Experiencing electronic dance floors: a comparative research of techno and psytrance in Melbourne

Abstract

Prior research recognises the dance floor as the ‘ground zero’ of electronic dance music (EDM) cultures. However, due to the irrational nature of the dance experience, researchers tend to describe the all important dance floor vibe as a black box that short-circuits further analysis. This analytical obstacle can be overcome by acknowledging that this apparent void comes from a mixture of mediations that are applied in particular ways within the various genres and scenes. This thesis explores this argument through the comparative research of the techno and psytrance scenes in Melbourne, Australia, emphasising the necessity of careful differentiation between EDM genres and cultures and addressing the translocal influences of local scenes. The in-depth, qualitative exploration of the electronic dance experience carried out in this project relies on the results of ethnographic fieldwork including participant observation, focus groups and individual interviews. The data collection is primarily focused on participant descriptions of the mediations of dance floors, incorporating sonic structures, chemical effects, environmental arrangements and partygoer interactions. This methodology is adopted to fit a broader theoretical scope: the empirically based exploration of Baudrillard’s media theory. To pursue this goal, the technological embedding of the dance floor experience is juxtaposed with the everyday mediations of urban consumer culture. It is revealed that the chemical and musical object of EDM is capable of a hyperreal transformation of both the environment of the party and the everyday life of the subject. After defining the methodological and theoretical framework of the research, this thesis addresses the two Melbourne scenes, focusing on the media ecologies of their dance floors as well as the reconfigurations of their constituents in the subgenres of acid techno and dark psytrance. The machine aesthetics of EDM cultures is shaped by the exploitation and exploration of accidents and malfunctions, or the perversions of technology for other uses, with the rediscoveries of misdesigned and obsolete technologies impacting upon the early development of EDM just as much as the embracement of the latest innovations. Downstream from these ‘dysfunctional’ beginnings, techno and psytrance in Melbourne are still engaged in the explorations of such ‘flip sides’ of technologies. The analysis concludes with the comparative evaluation of the two scenes, revealing divergent socio-aesthetic trajectories within the virtualised environments of EDM parties. Both pathways are paved with creative engagements with anomalies that extend the operational potential of the Baudrillardian virtual. It is suggested that ethnographic exploration of such social practices provides a useful contribution to the broader field of media studies.