In the early nineties, rave culture exploded with the availability of cheap computers and sampling technology, causing a punk-style do-it-yourself revolution. The resulting upsurge of independent labels and home studio-based artists spawned a legion of subgenres: hardcore, trance, jungle,...  more

In the early nineties, rave culture exploded with the availability of cheap computers and sampling technology, causing a punk-style do-it-yourself revolution. The resulting upsurge of independent labels and home studio-based artists spawned a legion of subgenres: hardcore, trance, jungle, ambient, gabba, big beat, and many more. Today, DJs and producers such as Fatboy Slim, Prodigy, Goldie and The Chemical Brothers have huge followings, while mainstream artists like Madonna and Bjork have turned to rave's offspring for artistic rejuvenation. In Generation Ecstasy, Simon Reynolds takes the reader on a guided tour of this end-of-the-millenium phenomenon, telling the story of rave culture and techno music as an insider who has dosed up and blissed out. The first critical history of techno music--and the drug culture that accompanies it--Generation Ecstasy traces rave's origins in Detroit techno and Chicago house, then shows how these black American genres were transformed by British and European youth. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the artists and the DJs who created dance culture, the fans for whom it is a way of life, and the dance club and outdoor rave scenes that brought it both fame and infamy. A celebration of rave's quest for the perfect beat and the ultimate rush, Generation Ecstasy is the definitive chronicle of rave culture and electronic dance music.

Based on hundreds of interviews with promoters, DJs and ravers from over thirty countries, Rave Culture; an insider's overview is a positive endorsement of rave and a comprehensive guidebook to the rave phenomenon for ravers and non-ravers alike.

In the early nineties, rave culture exploded with the availability of cheap computers and sampling technology, causing a punk-style do-it-yourself revolution. The resulting upsurge of independent labels and home studio-based artists spawned a legion of subgenres: hardcore, trance, jungle,...  more

In the early nineties, rave culture exploded with the availability of cheap computers and sampling technology, causing a punk-style do-it-yourself revolution. The resulting upsurge of independent labels and home studio-based artists spawned a legion of subgenres: hardcore, trance, jungle, ambient, gabba, big beat, and many more. Today, DJs and producers such as Fatboy Slim, Prodigy, Goldie and The Chemical Brothers have huge followings, while mainstream artists like Madonna and Bjork have turned to rave's offspring for artistic rejuvenation. In Generation Ecstasy, Simon Reynolds takes the reader on a guided tour of this end-of-the-millenium phenomenon, telling the story of rave culture and techno music as an insider who has dosed up and blissed out. The first critical history of techno music--and the drug culture that accompanies it--Generation Ecstasy traces rave's origins in Detroit techno and Chicago house, then shows how these black American genres were transformed by British and European youth. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the artists and the DJs who created dance culture, the fans for whom it is a way of life, and the dance club and outdoor rave scenes that brought it both fame and infamy. A celebration of rave's quest for the perfect beat and the ultimate rush, Generation Ecstasy is the definitive chronicle of rave culture and electronic dance music.

Raves and the Underground What are underground raves? Why do so many young people attend them? Who promotes raves and why? What kind of music is played at raves? What kinds of drugs are sold at these parties? Underground Rave Dance is a novel based on a true story that explores the...  more

Raves and the Underground What are underground raves? Why do so many young people attend them? Who promotes raves and why? What kind of music is played at raves? What kinds of drugs are sold at these parties? Underground Rave Dance is a novel based on a true story that explores the underground rave dance culture through the eyes of Steel. Underground Rave Dance briefly describes how Steel spent three years addicted to the rave dance tribes in Southern California from the summer of 1997 through the summer of 2000. Get all the facts and details about the Underground Rave Dance culture in this informative novel.

Rave is one of the first distinct and significant youth subcultures to emerge since the early days of punk rockers and skinheads. A middle-class culture renowned for drug use, computer-generated "techno" music, and all-night dance parties, rave has been described as everything from a drug cult...  more

Rave is one of the first distinct and significant youth subcultures to emerge since the early days of punk rockers and skinheads. A middle-class culture renowned for drug use, computer-generated "techno" music, and all-night dance parties, rave has been described as everything from a drug cult to a neo-hippie community. Brian Wilson uses his ethnographic research on rave during the mid and late 1990s in Southern Ontario to discuss the ways in which young people participate in social and cultural life at the turn of the millennium. Fight, Flight or Chill explores the extent to which raver youths' experiences are constrained or determined by individualistic, high-tech, mass-mediated Western culture in which alienated and unfulfilled youth are apparently more at-risk for escapist and thrill-seeking behaviours. Wilson considers how raver youth creatively and proactively subvert these constraints in novel and empowering ways - from political activism to symbolic and stylistic expressions of resistance to community-building efforts. He also discusses the globalization and political economy of rave and youth culture and examines the ideologies that underlie simple solutions to the complex concerns over young people today.

