PART B

EDITED BY ANOUK PARDON AND SANA AGARWAL

Identity and subversion: an exploration of London’s raves

by CLARABELLE COKER-WHYTE & photographs by FELIX FRASER

We stand with our IDs out, hugging ourselves tightly as the September chill sets in, a reminder that summer is slowly receding into a distant past. e latex clothing worn by many outside the Electrowerkz Islington queue gives little insulation from the prospective rave-goers.

I am by no means a rave a cionado, the extent of my rave immersion being Pxssy Palace’s rambunctious mix of afrobeats and R&B. Electrowerkz’ rave, Riposte, is my introduction to electro-techno grit. Upon entry, the hypnotic acid beats seeps inside us and nestles within every bre. As bodies writhe against each other on caged platforms , all our inhibitions are lost. ere is no time to be bashful. We just let the music pour over us and soak us in its heavy baseline. In Electrowerkz’s dimly lit underground, we are teleported to a realm that pays no heed to conservative middleclass sensibilities and the dictates of gender norms. Glittery makeup, leather ultraminiskirts, and micro crop-tops are uniforms for the night, serving as a constant reminder of queer identity’s unabashed boldness. Here there are no prying eyes or public complaints. It’s our refuge.

Since their inception, raves have not only been a place of queer solace but also the youth’s hope of a revolutionised future – as cliché as it might sound. A er the fall of the Berlin wall, Germany’s Bauhaus buildings became home to sonic powerhouses and sacrosanct venues of electronic worship. Here old systems of separation and divide were shed. Germany’s new zeitgeist of freedom imbued itself in the raucous sound of raves.

the heteronormative male gaze. Corporeality is o en central to queer or gender non-conforming identities. Individuals powerfully encode bodily practices of gender as an act of resistance, uncovering new ways of being. For me, shibari is an exploration of a body’s natural form, delving into its contours and exploring its forms. Anyone can be the rigged or rigger – there are no constraints.

Queer spaces, especially raves, are o en mislabelled as sex-crazed, hedonistic sex-pits advocating ‘cruising culture’, by those outside the community. Many tales are spun about the wild sex that takes place in secret rooms. Indeed, an element of sex does feature in this scene. Sex somewhat enters the public domain, from the fetish wear sold at stalls to the hidden dark rooms. It’s no longer shrouded in taboo because sex contributes to the holistic exploration of self and identity. It should go without saying that the opportunity to practice safe and consensual sex matters especially for adults who live in spaces antagonistic to queer sexual expression. Destigmatising queer sex also features heavily in the agenda. However, sex never seems to be the focal point of raves; the exploration of identity in a safe space trumps all.

Anyone regardless of orientation should get involved with London’s rave scene. For those dead set against electronic music, give it a go. You’d be surprised at how your body gives its seduction.