RESEARCH

Melbourne has a rich rave history that dates back to the late ‘80s. The Thump Documentary, The Birth of Melbourne’s Rave Scene, is an inspiration for our digital story. We will be creating a story of the present scene which has been shaped by its predecessor. Before we conduct our interviews with current Melbourne DJs, it’s important to know the history that established the DJ culture we see today.

 

Starting in 1988, the rave scene in Melbourne had both music and fashion influences from “the Manchester warehouse scene, the Detroit techno warehouse parties, the Chicago house black/gay scene and the trance beach parties of Goa” (Siokou & Moore, 2008, pp.51). Though it was impacted by other rave movements, Melbourne soon constructed its own party culture. Techno capitals, such as Berlin and Detroit, began to recognize Melbourne due to its excitement and creativity (Poe, 2017). DJs loved playing in Melbourne because of the crowd’s passion for the music, some even declared Melbourne as the world’s ‘Techno City’. The scene created a safe space for women, the queer community, and other minorities.

 

Dave Pham, a DJ who grew up during the ‘90s techno scene in Melbourne described how it brought cultures together:

It really felt like you were in a movement with everybody, and without sounding cheesy, that sense of unity was really there. A lot more friendships were made…with different cultures. It didn’t even cross your mind that you were talking to this type of person with a different background – I think we were so into what we were into collectively, and there was a common ground with everyone, that it really unified everybody…On the other side of things you’ll always hear the ugly side of racism… Fortunately with music and the impact that it had on those people involved in it… it didn’t feel like there were any issues at all, which is really wonderful… Whether they were more open-minded, or whether they had an opportunity to spend time with different people, maybe that gave them a different perspective (Poe, 2014).

 

Now, almost 20 years have passed, how has the scene changed and is there still this collective energy?

 

American DJ, Derrick May, “championed Melbourne for so many years. He was amazed and always couldn’t wait to come back… He still feels that Melbourne never lost that magic and that excitement” (Poe, 2014).

 

Davide Carbone is an influential DJ on Melbourne’s club and rave scene from the late 80’s to early 90’s. He believes that Melbourne has always been and continues to be empowered by its focus on culture, different to Sydney who has different licensing laws, venue laws, and shutout times (Poe, 2017).

 

Today, technology has not only changed how DJs make and play their music, but also how they self-promote themselves through social media. However, the key factors to being a ‘good DJ’ remain. When a DJ plays a set, their talent is assessed by their performance in creating a narrative that is acknowledged through the audience dancing (Gerard, 2004, pp.176). “If club dancing is expressive, it's collaborative expression; it involves the clubber, the crowd and the DJ working together. The clubber expresses as she dances; the DJ, at the same time, is improvising and expressing as they build their set” (Wiltshire, 2016, pp.428).

 

Though it may be different to the ‘90s, dance culture is thriving in Melbourne today. We will talk to local DJs of different levels of experience about their journey within the ‘Night Music’ lifestyle.

 

Our target audience will be those interested in techno, house, and electronica music, whether it be listening to or playing as DJs themselves. A survey of 500 ravers and 70 DJs, operated by the University of Melbourne, found that people under 19 makeup 30% of the people who go to raves, 23% 20-21, 20% 22-23, and 21% over 24. It also determined that the socioeconomic background of Melbourne ravers fluctuates but leans towards the edge of affluent (Sioku, 2002, pp.12). Therefore, we will focus on middle to upper class, young adults between 18 - 25 years old, located in Melbourne.

 

References:

 

Gerard, M. (2015). Selecting ritual: DJs, dancers and liminality in underground dance music. In: G. St John, ed., Rave Culture and Religion. [online] London: Routledge, pp.166-183. Available at: http://voidnetwork.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Rave-Culture-and-Religion-edited-by-Graham-St.-John.pdf#page=182 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2018].

 

Poe, J. (2014). Inside 'Techno City': Melbourne's clubbing history with Dave Pham. [online] inthemix. Available at: http://inthemix.junkee.com/inside-techno-city-melbournes-clubbing-history-with-dave-pham/24630 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2018].

 

Poe, J. (2017). An oral history of the Melbourne rave scene, 1988-1997. [online] Red Bull. Available at: https://www.redbull.com/au-en/melbourne-rave-scene-oral-history-1988-1997 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2018].

 

Siokou, C. (2002). Seeking the vibe: An analysis of the Melbourne rave scene. Youth Studies Australia, [online] 21(1), pp.11-18. Available at: https://search-informit-com-au.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/fullText;dn=200203513;res=IELAPA [Accessed 10 Apr. 2018].

 

Siokou, C. and Moore, D. (2008). 'This Is Not a Rave!': Changes in the Commercialised Melbourne Rave/Dance Party Scene. Youth Studies Australia, [online] 27(3), pp.50-57. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christine_Siokou/publication/269097356_%27This_Is_Not_a_Rave%27_Changes_in_the_Commercialised_Melbourne_RaveDance_Party_Scene/links/547fb52f0cf2ccc7f8bb0527.pdf [Accessed 10 Apr. 2018].

 

The Birth of Melbourne’s Rave Scene. (2015). [video] Melbourne: Thump.

Wiltsher, N. (2016). The Aesthetics of Electronic Dance Music, Part II: Dancers, DJs, Ontology and Aesthetics. Philosophy Compass, [online] 11(8), pp.426-436. Available at: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/doi/epdf/10.1111/phc3.12332 [Accessed 10 Apr. 2018].