It's a remix! Twenty years since acid house and Ecstasy revolutionized pop culture, here's the expanded and updated version of Simon Reynolds' landmark history of rave. Containing substantial new material covering dance-music developments in the ten years since its original publication, "Energy...  more

It's a remix! Twenty years since acid house and Ecstasy revolutionized pop culture, here's the expanded and updated version of Simon Reynolds' landmark history of rave. Containing substantial new material covering dance-music developments in the ten years since its original publication, "Energy Flash" is now even more definitive. Blending vivid reporting, probing research and passionate opinion in the style of his acclaimed post-punk history Rip It Up and Start Again, Reynolds guides the reader on a thrilling journey from the druggy daze of Ibiza and Madchester via London's gritty pirate-radio culture of jungle and garage to the elegantly wasted clubland of contemporary Berlin. From trance to 2step, microhouse to grime, electro to dubstep, Reynolds tracks the scenes and sounds that have kept electronic music at the vanguard of pop culture. Now more essential and authoritative than ever, "Energy Flash" is the classic chronicle of rave's quest for the perfect beat and the ultimate rush.

Valium. Paxil. Prozac. Prescribed by the millions each year, these medications have been hailed as wonder drugs and vilified as numbing and addictive crutches. Where did this "blockbuster drug" phenomenon come from? What factors led to the mass acceptance of tranquilizers and antidepressants?...  more

Valium. Paxil. Prozac. Prescribed by the millions each year, these medications have been hailed as wonder drugs and vilified as numbing and addictive crutches. Where did this "blockbuster drug" phenomenon come from? What factors led to the mass acceptance of tranquilizers and antidepressants? And how has their widespread use affected American culture? David Herzberg addresses these questions by tracing the rise of psychiatric medicines, from Miltown in the 1950s to Valium in the 1970s to Prozac in the 1990s. The result is more than a story of doctors and patients. From bare-knuckled marketing campaigns to political activism by feminists and antidrug warriors, the fate of psychopharmacology has been intimately wrapped up in the broader currents of modern American history. Beginning with the emergence of a medical marketplace for psychoactive drugs in the postwar consumer culture, Herzberg traces how "happy pills" became embroiled in Cold War gender battles and the explosive politics of the "war against drugs" -- and how feminists brought the two issues together in a dramatic campaign against Valium addiction in the 1970s. A final look at antidepressants shows that even the Prozac phenomenon owed as much to commerce and culture as to scientific wizardry.With a barrage of "ask your doctor about" advertisements competing for attention with shocking news of drug company malfeasance, Happy Pills is an invaluable look at how the commercialization of medicine has transformed American culture since the end of World War II.

Disco biscuits, happy pills, doves, wobbly eggs, burgers, X, Adam, e, ecstasy--however you refer to it, MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has been a life-changing force, for both good and bad, in millions of people's lives. Not since LSD and cannabis in the '60s has a drug acted as such a...  more

Disco biscuits, happy pills, doves, wobbly eggs, burgers, X, Adam, e, ecstasy--however you refer to it, MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has been a life-changing force, for both good and bad, in millions of people's lives. Not since LSD and cannabis in the '60s has a drug acted as such a profound social and cultural catalyst. Ecstasy changed clubbing, music, fashion, design--and overall society--forever. e, the incredibly strange history of ecstasy examines every aspect of MDMA, from its creation in a German lab just before World War I and its use as a psychotherapy tool in the '70s, to its ultimate explosion on the US and UK dance scene. This visually stunning book features more than 200 photographs and illustrations--including an extensive catalog of the most popular, unusual, and fascinating ecstasy pills--along with listings of what they contained and details about their history and cultural significance. Similar to The Cannabis Companion (which has sold more than 40,000 copies to date), e, the incredibly strange history of ecstasy covers every aspect of the subject--from the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of ecstasy and the rise of key rave locations such as Goa and Ibiza, to the futile attempts made by international governments to halt rave culture and stop MDMA use. It is the most comprehensive and contemporary book ever to explore the history and continuing cultural influences of the drug that changed the world.

Crank up the keyboards, Rough Guides brings you the beat of the new millennium with The Rough Guide to Techno. This pocket-size reference covers 200 crucial figures in the diverse world of techno, concentrating on album artists and the pioneers like Kraftwerk and Cybotron who paved the way for...  more

Crank up the keyboards, Rough Guides brings you the beat of the new millennium with The Rough Guide to Techno. This pocket-size reference covers 200 crucial figures in the diverse world of techno, concentrating on album artists and the pioneers like Kraftwerk and Cybotron who paved the way for them. In this ephemeral world, The Rough Guide provides essential, hard-to-find details for any fan, including biographies and inclusive discographies. The guide is organized alphabetically, with more than 200 entries on artists, producers, sub-genres, and other essentials. Black-and-white photos.

