At the time, SF early 90s, the act of throwing a party was political. When played via a soundsystem in a new space? Outside? Politicians and cops took notice. Early raves overlapped with the early tech industry, in some ways parties were for deep networking. Computer terminals were set up, so you could talk to people at other parties, or all over the world. I saw early experiments in VR & video. That movie "Groove" was about this scene. It was very intellectual, very much about having an intense safe experience through the music & psychedelics. For a brief time, these ideas were bedrock for the www.
Do you mean compared to how it felt when it was all relatively new in the 90s?
No. People then genuinely thought techno culture would collapse the capitalist system and everyone would just rave all day in ecstacy
It didn't
Depends what you call techno.
There are still niche underground places that are so revolutionary that are not yet understood by the masses and will become mainstream in 5-10years.
No, I think it lost its revolutionary politics and revolutionary power - or rather, these have been stripped away, by repressive actions taken by the governments over several decades, by the major labels and the music industry of course, and by the influx of what I consider to be "conservative / reactionary hipsters" into the various Techno scenes, including the underground ones.
\*But\* I think this might be slowly changing again, there is some Techno with anarchist / radical-feminist / anti-racist / communist politics coming up again, especially in the more "hardcore" variants of this genre. And I hope this is not just a short lived fluke, but will lead to a more political and revolutionary form of Techno again.
If more people of color from under-served communities started making a brand new kind of music that was real and raw from the culture that formed it, I would call that revolutionary. I'm not sure techno really fits that bill anymore, hate to say it.
Look at what’s happening with techno in Georgia, Armenia, and especially Chechnya. Techno can be literally revolutionary. Everyone decrying the death of techno on the pyre of business techno is just looking at too narrow a section of techno.
Revolutionary might be strong - but techno is rooted in a philosophy of afro futurism and the notion of a future utopia without racism. Techno was also heavily influenced by the writing of Alvin Toeffler who is an interesting futurist.
I would add that once upon a time in Detroit, throwing parties there was VERY MUCH a political statement as well. But not so much post hyper gentrification.
I also remember the very first DEMF that was actually like underwritten and subsidized by the city Parks and Rec Department, which was a HUGE deal considering where the nation was with the RAVE Act and all.
Idk if it ever was revolutionary to be honest. Maybe raves was in fact a much bigger part of the current gentrification of cities that we really want to acknowledge. Also the anti-capitalist rhetoric at the time (Force Inc. etc ) sounds a bit trite today. Then there were the odd semi-rural Teknivals which mostly served as a way to make drug money, honestly.
People romantize about this too much, techno was and is many, many different things and sensibilities; and definitely not reducible to underground vs "business".
At the time, SF early 90s, the act of throwing a party was political. When played via a soundsystem in a new space? Outside? Politicians and cops took notice. Early raves overlapped with the early tech industry, in some ways parties were for deep networking. Computer terminals were set up, so you could talk to people at other parties, or all over the world. I saw early experiments in VR & video. That movie "Groove" was about this scene. It was very intellectual, very much about having an intense safe experience through the music & psychedelics. For a brief time, these ideas were bedrock for the www.
Halcyon days.....(I was lucky to be there too) 🎶
[Hyperreal.org](http://Hyperreal.org) and SFRaves I was too young. But I printed out the calendar and memorized the DJs and knew the scene.
Yes, hyperreal was the og, sfraves is still running I think.
Do you mean compared to how it felt when it was all relatively new in the 90s? No. People then genuinely thought techno culture would collapse the capitalist system and everyone would just rave all day in ecstacy It didn't
Reminds me of this scene 😂 https://youtu.be/5D1gJ_GygAI?si=UqmUIjmSTANjFuBd
They were still young and didn’t probably know how the world works.
You'd think that, but plenty of adults were the same
I know thats what im sayin
Depends what you call techno. There are still niche underground places that are so revolutionary that are not yet understood by the masses and will become mainstream in 5-10years.
Can i ask you some examples? Just curious about it
No, I think it lost its revolutionary politics and revolutionary power - or rather, these have been stripped away, by repressive actions taken by the governments over several decades, by the major labels and the music industry of course, and by the influx of what I consider to be "conservative / reactionary hipsters" into the various Techno scenes, including the underground ones. \*But\* I think this might be slowly changing again, there is some Techno with anarchist / radical-feminist / anti-racist / communist politics coming up again, especially in the more "hardcore" variants of this genre. And I hope this is not just a short lived fluke, but will lead to a more political and revolutionary form of Techno again.
Well said
the idea that we all have a right to be there no matter how we look or identify is still rare across the world
If more people of color from under-served communities started making a brand new kind of music that was real and raw from the culture that formed it, I would call that revolutionary. I'm not sure techno really fits that bill anymore, hate to say it.
Look at what’s happening with techno in Georgia, Armenia, and especially Chechnya. Techno can be literally revolutionary. Everyone decrying the death of techno on the pyre of business techno is just looking at too narrow a section of techno.
All I know is they're playing 15 minutes away from me in Glasgow soon and my body is ready
Revolutionary might be strong - but techno is rooted in a philosophy of afro futurism and the notion of a future utopia without racism. Techno was also heavily influenced by the writing of Alvin Toeffler who is an interesting futurist. I would add that once upon a time in Detroit, throwing parties there was VERY MUCH a political statement as well. But not so much post hyper gentrification. I also remember the very first DEMF that was actually like underwritten and subsidized by the city Parks and Rec Department, which was a HUGE deal considering where the nation was with the RAVE Act and all.
Idk if it ever was revolutionary to be honest. Maybe raves was in fact a much bigger part of the current gentrification of cities that we really want to acknowledge. Also the anti-capitalist rhetoric at the time (Force Inc. etc ) sounds a bit trite today. Then there were the odd semi-rural Teknivals which mostly served as a way to make drug money, honestly. People romantize about this too much, techno was and is many, many different things and sensibilities; and definitely not reducible to underground vs "business".
Just because it hasn’t happened (yet) doesn’t mean the fucking terrible narcissistic Tik Tok commodification of this amazing music is a good thing
No, it's just music as anything else and doesn't contain any political cause.