This is a place for everything related to Electronic Dance Music! Tracks, DJs, light shows, festivals, news, entertainment, reviews, interviews...this is about Electronic Dance Music Culture and Community.
With Christmas here, parties were rocking out all weekend. I was planning originally on staying in and enjoying the comfort of my bed and some Skyrim, but the call came in saying I needed to come check out this event that was going to be split between club scene and rave scene. I thought I had experienced this before with Revival, but I was in for a sick surprise...
The DJ's That Stole Christmas taking place in the infamous Electric Warehouse. This event was put together by CJ Milan & Kingzly's Parties, and they did a great job with it! You had the two floors open for people to rock out, along with the outside smoking section. Before I drove over there, I was checking out the event listing on Facebook, and it said that you should "prepare yourself for a new rave experience." Naturally I felt that I've experienced raves and how is this going to be different from others. After all, Revival was a mix of some club stuff, but mostly variations of harder styles.
DJ Dirty Dan Pumping up the room BY: Morgan Freeman (Blue Crash)
This rave was an even mix between club music (trance, house, with hip-hop and other top 40 stuff), and more techno stuff (harder trance, dubstep, hardstyle, moombah). The main floor was the more rave music, and upstairs was the club scene. The DJ's were mixing it up and both rooms had people hanging out.
Being Christmas Eve, it was surprising that so many came out to dance and have a good time. At the peak there must have been about 300 people having a blast. It was so nice to see the scene's mix, it's easy to tell with fashion who is a regular patron to these scenes, but when all together, everyone was experiencing the PLUR, it was a beautiful thing. The light shows were popping, with projectors on the walls, lasers, and even a foam machine!
My night was interesting from the start. I helped out with setup a bit, and then I had the Divine GoGo camera taking pictures of the night. Somewhere around 11pm I ran into Tiffany Reptar, and she took some shots of myself and KinkiKitty giving shows. We were talking a bunch, and she really wanted to glove, so we made a trade; My gloves for her camera. This is where things got really interesting.
For the first time ever, I got to experience what it's like being an event photographer. Taking pictures of the energy, people having a good time, light shows!! It was sick, and Reptar was killing it with her shows! She is an extremely talented person, and just like many of the glovers I look up to, she interprets gloving into her own style. Props to you Reptar, and welcome to Team [OWL]!
Another couple awesome encounters I had were with Morgan Freeman and DJ X-Dream. Both of them were awesome. Morgan was controlling almost all the visuals and X-Dream was headlining in the main room. They both did an amazing job, EVERYONE was on the floor for X-Dream going wild and Morgan has some trippy-cool visuals. Check out their sites and make sure to catch them doing their thing at another event. I suggest HOLIDAY MADNESS and GREENHILL ZONE.
One of the most popular Electronic Dance events overseas is officially (and finally) making it's way to America 2012... Get ready for Sensation!
Brought to you by ID&T, This party was started in Amsterdam back in 2000. It was heavily promoted, but at the time, just as any new event (or business, or technology, or anything) did not sell out. Not to say it was small pickings, over 20,000 people did come to Sensation, and then in 2001 all 45,000 tickets sold out in advance pretty quickly and in some cases, a matter of hours.
You may take notice that in the video everyone is wearing white. This is actually a mandatory dress code for Sensation. Sensation is the official name for the party, but people sometimes tack on 'white' to differentiate this event from it's sister event, Black, where everyone is required to dress in black.
The atmosphere at this event looks unbelievable. From the sets, to the lights, pyrotechnics, live dancers and their costumes...it looks almost overwhellming. It kind of reminds me of Cirque Du Soleil, but even more interactive. As mentioned before, this will be the 12 year of this event running, they know how to throw this together by now, and every year will probably be great and more massive than the last.
Take a moment here to understand what has been happening in this movement. Electronic Dance Music. Some people think it's just techno as a whole, big misconception. Those who listen and love the music know that is not the case at all. EDM is compiled of many different styles, and Sensation focuses on house music (started with trance as well, but now it's all house). Black is all about hard-style and hardcore. The genres are so huge with their followings and such different styles that there is pretty much no way to combine the two in a one day event, there would be rioting!
