It is impossible to completely control and regulate everyone that attends raves. Knowing this to be true, rave hosts have taken steps to ensure the safety of others by providing health services to all who attend that require them.
According to the journalist, Chris Hong, rave hosts have taken steps to improve safety by implementing “harm reduction efforts like on-site drug checking and psychedelic first aid services have proven effective in educating attendees about safe festing and decreasing drug-related incidents” (Hong). A common question to ask in regards to any subculture is whether or not it conflicts with the dominant culture and why.
For the record, to say that there is only one dominant culture in the United States is a very subjective thing to say contrary to the contradiction. For the sake of arguing, however, it does conflict with the status quo.
During the 1970s, president Richard Nixon fortified the War on Drugs which still echoes into the policy making of combatting illegal substance use of today (Nixon). For example, conservatives and traditionally right-leaning people view those who use drugs as anti-establishment, anti-authority etc and thus, politically left-leaning in their eyes.
According to Hutson, “much of the academic discourse on raves focuses on the rave as a form of escape from the social order” (Hutson 54).
Ravers are then conflated with the Left’s liberal stigmas such as being lazy and entitled people who want to shrug off responsibility. By going to raves, those people are therefore categorized as such because of the atmosphere surround raves and both views clash with each other. Conservatives are more for the individual while left-leaning people will value collectivism and prosperity among others, regarding everyone as equals.
Regardless of the opinion of others, the community continues to grow in size each year with the appeal of the creative sense of fashion, music and the people who attend drawing in troves. The welcoming community established by the rave subculture lives on through their perseverance and willingness for adventure.
