(no subject)
Have just been reading about TAZ's by Hakim Bell; don't know if anyone has ever come across them before? It's funny because I actually read all abut this when I was researching for my rave dissertation many moons ago, but then I forgot all about them, and just now I've stumbled across them again and it's making me smile. The general vague idea in relation to rave is that they are a type of sacred space or Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) in which rules by which society would generally operate are suspended. An alternative mode of expression which is made up of a deviant and culturally divergent morality and value system is adopted and the participants enter into a situation where the authorities do not hold control over the proceedings and everyone is, theoretically, seen to be an equal. The ideal here is that the Dj and the dancers become one and the participants themselves become the party. The music is, for the most part, not meant to be easily distinguishable and the DJ's, again for the most part, are meant to far less egoistic and much more simply a part of the whole. The best DJ in this case is actually one who when not doing their set can be found on the dancefloor with everyone else. It's a nice concept. The suspension of the artificial reality created through the consensus society is a very tasty ideal I find. Whether it works in practice or not is a different case I guess though since there is a governing authority invested in the bouncers and as Laura and Matt will know I am very very very much looking forward to 'Eat Static' playing in September: hardly a faceless DJ at the best of times. Perhaps it would work better with the underground raves? I don't know since I've never been to one, but I suppose that in such cases there would be less call for bouncers as such and the looking after of the ravers would very much be administered by all the other ravers in some sort of microcosmic society. Still though, I love the idea of the TAZ.