Insane Jelly Fish Lady Sensation Poland 2008 BY: Sensation
Black is not as popular as White, although both events do sell out. Not that it's not popular, it's just as big as Sensation, but it takes a few days if not the day of Black for it to sell out. I would be interested to see how quickly Black would sell out in America... only time will tell eh?
Sensation has been around the world, and it's about time that it comes here, it's going to be huge. There have been no announcements for when, where, or who...but in the end we all want to be there.
Check out official PHOTOS from past events around the world.
The Morgan was a medium sized spot, with two rooms open and an outside. As I understand it there's also a basement, but for this party there were only two rooms. The first room was a little smaller than the main stage, but a decent amount of room to jump around. The main room was really big, with a ton of lights, lasers and fog... Not to mention a ton of people!
There were a lot of different people at this one. I met people from Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and even Vermont! It's cool to see people coming from all over to party with us in NY, it comes to show show far word gets spread for these events, and the lineup was sick.
There was a nice mix of sounds and a cool mix of people as well. It was an entirely different feel from other raves I've attended. "There's really good music and a good clash of scenes," one party goer and gogo dancer Jaciee was telling me, "You have two vibes combining into one. There's the club and underground mixing together to make a new underground vibe. A New York party with New York vibes, but a different scene... It's more upbeat with no negativity or hate."
And she was right. There were so many different tracks being spun, between dub, trance, hardstyle, hardcore and mixes with top 40 and rap, it was awesome. The glovers were out again, but not as many as I've seen in previous parties. I was super lucky for this one, because the infamous Story Time and his cousin Vex were on the scene and giving the most killer doubles ever. Story Time was telling me they never practice and choreograph their moves, it's all a freestyle flow. And along with them were some awesome light shows. I gave one show that earned me the coolest kandy I have received to date!
Skulls and Bones!!
I also had the chance to chill and talk to DJ Georgie Vodkaa, a hardstyle fanatic who went toe to toe with DJ Jake Dukes. Their set was bomb, it made me into a lover of hardstyle, which I genuinely disliked beforehand due to the repetitive beats. While talking to Georgie, he insisted on making a mix exclusively for the site, and as of last night it went live. Check it out, and follow him on Soundcloud, he has mad skills and clearly has a feel for the music. It is also featured up top for the mix I'm listening to!
Cant Wear Me Out (ElectricGhostPunk Exclusive) by DJGVODKA
The one thing about this party that got in the way for some people was the fog machine. When it was blasting you couldn't see anything, which may not be a bad thing for this type of event, but on the flip side, it bothered some people with breathing. After all, you're in a room full of moving bodies and it's hot already. The last thing you want is to be "gassed" with fog. Of course there was the outside to go and get some fresh air, but this is the middle of December in NYC, it's frigid out there. Other than that I heard and experienced nothing negative for the event.
Big ups to Star Party Promotion on throwing a sick party, make sure you are at their next one, The Funeral! You've been Reborn, and then Revived, now get ready for your Funeral!!
A Human Carpet?? At First I was as confused as DJ Ashley over here, but now it is a little more clear...keep reading, and Ashley, maybe this will answer your questions....
There are plenty of interesting and cool people in
the rave community. But I have not met anyone who can quite match up to Kevin
Carpet. Known around the states as the human carpet. He was at the last two
events I went to (Power Ravers/Pokèball). To say the
least, he's an intriguing individual. Being on the scene for a very long time,
Kevin has seen major changes to music, people coming to these events and the
community itself. Let's look together into the background and mind of The Human
Carpet!
Kevin Carpet!
[PAUS3] When did
you first joined the rave community, how were you introduced to them and what
was your first event like?
[KEVIN CARPET] I was at the Disco 2000 events at the
Limelight...where I was asked to participate and do my carpet thing. The head
guys doing the event knew me since I ran the doors of some famous clubs... My
first rave carpet was in the VIP area which overlooked the huge dance floor... And
I remember as I peered out during the night I had Joan Jett, Christina
Applegate, Billy Idol’s girlfriend and a lot of other cool people standing on
the carpets to view what was going on the dance floor...
