Dealing with Culture Clashes

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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Dealing with Culture Clashes

If you are like me, a great set will literally entrance you and take you to beautiful place outside of your current reality.

I’ve often wondered what inspires these conductors, DJs, controllers, musicians…and I’ve often struggled with understanding the “place” for the underground sound and culture. To me…its underground, in a dank warehouse, an afterhours in downtown, the desert, the forest, the mountains or anywhere apart from the typical chains of modern civil society where crowds or masses gather to dance, love, smile, vibe, groove and harmonize.

Maybe its something you only need to deal with when you become a “big name” DJ because I guess beggars cant be choosers…or can they?

I’ve always wondered how I would deal with this. I come from what I considered to be an “underground culture” and a lot of what I play I would consider to be dark, avant garde, abstract, etc. For the most part this is what drove me to the “Rave Scene” its counter culture tribe mentality and genuine music centered passion and love (convoluted as it may seem).

Im about as "anti ‘club-culture’ " as they come. You can call me an elitist, snob, judgmental prick, etc etc…but I hate it. My experience has been that this typical following consists of self indulged, narcissistic, shallow, small minded, trendy, rude, selfish, money driven, disrespectful, conceded, plastic, fake-poser-douche bags that I’d rather not spend my time around.

In my experience they know NOTHING about the music, culture, history, DJ’s etc. They are simply there to parade themselves, “bag” the opposite sex, over indulge and just contribute to a poison in a steadily increasing commercial culture. The common clubber who “says ‘they know what is what’ but they dont know what is what…they just strut…what the fuck?!”

So…that being said. I am confused when I see big names that I respect and adore on flyers for typical “club Dulce & Gabbana” bullshit type events when their sound is grimy, underground and passionate…it seems out of place.

Is it just politics? Is it just a job like anything else? I dont know. I wonder how I would deal with this. I don’t think I could do it….how would it affect my sets? How do you all deal with it?

Im definitely not a TOTALY elitist (underground or nothing). I do have and love a lot of “EDM” that I would consider very “clubby” and even commercial but…I dont know.

What do you all think?

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http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=59779

nice post man i share you’re attitude

i think there’s inevitably going to be grey areas. and i guess it also depends on whos promoting the gig…

this pic pretty accurately sums up my opinion. not only of music but of the entire world

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it’s just business, it’s what it all comes down to. DJs/producers may have the right mindset and heart, but in the end, a gig is a gig and they don’t control promotions. money makes the world go round..unfortunately :confused:

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Ah, Music for the Jilted Generation

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In my opinion, there really is no such thing as being ‘underground’ now a days. With the internet being the way it is, once something groundbreaking hits it spreads fast ad becomes popular, and not just in music. Could be fashion, art, cinema and so on.

As far as clubs, could just be the clubs you are going to? I’ve been to a number of clubs in Canada, Mexico and South America where the crowds are up to date on the musica and are really into hearing new and exciting music.

I never got into the Rave culture myself, as the few I attended it seems all everyone wanted to do was get fucked up on any substance they could. Funny part is, years later I still see some of these people and they haven’t changed at all. Still listening to the same music from 6-7 years ago, still wearing the same clothes, still stuck at the same dead end jobs and still living at home, and they are still looking to get fucked up. These people are more worried about being about being part of the “anti-culture” and not really into the music.

It goes both ways I guess, just hard to find good people on the level who know about the music.

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the “underground” are people who do their own thing, regardless of whether it fits into what’s “hot” on the charts. my opinion though

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lol im glad im not the only dj who hates everything about club coulture besides the music. I suspect it’s a similar feeling for all us geeky guys who’ve ironically carved ourselves a niche in “cool-kid” territory bhahaha.

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who’s a geek? lol speak for your self buddy :stuck_out_tongue:

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I saw that pic and immediately thought of that album, even 15 odd years later :stuck_out_tongue: “Fuck 'em, and their law!”

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there is most certainly still an underground. any gig that isn’t promoted in public is underground. they may be rare but they’re still about

hopefully not sounding like a prick, i think the problem here is that you never got into rave culture. once youve absorbed by it you’ll find the underground

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Amen Kaon, preach it!

