Familiarity Breeds Contempt ? Is Techno Losing Its Edge ?

[Jay Pace]

temporarily, yes. but how much is of lasting significance? how did raves affect politics or social life beyond the confines of the raves themselves?

Like I said, its legacy has mainly been the laws and powers that were drawn up specifically to combat the terror of "music partly or wholly characterised by repetitive beats". Those laws continue to be used today, to subjugate otherwise lawful assemblies of people whose only crime is to be playing music.

Article technorich posted is great. This:

Fifteen years on, there is little pleasure to be gained from saying "we told you so". But the manner in which a law designed to prevent the wholesale mayhem of Castlemorton can now be used to foreclose a birthday party should serve as a stark warning to those currently considering a raft of other illiberal legislation, from the coroners and justice bill to the various ID card proposals. Those who deride the contributors to liberty central when they warn about the incessant creep of police powers, or who scoff at "slippery slope" arguments around civil liberties, should bear in mind that we stood at the top of one of those slopes only 15 short years ago, and we have slid a long way down it since.

It hasn't been a particular positive legacy, but its been an important one - raves redefined the relationship between the police and the public.

[SlavikSvensk]

Like I said, its legacy has mainly been the laws and powers that were drawn up specifically to combat the terror of "music partly or wholly characterised by repetitive beats". Those laws continue to be used today, to subjugate otherwise lawful assemblies of people whose only crime is to be playing music.

Article technorich posted is great. This:

It hasn't been a particular positive legacy, but its been an important one - raves redefined the relationship between the police and the public.

Fair enough, but I still don't see how this makes raves a social revolution, which I think many people at the time genuinely thought it was. My original point was that it didn't deliver on its promise of entirely new social relations, a new politics and so on. Probably the promise itself was delusional, for those who bought into it. Well-intentioned, but naive...

That said, great music and parties.

[djshiva]

Fair enough, but I still don't see how this makes raves a social revolution, which I think many people at the time genuinely thought it was. My original point was that it didn't deliver on its promise of entirely new social relations, a new politics and so on. Probably the promise itself was delusional, for those who bought into it. Well-intentioned, but naive...

That said, great music and parties.

I think it's essential to separate the lofty (mostly drug induced) lovey dovey rhetoric and look at the reality. Catchphrases and big ideas are just ideology.

Look, I came up in the DIY political punk scene in the late 80s/early 90s. Was there any measurable social change that came from that? Again, books have been written on this. No need for me to retread old ground. Well, it had a MAJOR influence on me personally, and I have continued doing my best to stay true to DIY principles where I can, and I work for a progressive nonprofit. All of that stems from punk rock, and to a certain degree, from the rave scene as well.

Am I the only one? I damn well doubt it. Is this anecdotal? Totally. But still no less true.

And the political/legal ramifications of the culture are undeniable. It changed laws. It made people have to stand up and fight.

CJB is one example. In the States, they took us apart state by state, city by city. The fight was still there, but it was a very different one, and in a lot of ways, MUCH more difficult. But it still happened. And there are people I talk to today who are still involved with groups fighting the criminalization of our culture.

[DannyBlack]

I think it's essential to separate the lofty (mostly drug induced) lovey dovey rhetoric and look at the reality. Catchphrases and big ideas are just ideology.

Look, I came up in the DIY political punk scene in the late 80s/early 90s. Was there any measurable social change that came from that? Again, books have been written on this. No need for me to retread old ground. Well, it had a MAJOR influence on me personally, and I have continued doing my best to stay true to DIY principles where I can, and I work for a progressive nonprofit. All of that stems from punk rock, and to a certain degree, from the rave scene as well.

Am I the only one? I damn well doubt it. Is this anecdotal? Totally. But still no less true.

And the political/legal ramifications of the culture are undeniable. It changed laws. It made people have to stand up and fight.

CJB is one example. In the States, they took us apart state by state, city by city. The fight was still there, but it was a very different one, and in a lot of ways, MUCH more difficult. But it still happened. And there are people I talk to today who are still involved with groups fighting the criminalization of our culture.