It was a cool night and I went back every Wednesday for the same Disco 2000
party, but sometimes I laid by the bar and sometimes I was with the
Go-Go's... All depended on the night...
[P] Describe the rave community in your
own words.
[K] The Rave community in a whole is like friends getting
together at a party and enjoying great music and vibes and socializing... and
yes Dancing! As they say most Raves I go to are full of PLUR and Unity (I guess
that depends which ones you go to) but all the ones I go to are like that.
[P] How has the scene changed since the
time you've started attending raves?
[K] Well Raves were at least some underground ones
sometimes dangerous… meaning fights and all. Now it’s a Pleasure Peace Love
Harmony... again at most events. It’s great seeing everyone chillin and
enjoying themselves having a good time.
Helping People Over the Ledge Pokèball By: Sam Freund
[P] What is some of your favorite music
styles?
[K] Most people don’t know this but I DJed for years and
I played at a lot of electro, gothic and techno events along with 80's 90's and
industrial music....so I guess that’s what I like.
[P] Where does the name 'Carpet' come
from?
[K] When I first started doing clubs and bars as a carpet
people would say to me.."Hey it's Kevin the Carpet,” and "Hey Kevin
Carpet!” and Walla! The name has been born.
[P] What is it about wrapping yourself in carpets and getting stepped on? Is it a
fetish?
[K] When I first started doing this at gothic events I didn't
use a carpet just laid by the bar dressed in all black, gloves, a ski mask and
goggles... I laid very still all night and it was funny some people didn’t
think I was real they had to touch me. Then when I received a government grant
to do this. I had to think of other way to try and do this at different events
clubs and bars… So carpet idea came when some people told me it was hard to
stay on me cause my belly moved and they fell off sometimes, plus when girls
wore heels that would hurt so that wasn't too much fun.
Then a bar owner said to me if I came there early and lay in a carpet in the
corner where all the bartenders go and the shot girls and the patrons I could
be incognito and be a part of the bar. People would think I was bunch of
carpets there... Hmmm this sounded interesting....so it began. I got to this upper
east side bar that got packed by 10pm. I got there by 8pm before the staff got
in and set up. That lasted about 2 years and was fun except if I had 6 big guys
standing there for an hour and never left. Those times I was thinking I should
show myself, but didn’t. The owner also paid me and I got a ride home plus a
meal… So this was good! Then I started doing this at many other clubs and bars
all over NYC, NJ, Boston, and LA.
One thing about getting stepped on is not the main reason for the art… which is
a part of it, but the art factor comes to play when you’re at a space laying
there and being used as the object your portraying. Me a carpet... It’s about
being ONE with the venue as people go about their business and your there like
a chair, or a sofa. This IS a fetish for many, but to me this is an art. In
fact I get messages all the time from guys all over the USA and beyond saying
to me “Dude… How can you have guys walk on you? that’s gay.” I guess if I did
this for a fetish or other reason maybe. If a guy loves girls then he would
just want girls on him. Being a carpet is just that, being a carpet and carpets
can’t say you can go on ‘em and who can’t.
I have to delete (comments) on my Facebook. A bunch of guys every now and then
who do this for fetish and who write weird things on the pics and who may
harass the people on my page.
Let me take this opportunity to say I tried a rave at Rebel a few years ago and
I was by the bar and everyone looked at me, took pics and maybe went on the
carpet for a second to take pic and then came off. I remember I left that Rebel
after 2 hours and went to a downtown Hipster event where they loved me and had
fun.
My first idea was to be incognito doing this, however ravers are real cool
people and when they know when I'm there they bounce, jump and say hi to me as
they pass by… It’s a whole new idea and thus helping me to make my grant more
interesting. I do get some people who jump over saying sometimes “I don’t wanna
hurt him,” which is another misconception...I HATE PAIN! However, this is non
painful. When I lay where ever I'm at I get in a Zen like state and listen as
people trod on me and go by...hearing and sensing the environment. Being an
actual carpet... When this works it’s great... Doorways I like cause of the
interaction with people I hear... ”Love ya carpet guy...Hey Kevin...You Rock
Dude.”
