ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC AND YOUTH CULTURE:

EXPLORING CHANGE AND CONSEQUENCE

IN THE 21st CENTURY

Club Fluid Dance floor, Philly

The subculture surrounding electronic dance music took shape in the late 1980s and early 1990s at underground rave parties. Numerous social changes have, however, occurred since then to transform this subculture into a mainstream, youth-oriented global activity.

Burningman Music Festival-Nevada, 2003Burningman Music Festival-Nevada, 2003

Electronica, in general, is exploding on the national and, especially, the international scene. It is a legitimate popular culture phenomenon of the 21st century.

DJ CP at Techno Parade in Belgium, Summer 2003

Major production houses and national retail stores are making room for dance CDs. Economically speaking, electronica comprises a growing portion of the multi-billion dollar pop music industry in the U.S. alone.

The DJ Booth at

Tribecca Nightclub, Philly.

Electronica brings life to places that lay dormant and offers optimism to the cynical. In addition to the stimulation, electronic dance music fosters connection and shared identity.

Jazzy Jeff at the Five Spot

It’s a universal language, something that reduces the space between people, while broadening their minds.

DJ CP at Techno Parade in Belgium, Summer 2003

As electronica has expanded, it has attracted new groups of people and created new genres of music, identities and behaviors. Who and what are they? What explains the subculture’s wide appeal?

Fans at Club Fluid, Philly 2003

What are the new subcultural divisions and around what principals are they organized?

Vesago Party at Shampoo- Philly, 2003

How does electronica benefit the lives of those involved?

Vesago Party at Shampoo- Philly, 2003

When do consequences arise? How are they managed?

What can the electronica lifestyle teach us about social change, young adulthood and collective/group identity?

John Digweed and DJ CP @

Club Fuse in France, 2003

The growth of electronic dance culture has, however, created a “moral panic.” Since the early rave days, use of mood-altering substances (like ecstasy, GHB, and Ketamine) have been part of the dance music scene. History shows the connection between music, youth culture and drug use is persistent.

Vesago Party at Shampoo- Philly, 2003

MORAL PANIC!!!!!!!

The perceived danger of this connection is what drives today’s moral panic. Pointing to official data, legislators have acted swiftly and harshly (implementing new and tougher laws, broadening law enforcement powers, and stiffer penalties for violators), thereby, situating electronica within the War on Drugs.

MORAL

PANIC

Electro Icon at Burningman Festival, Nevada- 2003

Legislation32

MDMA, GHB, Rohypnol, and ketamine have all been scheduled under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The Schedules of the club

drugs are as follows:

MDMA—Schedule I as of 1998 GHB—Schedule I as of 2000

         Rohypnol—Schedule IV as of 1984          Ketamine—Schedule III as of 1999

 

Club Drugs Legislation

• Illicit Drug Anti-Proliferation Act 2003– Scheduled club drugs with the controlled substances

act- by DEA, increased penalties for sale and use.

– Makes it a felony to provide a space for the purpose of illegal drug use, intended to cover the promoters of raves and other dance events. Adjusts wording of so-called crack house law to cover temporary locations.

– Other laws pending (CLEAN-UP Act)

Unfortunately, official data are troubling. The 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH 2002) revealed more than half a million people (676,000) reported using ecstasy in the past month. This is about four and a half times the number of current heroin users. The largest group of users are between 18 and 25 years of age.  

Candy Kid @ Vesago Party, Philly 2003

New civil rights issues have arisen from the Rave Act, which is currently being debated and contested by many political groups, including the ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance.

DJ Darvon at Burningman Festival, 2003

Are party promoters and DJs unfairly taking the heat for this panic? Most research, including my own, has found that DJs are the creative force behind electronica. They are the leaders of this international phenomena. Please welcome two icons in today’s electronic dance music scene. Philadelphia’s own:

DJ Circuit Breaker

Best of Hard Techno!!

Nigel Richards

Best of Techno/Electro!!

611

Records

Nigel’s latest CD- On sale now ---

EVERY WHERE!!!

DJ Circuit Breaker’s Next Show-

Halloween at Emerald City, PhillyHalloween at Emerald City, Philly

www.611Records.comwww.611Records.com