Cause and Effect: Is Dance Music Ready To Go Underground

Hello!

I’m happy to report that I got through archiving all of 2001 and scanned many, many articles I had published that year including Doves, Coldplay, Basement Jaxx, Boy George and a lot more, some of which feature exclusive photos.

One that stood out to me is this special report that ran in Lotus Magazine October 2001 Issue. It was an interesting time for electronic dance music in North America. Raves were starting to move out of the underground and become festivals. But, at the same time, they were blocked from every angle by above ground powers. I spoke to quite a few people for the story including Goldenvoice’s Paul Tollett (Coachella’s founder), Gerry Gerrard who at the time was the agent for the Chemical Brothers and the Prodigy, among others, as well as promoters across the continent.

Reading this story 25 years later when electronic dance music is a multi-billion dollar business is fascinating. Yet there is so much I talk about in the story that has not changed, not the least of which is the drug factor.

Even though this is a founding members newsletter, I’d like to share the piece with everyone, but I would love your support nonetheless.

Also I’d like to point out that my favorite quotes in the story are from Paul Tollett. Here are a couple:

“I like the idea that people want to go to Coachella just because it’s the event,” he says. “But that doesn’t appeal to me as much. What appeals to me is a little bit older audience that if you’re really into music, you’ll want to go that specific year because you want to see those specific artists. I don’t want it to [just] be a party where people are coming because they like the place.”

“You always want your festival to do better, to grow,” he admits. “I don’t necessarily want to make it more mainstream to get more people there from Southern California. I would rather reach across the country and get some of those people to come. It can become a destination that people go to.”

Please click on the images below to see an enlarged version of the feature that’s easy to read, or just zoom in if you’re reading this on the web.

If there’s an interview with a particular artist you’d like me post, please let me know. If I have interviewed them, I would be happy to share the article.

Thank you,
Lily