Rave to the Grave

Renowned electronic music journalist Shawn Reynaldo discusses how DJ culture has changed, his views on music writing, the current club scene in Barcelona, and the time he saw Claire Danes at Berghain. Explores topics such as living in a small coastal town, the evolution of electronic music culture and the industry, and finding a new home in Barcelona.

When 1980s electro and freestyle music from Miami, New York, and Los Angeles touched down in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities, it ignited a wildfire in the minds of local DJs and soundsystem operators. Out of the hoods – in Brazil known as favelas – emerged the ass-shaking sounds of baile funk. You may have heard baile funk hits by Pablo Vittar, Diplo & MIA, and Karol G, but on this episode we're taking it way way back to the roots. Raised in Fortaleza in Northeast Brazil, Priscilla Cavalcante a.k.a. House of Pris joins me to talk about her experiences in first-wave baile funk and plays us some of the most important samples and beats that started the whole movement. We also talk about her baile funk party in Miami, Florida called Proibidae, the process of saving lost anthems of the 1990s, plus furacão, pancadão, and the wild wonderful world of Brazilian funk parties. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka Star Eyes). For more, follow @ravetothe.grave on Instagram and visit RavetotheGrave.org.

McKenzie Wark is an Australian born writer, critical theory professor, and trans-femme techno raver currently living in NYC. Her latest book, Raving, thinks deeply about dancing, dissociation, drugs, bodies, and identity as McKenzie, recently transitioned, navigates the queer ravespaces of Bushwick, Brooklyn. On the line from Berlin, we talk about experimenting with language and writing, bodies and the beat, smart vs. stupid drugs, the intersection of transness and techno, Kathy Acker, cultural theory, and McKenzie's extraordinary journey from growing up in an Australian mining town to dancing on the bleeding edge of the NYC underground. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Seana Gavin is a London-based visual artist who spent 10 years immersed in the free party culture in the UK and beyond, traveling to week-long parties in Czechoslovakian fields, French mountains, and Berlin squats with soundsystems like Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, Desert Storm, and Hekate. Her photos and diary entries of the adventures of these roving cyberpunks are collected in books like Spiral Baby and Spiralling, and we sat down to talk about the intersection of punk and rave, border crossing, fashion, friendship, adventure, freedom, and just how dirty things can get. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). Visit RavetotheGrave.org or follow us on Instagram at @ravetothe.grave.  

"Tear the Club Up." "Watch Out for the Big Girl." "Bring In the Katz." Shawn Caesar of pioneering Baltimore Club music label Unruly Records joins us to talk about some of Baltimore Club music's greatest bangers, and takes us back to genre's roots in the hip-house scene of the late '80s and early '90s. Learn about Bmore club's inspirations, how it's evolved over the years, and the life and times of some of its icons, including Miss Tony and Club Queen K-Swift. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). Visit us at Ravetothegrave.org or on Instagram at @ravetothe.grave.

Steven Klavier, a house vocalist and nightlife staple, discusses guestlist etiquette, artisanal ketamine, sordid afterhours parties, club sex, and trapeze artists. Topics also include exploring the post-pandemic Brooklyn club scene, memorable New York night spots and parties, the NYC party scene, etiquette of getting on the guest list, and wild incidents at venues. They also touch on working in nightlife, challenges, after hours parties, and shady encounters.

In part 2 of our interview with rave icon Flapjack, we talk renegade Burning Man, the business of EDM, the importance of DIY art and culture, haunted weed, and get treated to a steaming handful of wild party stories, including a trilogy of poop-related bad trips. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka @stareyezzz). Visit RavetotheGrave.org or follow us on Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Literally a pied piper of the underground (happy) hardcore scene, L.A. DJ, promoter, fashion designer, vinyl collector,  and JNCO enthusiast Flapjack joins us to talk about being a Raveaissance Man. In Part 1, we explore how he got so hardcore, kandi culture, being sober but loving drugs, sacred objects of the '90s, DIY ideals and creativity, plus we workshop party names. Stay tuned for Part 2. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). Visit RavetotheGrave.org or follow us on Instagram at @ravetothe.grave.

Italy's Marco Passarani has been DJing and working in record stores since age 10, and releasing records since 1993. A native of Rome, he walks us through the transition from disco to rave, the evolution of city's unique "broken beat" sound and details the scene at some long-forgotten spots like Borgo Sabatino and Piper. We also talk about his Tiger & Woods project, his complex relationship to Italo disco, smiley pants, the DJ hustle and why techno was and is still the future. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). Visit RavetotheGrave.org or follow us on Instagram at @ravetothe.grave.

Rave cruises, mermaid outfits, scene hair, nasty hot tubs, Skrillex on the couch! Join American scene queen Lina Abascal (aka @linalovesit) as we revisit the bloghouse era of the early 2000s, the subject of her new book Never Be Alone Again. We talk which DJs were hot (or not), how the internet and technology has transformed culture, wild parties & free booze, bloghouse coming back into style, and how Lina spun her career from professional party girl to book author, journalist, and professor. For fans of Justice, Diplo, and A-Trak! Visit RavetotheGrave.org for extras and follow us on Instagram at @ravetothe.grave.