It looks like Nephew and I may actually be experiencing similar issues from different perspectives (maybe). I can definitely see where he is coming from at least from the whole “all they want to do is get fucked up”.

I got into the rave scene very late actually (2000…but have been a disciple of the music since the late 80’s). I was fortunate enough to have experienced some really great moments and times. It was dying out when I got in and everybody saw it coming. It was sad to see the effects of excess and money. I 've seen kids go into convulsions, get taken out by medics, etc (not cool).

A few years back I tried going to the massive type of event I used to go to and it was just sad (literally depressing). You could FEEL the lack of genuine tangible tribal passion. In it’s place were grade school kids looking to get fucked up and what seemed like knee-jerk followers with nothing better to do…it was like a cheesy high school dance.

Anyway, there is still most definitely an underground for those who prefer it.

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thought this was an interesting perspective. its pretty berif but a good read

http://www.obsolete.com/ecstasy/rave.html

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if anyone hasnt seen this they must :wink:

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I think the whole rave/club thing is a false dichotomy. If you think that all clubs are in the haircut/shoes/shirt it shows that you don’t know much about clubs.

I also think that if you think all raves are places where open-minded free thinkers congregate to listen to cutting edge music, then you’re also kidding yourself.

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100% Totally agree. Its a non argument from the beginning.
Reverse snobbery is worse than snobbery in music.

I also think that this picture:

Is either misinterpreted OR stupid teenage bollocks.
This nu-hippy ethic is the most selfish pile of crap ive ever heard.
If society is changing for the worse dont opt out. Get involved and change it.

Life isnt all free drugs and music . Its hard choices and supporting the guy next to you.
Running away solves nothing.

Communist writer Bakunin said " The Destructive Urge is a creative urge"
meaning if its not working SMASH IT UP and make something better in its place but dont run away from it cus all that does is leave the people who cant run away behind. The poor, the disenfranchised .

Society is the most important thing we have . Its the only natural thing in human existence. Its the only thing that can be said to be true “human nature” .
Dropping out is unnatural . The hippy ethic has been bastardised so much its no longer relevant.

I dunno some band :wink: once sang “come together as one”
John Lennon is thought to have regreted all the Hair Peace stuff and decided that standing up and getting involved was a better idea (altho it was Yoko that said that so who knows, shes as mad as a bicycle)

Get Up Stand Up.

[rant/]

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Completely agree about the pic too K. I’ve been involved in both the free party scene and clubs for a fair old while, and I can say that some of the darkest things I’ve ever seen have been at raves, which is ironic seeing as the right hand side of the bridge in the pic is some sort of MDMA-fuelled rural idyll.

Pretty fucking far from the truth ime.

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i dislike this as much as anyone else who fancies artistic integrity in music, but nothing clears a floor like music that appeals only to small, specific segments of the style spectrum. them’s the ropes, and if i ever develop a problem with that i’ll retreat back to the bedroom and play to myself and my tiny handful of friends who share the same opinion.

there are small underground events that are better suited for the critically focused styles. it’s a bit unfair to complain that the masses don’t accept what is subjectively called true art by the purist, progressive, and intellectual set.

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the first time i watched Pink Floyd The Wall was also the first time I indulged in a quad of some of the best LSD i’ve ever sampled back in my highschool days. it sounds funny saying a movie changed my life, but under those circumstances it most certainly did :smiley: !

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that movie is trippy sober.

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I hear this argument, and frequent a lot of “parties” that is what people in Dallas are calling raves these days. Some nights DJ’s play your “mainstream” remixes that I prefer, other nights heavy drum and base, and some DJ’s play shit. Most large cities have scenes for everyone, and just be glad that your city has a scene that you can be involved in. This past weekend Dallas had events Wednesday night CLASSIXX as well as MC FLIPSIDE on Friday and 2 big parties with 10 plus acts on Saturday, I am thankful for this, but read on…
Recently the Dallas message boards have been full of people just bitching about stuff, and I wish we could all just get along, I think Nephew said it right

I have noticed the same thing and these “old” people are just burnt out and never happy. Some people need to know when to move on from the scene and stay home more nights. No offense but after a couple of years at these parties people need to think about moving on and letting the younger kids move into the scene.