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Raving by McKenzie Wark, touches on both scholarly and personal aspects of the art and culture of raving. Really reveals the importance of community and sociological implications of special musical spaces. Especially recommended if you're interested in the trans community, raving culture, electronic music, COVID and the social scene, etc.
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I could read British nerds talking about electronic music – both about the music itself and the philosophy of it all – pretty much all day. Anyone got recs for more recent music scene culture, semi-reporting type books? Already read Heads by Jesse Jarnow and loved it. I have not ready any other books by Simon Reynolds. Thinking about diving into the history of the Midwest Rave scene next, something I know nothing about.
"Rave provokes the question: is it possible to base a culture around sensations rather than truths, fascination rather than meaning?"
"Where earlier style terrorist subcultures like mod and punk were exhibitionist, a kick-in-the-eye of straight society, rave is a form of collective disappearance, an investment in pleasure that shouldn’t be written off as mere retreatism or disengagement."
"Rave culture has no goal beyond its own propagation; it is about the celebration of celebration, about an intensity without pretext or context."
"Rave provokes the question: is it possible to base a culture around sensations rather than truths, fascination rather than meaning?"
"Where earlier style terrorist subcultures like mod and punk were exhibitionist, a kick-in-the-eye of straight society, rave is a form of collective disappearance, an investment in pleasure that shouldn’t be written off as mere retreatism or disengagement."
"Rave culture has no goal beyond its own propagation; it is about the celebration of celebration, about an intensity without pretext or context."
2d ago
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☔Such a smart trans writer and incidentally a gem of a person. I just finished "Raving" and I felt very wrapped up in a little corner of community in a nourishing/reassuring way. Also check out "Capital is Dead" if you need motivation to divest from "social media" (pejorative) and post-capitalist digital platforms. A gift. Stay safe bb <3
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📖I read this book when I was 18 and it fully changed my life. I had never read such an eloquent take on the auditory feast that surrounds us. It certainly validated my obsession with environmental sounds and industrial horror shows like military jets ripping through the fabric of the sky… Schafer is a Canadian composer who talks at length about how Sound is so esoteric, it alludes to institutionalization, but never has been like the visual arts. The inherent subjectivity of sound makes it so difficult to formally discuss…yet we aren’t willing to admit that we’ve designed our industrialized society to mostly sound like shit. Sound is a bit of an afterthought. But we sit within the vibrations of the jarring sounds we create all the time. Maybe if we cared about what things sounded like, our environment would reflect a rich buffet of natural auditory phenomena and intentionally curated spaces, and then maybe we’d all feel physically more in tune?
Oct 4, 2023
Top Recs from @oreyeyed
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🎭If you’re performative for the sake of people pleasing and attracting romance then it makes you lose your colour. But if you’re intentionally performative and choose your persona day to day as you please it’s suddenly hilarious and enjoyable. (With moderation of course, can’t be too fake cause being genuine matters.)
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Yes except I've been rejecting it so much and now I have nearly chronic fatigue lmao
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Just not a fan. I could be enjoying so many other things but my dumb body and brain need to shut down for so long. Not that it doesn't feel good but I'd rather it was elective and that not doing it didn't have serious consequences
May 22, 2025