This book explores dance's developments; its relationship with drugs, DJs and government; to what the future may bring; with views from some of the dance world's most respected pioneers.

Presenting a new approach to the study of youth culture and popular music, Beyond Subculture re-examines the link between music and subcultures and asks the question; in an ageing world, can pop music still be an automatic metaphor for youth culture? Using case studies and first-hand...  more

Presenting a new approach to the study of youth culture and popular music, Beyond Subculture re-examines the link between music and subcultures and asks the question; in an ageing world, can pop music still be an automatic metaphor for youth culture? Using case studies and first-hand interviews with consumer and producers including Noel Gallagher and Talvin Singh, Rupa Huq investigates a series of musically-centred global youth cultures including hip-hop, electronic dance music and bhangra. With ?Generation X? becoming an increasingly redundant term, this book will help students redefine their ideas of youth culture and will be an invaluable addition to their studies.

Youth Subcultures uses a cultural studies lens to explore contemporary American youth subcultures such as skateboarding, punk, Goth, and raves in a brief, flexible, and inexpensive reader.

From an edgy new voice comes a frenetic novel about boredom, porn, and pills. Brandishing a unique, comic worldview, Alasdair Duncan assembles a surprising, devastating narrative using dialogue, emails, Internet chats, fantasies, notebook entries, blips from video games, and more.Calvin is...  more

From an edgy new voice comes a frenetic novel about boredom, porn, and pills. Brandishing a unique, comic worldview, Alasdair Duncan assembles a surprising, devastating narrative using dialogue, emails, Internet chats, fantasies, notebook entries, blips from video games, and more.Calvin is sixteen and bored with suburban life. But in the city, things are altogether more exciting. It's there that Calvin meets Anthony -- and the two boys quickly become obsessed with each other. Then Calvin discovers pictures of Anthony on a pornographic website and is drawn into his new friend's seedy underworld. Just as he's discovering what's like when first love meets first sex, when friendship meets lust, and when love meets loss, his teen angst morphs into full-on self-destructivness...and puts him on the path to an absolutely shocking series of events.With total command of the world he creates for his characters -- in which the computer is just another pill you can pop, another way to run and hide, like drinking or drugging or having sex -- Alsdair Duncan makes an auspicious debut.

Trends in drug abuse are changing quickly in the 21st century. This book takes a stark, honest look at rave culture, legislation, and related research on emerging club drugs. In an objective and non-moralizing format, Up All Night is a crash course in the world of raves and the drugs...  more

Trends in drug abuse are changing quickly in the 21st century. This book takes a stark, honest look at rave culture, legislation, and related research on emerging club drugs. In an objective and non-moralizing format, Up All Night is a crash course in the world of raves and the drugs associated with them. It serves well as a comprehensive reference and current overview for anyone interested in the physical, mental and spiritual health of this generation of youth. Includes a thorough and detailed listing of each drug (Ecstasy, inhalants, Ketamine, methamphetamine, PMA, Rohypnol, 2C-B's, Dextromethorphan, Klonopin, Ritalin, Oxycontin & Vicodin), a thorough discussion of prevention, harm reduction, tips for teachers, a glossary, index and an impressive resource list.

Over the course of nearly two decades, the rave scene has evolved into much more than simply an electronic dance music party. For thousands of people around the world, it has become an important source of spirituality and the closest thing they have to a religion. Trance Formation is the first...  more

Over the course of nearly two decades, the rave scene has evolved into much more than simply an electronic dance music party. For thousands of people around the world, it has become an important source of spirituality and the closest thing they have to a religion. Trance Formation is the first book to comprehensively explore the spiritual and religious dimensions of global rave culture. Robin Sylvan combines colorful firsthand accounts, extensive interviews with ravers, and cutting edge scholarly analysis to paint a compelling portrait of global rave culture as an important new religious and spiritual phenomenon that also serves as a template for mapping the future evolution of new forms of religion and spirituality in the twenty-first century.

This work tells the story of rave culture and explores the origins of this dance music, chronicling the ways in which its reverberations have influenced 1990s pop. Examining the music as well as the drugs, the book traces how Chicago house and Detroit techno catalyzed the rave and...  more

This work tells the story of rave culture and explores the origins of this dance music, chronicling the ways in which its reverberations have influenced 1990s pop. Examining the music as well as the drugs, the book traces how Chicago house and Detroit techno catalyzed the rave and "Madchester" ferment of 1988-90, then follows the music into the early-1990s. It surveys the confusion of post-rave styles and scenes: jungle, electronica, drum and bass, trance, trip hop, and Big Beat. The book also looks at the role of Ecstasy in the dance-and-drug culture. It includes interviews with Paul Oakenfold, Derrick May, 808 State, Stone Roses, A Guy Called Gerald, The KLF, Primal Scream, Orbital, The Prodigy, Goldie, 4 Hero, Aphex Twin, Tricky, Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin, DJ Shadow and many more.