The power of music has long been used to shine a light on global issues and bring people together to create change. In a time where the language and climate of change around race, gender, sexuality and social issues has never been quite as heated in the public eye, what role does nightlife play?
Dance music was born in the warehouse of Chicago and the discotheques of New York. In 1988 rave culture fully arrived in the UK taking the nation by storm. Ever since, dancefloors around the world have been a safe haven for marginalised communities.
30 years on, issues addressed by the nightlife scene have never been more relevant, or necessary, for a young generation looking to authentically express themselves.
Following the commercialisation of 90’s clubbing and early 2000’s global dance music boom, purpose-driven nightlight is finally seeing a resurgence. A new underground resistance is forming around the world; fighting for inclusive dancefloors, empowering marginalised artists and raising awareness on global issues.
Nightlab is an event and podcast series produced by Mixcloud and Eventbrite. This creative platform brings together leading thinkers, promoters and entrepreneurs from across the UK’s night time economy to discuss, debate and learn from one another.
Recap: How the Nightlife Industry Is Evolving
Earlier this year, we hosted a debut event and produced a podcast series around the evolution of the experience economy and the rise of immersive, multi-sensory events. We invited an eclectic mix of founders, journalists, programmers, artists and event producers from across the UK’s nightlife scene to give us insight into how the industry is evolving. Listen to what went down in this 4-part podcast series:
Coming up: Nightlife Then & Now
For our next event this November, we’ll dive deep into conversation about how different movements in nightlife contribute to the world we live in. Here’s what to expect:
Session 1: A Guy Called Gerald in Conversation With Greg Wilson
What was it like to be an integral part of the late 80’s Manchester music scene during the glory days of the Hacienda? In our first session, we invite two dance music titans to reflect on a combined 70 years in the industry and their humble beginnings in post-industrial, Thatcher-era northern England.
Few people can claim to have had the impact on a musical scene as Manchester’s A Guy Called Gerald. Inspired by the emerging Hacienda scene around him, one of his earliest releases literally changed the musical landscape: his ‘Voodoo Ray’ track with its gurgling bassline, reversed samples and otherworldly atmospheres came to define the new acid house sound and has remained a timeless classic to this day.
The Tories even tried to pass laws to close down clubs who played the track and other classics from that era. What’s more, work as part of seminal group 808 State also spawned the similarly classic ‘Pacific State’ and introduced generations of party people to a whole new sound.
If A Guy Called Gerald was the gateway between Chicago house / Detroit techno and the UK dance music explosion in the late 80s, then UK DJ and music writer Greg Wilson was the enabler who championed it. As one of the first people to mix two records together in the UK, it’s fair to say that Greg Wilson’s influence on dance music is vital. But what might be more important is Wilson’s dedication to the preservation of dance music history and culture. As a writer and speaker, he’s been on a tireless quest to explain the roots of contemporary house and techno –– in addition to rocking crowds around the world.
Session 2: Building a New Underground Resistance
Inspired by the generation that came before them, we invite a panel of the next wave of cultural activists to take to the Nightlab stage. Moderated by Luis-Manuel Garcia, we’ll talk about different movements emerging across the London and beyond and how the underground is leading the charge in innovating the nightlife around the world.
On the panel:
- Nadine Artois – Founder at Pxssy Palace, DJ
- Ryan Lanji – Curator & Producer, Creator of Hungama
- Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson – Co-founder at Discwoman
- Moderated by Luis Manuel Garcia – Co-Founder at Room 4 Resistance, Dance music academic