We all have different hobbies in life. Some people surf, others do-up cars – I throw raves. From my first festival in 2005 (Sydney Big Day Out), I’ve been passionate about thundering beats played through loud sound systems. These days, in my spare time, I’m a DJ, electronic music producer, event promoter, and I co-run an independent electronic music label Late Night Music.
I’ve seen a decent share of sunrises after countless all-nighters in the hallowed halls of house music - I firmly believe electronic dance music and its surrounding culture is one to be respected and celebrated.
In March this year, Berlin techno was added to UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage List, recognising its validity as an art form as much as opera or jazz. This has emboldened Germany’s capital and given a stamp of approval that electronic music is a culture worth protecting.
So, what makes a good party?
Community is at the heart of club culture
While disco might have ended by 1980 as far as rock music radio stations were concerned, it was kept alive as house music by those on the margins of society – African American communities in the USA, queer communities, and those who fostered spaces to express themselves with freedom and connection. Techno was the soundtrack to a post-cold war Berlin, and trance during the heady days of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Fast-forward to now, and the best parties still put the community first. Whether it’s a long running weekly club night or a series of special events that only happen a few times a year, it’s the people that matter. My favourite parties always have a real diversity in the crowd – different ages, ethnicities, sexualities, and from all parts of society. There are not many places where you’ll find a young tradie with a mullet chatting to an investment bank account executive (as I’d find out later, despite his light-up top hat). While some venues or crews definitely skew to a younger crowd, there’s just as many where you’re likely to run into people in their 50s and above, as much as twenty-something year olds.
These spaces invite a sense of play and interaction beyond our usual experiences and questions of ‘what’s your job’ or ‘where do you live’. As the internet meme goes, at a rave people don’t ask why you are carrying an inflatable dinosaur around – they ask what its name is and if it’s having a good time.
Curating good events are more than a line-up – it’s about story
A dance music event goes beyond a three hour show and then heading home. When you enter that space, it’s a teleport to a temporary zone where the stresses of work and everyday life are left at the door. And creating that extraordinary world is done through story.
Electronic music is inherently futuristic. When I throw a club night or warehouse party, I personally like to play with science fiction themes which can weave a thread through the entire event. From the graphic design to the décor to the underlying narrative – it all flows together in a cohesive package. Light filled structures on stage become portals, floating speakers on wireframes becomes the engine room of a spaceship. Even in more regular club gigs you can bring a sense of magic through motifs, textures, and colour in décor or video projections.
As a DJ, story is equally as important. How you curate a set that engages the head and the heart - both planned and adapted on the fly - is influenced by a whole range of factors. The time of night, the atmosphere, the crowd and their energy. Energy is really the key here, being able to direct it with music and create an indefinable, shared group consciousness.
As a promoter you must consider these factors too – the opening act is just as important as the headline slot, setting the tone of the whole night.
The best parties go far beyond the dancefloor
They have spaces to mingle, quieter areas to chat, and elements of art or food – all with the aim to facilitate interaction between people. The time spent talking your mates on a couch is just as important as being up the front cutting shapes as the DJ plays. And we’ll be here all night, so why not take your time?
Some aspects are quite intangible – they have more to do with psychology than anything else. For example, a dancefloor needs a defined space. Even within an empty field, lighting or structures can create a mental zone where you subconsciously know you have entered the party. A small room (safely) packed out with 200 people will always have a better vibe than a half empty warehouse with 500. It’s the same psychology of why a busy restaurant is a more exciting experience than being a sole customer on a quiet night.
Some of the elements are practical as well. The iconic, long-standing dance music venues know their audience and understand it as art, not just a blank canvas for rent for the highest bidder. They are music - not drink sales – focused. Even bouncers and door-staff are integral to creating a space that feels welcoming and safe, rather than intimidating.
Other parties might even be away from purpose-built venues. Institutions like the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle or ‘Mad Racket’ at the Marrickville Bowling Club are legendary, and testaments to destination parties where places are completely transformed by crews, with multiple spaces to interact in.
Locals are just as talented as internationals
There’s a tendency to put touring international acts on a pedestal, but in my experience local artists and DJs are just as talented. In many cases, I’ve ended up enjoying the local support slot more than the headliner – they know their audience and aren’t afraid to take musical risks. In running my own label, we champion local artists at the same level – being from Amsterdam or New York doesn’t make the music a higher quality than Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne.
For many of the clubbers and ravers heading out each weekend, they have their own link with home grown heroes and are their biggest advocates. Even as the electronic music scene struggled with draconian licensing laws and then COVID, the support the community gave to their scene kept the fire burning until we could all dance once more.
That’s not to say there still aren’t challenges. A whole cohort of would-be young clubbers missed out on the rite of passage from student bars to techno clubs during those crucial years during the pandemic. It’s a slow burn to build those numbers again. Promoters have had to adapt to changing spending habits (80% of tickets to parties are sold in the final few days), and a fragmented media market where audiences find out about events.
A form of art
Despite having nothing to do with Berlin myself, the UNESCO recognition means a lot for me. In many ways, late night culture and electronic music has been defining factor in my life – from the creation of art, running a business, and the decade-long friendships I’ve forged. The music has built connections across the world and shown me a different shade of the cities I love.
And I think that’s worth celebrating.
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