It’s sad when I hear, “Oh no I hate stepping on him,” and then they gingerly
step or jump. Then I feel bad... For the people. But, for the most part I'm happy
and excited that I have been accepted at these events and people do write and
tell me these days.
It’s not a party if you’re not there or you’re a staple at these events... Of
course I know there are some who think otherwise and for that I'm sorry. It
really amazes me how people can adapt and have fun with this....the thing that
I do. Nowadays I have to thank ALL the cool promoters that ask me to join their
events...
[K] Gee I never thought about that...hmmm I think I try
to go almost weekly if there are events... And just until 5 months ago I never
could go to events for years on a Friday always missed those events cause I had
this Top 40, 80's 90's DJ gig... Paid well so I kept it, until I said to myself
I'd rather be carpeting and now I'm having a Ball at these Friday & Saturday
events.
[K] I forgot to mention Lady Gaga saw me at a few events (not raves) and
talked about me in a Youtube video I thought that was cool. She and her friends
stood on the carpet :D
I have to thank Kevin Bracken, Sam Black and Michael Dj
Ritalin for letting me carpet at their events (Refugee) in Brooklyn. Then when
that stopped I didn’t do raves for a long time till Ritalin said I could do The
Marvels event. That was at Ten Eckyk St... When I go there I ended up doing the
door for that one and it was cool cause it was there that when I went
inside I saw these cardboard boxes in front of the path to the outside smoking area.
That’s when doorway carpet came in effect....
And thanks to Aeryck NYCRAVERS Ritalin, Jeff Cohen and Atom C. At the
next one they found me a nice spot by the doorway... Which worked out great. No
one knew at the first event but the promoters by the end of the event some word
got around and it was cool the crowd had fun with it for the most part.
BIIIIG THANK YOU to Kevin for his time and honesty!! Make sure you say hi to him next time you see him at an event near you!!
Another weekend another awesome rave! This one a little different from the last with a lot of familiar faces! This event took place in a spot that I don't think has a name, you wouldn't even recognize it as a party going on if you were just walking by the place. It was a bit smaller compared to a warehouse, you actually had to walk up two flights of stairs to get into the spot. Once upstairs the party was raging! There were probably around 500 people at the height of the party, but it felt like a lot more due to the size.
You had two rooms, the main room and one behind it. This was actually a twelve hour party! So in that time you had 24 DJs spinning some dubstep, trance, and a whole lot of hardstyle. I'm not too much a fan of hardstyle, but it got pretty crazy at some points. To add to the atmosphere you had a kandi making table (that pretty much became a couch by the middle of the party), face painting by Pixel and his crew, Kevin Carpet, and a whole lot of lasers/projectors/lights illuminating both rooms. Aside from the two rooms there was also a rooftop you could go out onto to get some fresh air or a smoke. It was freezing outside, but that didn't stop many people from going out there to hang out.
For me, this was an awesome party to glove at. I met some sick glovers from 666 Lights, Liquid Emotions, and of course Emazinglights. This was a Pokemon themed party (duh), so I got into my blue suit and dressed up like Poliwhirl! At one point of the night, I was in the second room where the DJ was dropped some sick dubstep mixed with rap. I was giving one kid a show and three more gathered around to enjoy the lights. When the beat dropped it was almost as if my hands were moving the party and everyone started jumping, the vibes in the room were so tight everything was flowing!
Also at the party was a good friend and extremely talented glover SupaNova. I had the opportunity to watch him give a personal show to this one girl like I've never seen before. He incorporated her whole body into it, using her hands as tools to expand his show. Without sounding too corny, it was like watching his hands make love to hers. I've never seen anything like this, I was blown away by how in sync he was with the music and the connection he was having with the show. If you ever catch SupaNova at an event, you need to say hi and watch him do his thing, it's something else.
I gloved for hours on end, gave a kid his first show ever, did a couple doubles with SupaNova, and learned some new moves from the other glovers there. Practice really pays off, and being able to do it live is a totally different experience from practicing in front of a mirror.
