Post 10 - Opera

At a hotel in West Layfayette, IN today. Youtube, nor any other videos will load from the internet here, so I'll be making my post upon my return on Wednesday evening.

Post 9 - Avatar Music

The music score of the movie and the music of the na'vi both seem to be ripped from pages in the same book, so to speak. They seem to have the same sort of western influence in the instrumentation and general rhythmic feel. Both sides seem to dawn the same orchestral interludes and movements.

What distinctly sets the music of the na'vi apart from the rest of the movie's music score is the lyrics. The general music score of the movie contains a lot of harmonic, English vocals. The music of the na'vi replaces them with chanting and strong drum beats. They also tend to add a taste of African or Asian music to that of the na'vi with the occasional flute or drum far different than those found in western music.

I find that the music of the na'vi is made different enough from that of the movie's music score to stand out. However, the the general feeling from the movie received in part from its music, never strays far from and empathizes with that of the na'vi.

Music Ethnography

Every weekend, popular nightclubs are host to DJs that supply music for a group of inebriated and incoherent fans. This is the common scene of the music culture that I have spent the past couple of months observing. The rave culture in Dallas is a very active one and can be witnessed at a number of location across the city. Deep rooted in rebelling attitude and experimental drugs, rave culture provides an intense but not hostile environment. People are accepted easily and encouraged but not often forced to partake of often illegal forms of entertainment.

Before I started to actually see what rave culture was like in Dallas, I had to find out what kind of penetration it had across the city. Once I started looking, I found it easy to track down the venues where this culture congregated. From the same source, I was able to gauge the relative popularity and frequency of these congregations. I have participated in this music culture before analyzing it in this ethnography. I have attended events at The Palladium Ballroom and The Lizard Lounge. Most recently I attended, for the purpose of this project, the event at the Palladium on February 26 that headlined Killswitch Engage. The best part about the Palladium is that, for your ticket price, hours before the main show other popular and local artists play music. Killswitch Engage is not the type of music that normally promotes rave culture, but by the time they came on stage there was plenty of electronic music introduction to be had. Personally, when going to rave events, I don't get involved with any of the available drugs being passed around. However, I stayed away from even having a drink that night to keep a clear view of my surroundings in order to analyze the culture I was submerging myself into. I am familiar with the music and activities that are a part of raves, but because I don't participate in any drugs, this has always been a weaker area of understanding for me. In researching drug use at raves, I found catalogs and safety guides. The TRIP website was very informative in the possibilities and precautions that should be adhered to drug use. In the interviews I conducted, I focused on drug use. I wanted to know why it seems to be popular, why people decide to try it in the first place. I was able to talk to some of my friends who do partake in drug use at raves, all of which want to remain nameless.

People enjoy the rave culture for different reasons, but most will agree that it involves being with like minded people and having a good time. This is the role that music plays in all rave culture and especially here in Dallas. Dallas rave culture is almost completely restricted to clubs, which means everyone involved is surrounded by the same music. Regardless of whether someone is sober, high or wasted, they feel the same loud music coursing through their bodies and it unites everyone in that fashion. All music at raves is loud, usually to point of being dangerous to the ear drums. In a way, the music is the rave itself. It gives the party life. The music always continues on through the night until there is no one to listen to it anymore. All rave culture, including here in Dallas, is a descendant of illegal London warehouse parties during the mid 80s.

Being that the music is what unites people, the music can be found at live concerts. In Dallas you will find a large variety of amateur and professional performers at these concerts, but certainly none of them could be said to be doing it as nothing more than a hobby. As such, most artists found in the Dallas area produce CDs through labels or by personnel means. Like the diversity in performance artists, the same holds true for the audience. If you go raving at any of the dance clubs in Dallas you will find mostly young people from every ethnicity and social background banded together to enjoy the music and other activities. In accompaniment to the music, drugs, alcohol, and strobing neon lights serve to unite people in this culture. Alcohol and other downers are common because they lessen brain activity and take away the desire to focus on anything but the music playing at that moment. A variety of other drugs are used at the rave scene, most common among them is ecstasy for its cheap accessibility and effectiveness. All of these substances combined with the type of loud music at raves, according to friends, provides a sense of total well-being both in mind and body. In that sense of well-being with your mind slowed down or overloaded, some simple things can cause extreme euphoric sensation. Tactile and visual sensations are multiplied under the effects of drugs like X. Strobing lights, both from stage set-ups and audience performers, serve doubly in this music culture. They are a form of art, and shown off as a skill and they provide less sober participants with a vivid light show that won't soon be forgotten.

There are many genres of music that fit into the rave culture, some being Techno, Trance, and Jungle. The largest unifying quality is a repetitious pattern of beats. Some of the music has lyrics. Whenever they are present, lyrics fit in with the experience of most drug users in the audience. They play with themes of death and rebirth or transcending the mortal coil in some sort of spiritual experience. Since it shares a common lyrical theme, death metal has been known to be mixed into Dallas raves. It doesn't seem ideal, but in the end it works as long as its loud.

There isn't so much of a unifying material culture in Dallas rave culture. Individuals often by CDs from artists they enjoy in attempts to support them and keep them in business. The culture being a hodgepodge of social and economical backgrounds means the same variety in dress. Anything goes, even niche garb shows up, i.e. Lolita/Victorian and Bondage wear. From my associate that do drugs like X, it appears commonplace to grind your teeth while under its effects. My friends often complain the next morning of their jaw hurting. It can usually be noted that a few people will carry pacifiers on their person for this purpose, which are bought from baby supply stores.

Despite the Dallas rave culture, like most rave culture in general, being focused on the use of illegal substances, it can easily accept those not willing to partake. The people that are using aren't doing it to prove something. They just want to have a good time and share it with others. In having taken a deeper look at this culture, I have learned more about the people around me and a bit about myself as well.

Post 8 - Ethnography Progress

I am not finding my culture difficult to analyze at all. Events are plenty and well accessible. They aren't usually ever canceled to my knowledge. The biggest problem with doing my music ethnography is the interview part. I have found it almost impossible to interview a DJ or performer from the rave culture, but myself and some friends participate in it. In getting my friend to participate in the interview, he was worried about using his real name. He is a user of drugs at these events and so I agreed report his interview under an alias. This allows me to get an accurate report of one of the more dodgy parts of the culture without causing anyone any harm.

Post 7 - Ethnography Intro

Dallas Rave Music Culture

Music played includes Electronic Dance, such as House, Trance, Techno, Jungle, Neo-Gothic, and Industrial. Raves are usually held indoors at dance halls and clubs with a DJ to mix up the Music. Places in Dallas that hold raves.
The Lizard Lounge
Paladium Ballroom

Image from www.thelizardlounge.com

Events Involved at Raves

Colorful lights. These range from solid glow sticks to strobing LEDs or lasers. They are often used as part of the environment on stage or at the walls focusing in towards the audience. Personal light shows are very popular at raves. People will wear a variety of neon light emitting devices, often near or at the finger tips, and move them in rapid patterns with their hands or at the length of a string.











Drug Use. Some people have branded ravers as specifically a drug-centric culture because they are popular among some participants. Ecstasy is common because it makes fast moving light and physical touch more vivid and is easily obtained. Many other drugs can be found at raves and there are groups like the Toronto Raver Info Project that promote caution when choosing to use them.
TRIP
Among the people that do partake are the coined "Candy Kids". They appear happy and comfortable with everyone around them. They enjoy the tactile enhancement of psychedelics like X and they tend to go around hugging complete strangers.