Coming soon to Electric Ghost Punk will be a few interviews!! A DJ, a fellow glover, and party animal veteran Kevin Carpet! Stay tuned, there's so much more to come!
Raves are an amazing thing, and this past weekend was one of the most amazing raves I've ever been to in Brooklyn, NY. December 3, 2011, Electric Warehouse AKA The Lab was where this historic night of epicness went down. It was a Power Ranger themed party, complete with two floors, VIP booths, UV body painting, full bar, gogo dancers (like their page!), light shows (like woah), a 30 foot Megazord, not to mention the #1 Beatboxer in America, Jflo!!
This rave was no joke, there were easily 800+ people there. Now I
personally went there a little early to help set the place up. I asked
around to see who needed help with what, and I met up with Andrew, AKA
StoryTime and built the aforementioned Megazord, it took five hours to
piece that baby together! But it was totally worth the time and effort.
It was sick, we're talking lasers shooting out of his eyes. The coolest
part is, Andrew put this baby together but measuring a Megazord he had
on a sweatshirt and scaling it up! Mad props on that!
Figuring out placement
Adding arms and stabling torso
Almost done!!
The Final Painted Laser Shooting 30 Foot Tall Megazord!
Once the doors opened up and the music started playing everyone was hitting the dance floor! By Midnight the entire place was packed with people. To describe the atmosphere in one word, euphoric. The thing about raves like this are that no matter who you are, what you do, how you dance...you are accepted into the scene. There are so many people that are real, others are there to just party, but in the end it's all about the vibes.
Quick shout-out to RACIST BUNNYW@X and Jake Dukes for putting on some Skrillex for me! Made my night guys, sick set, my glasses flew off my face, I lost them, and didn't even care!!
There were a ton of glovers there too. I met up with StoryTime, Daiki, Tails, Betsley, Supa Nova, Cookie Monster, Sarcastic...just to name a few. The thing with gloving is that you need to go out and actually do it. When you get to glove with other glovers you get to learn some new technique and critique each other. It's a growing experience, but you still need to practice technique at
home all the time. Slow, fast, new stuff, new angles, switch it up...you
grow like crazy and fast if you practice.
Of course there were also orbits, glow sticks, poi, and even fire poi happening! It's all so sick, and these cats know how to throw their lights!
The Peanut Butter family threw an amazing party, the DJs killed it, and it was the most unreal feeling to be surrounded by such positive feelings. Check out some pictures that already went up!
Every since I've been in high school I walk to the sound of music in my head. Whether it was homework or a test, walking down the street, or even now writing an email to a client, I'm listening or thinking about music in one way or another. Although electronic dance music has been a recent love of mine, I've been listening to it a lot ever since hearing 'Window Licker' by Aphex Twin:
That was back in 2006/07...now my library is constantly pumping out the beats of Skrillex, Knife Party and some Cookie Monsta..just to name a few. What brought me into the whole dubstep movement really was Skrillex, and the song coupled with the music video for 'First of the Year'. You need to peep this NOW:
These songs are awesome, and even though it's electronic, it sparks such emotions from anyone listening...expect maybe parents LOL. For me it's love, anger, passion, and energy. The music video for 'First of the Year' could have gone in many different ways, it could have been a sex scene, or maybe someone winning a ton of money at a casino, or something else that is angry like the avenging little demon girl in the video. For any kind of music selection, whether it be rap, electronic, or folk, I head over to Soundcloud.com.
SoundCloud is a wonderful Pandora-esque website that allows you to search through millions of music tracks that you can stream, buy, or in some cases download for free. Something else you can do on the site is search specifically for Creative Commons licensed tracks, which you have the option to look for "free to use commercially". This is a fantastic tool for anyone making Youtube videos and monetize them. All you have to do is give credit to the artist! Also, you can post the SoundCloud player anywhere!
The above is an example of my most favorite thing with SoundCloud, and that is original mixes of your favorite songs and artists. Some are good, some are great, and some suck a lot! But in the end, you have to check them out if you ever want to find out...it's a musical adventure!
Enjoy the videos and music, and I'll see you soon!
