Further Reading
Some foundational texts that we find inspirational
“Standing By” by Arjun S Ravi (2015) is a must-watch series that tracks the history and evolution of independent music in India. From jazz to metal and everything between, this documentary and archive gives famous venues, musical movements, and the legacies of visionary pioneers across the country the recognition they deserve.
HUB: Indian Electronica 1982-2010 by Samrat Bharadwaj (2010) is an anthology-format digital book that shows a snapshot of electronic music scenes in India, compiling major artists and reflecting on historical origins.
“Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural capital” by Sara Thornton (1995) is the seminal book in club culture studies. Core concepts include
how clubbers / ravers use social distinctions such as the “mainstream” and the “underground”
‘subcultural capital’ based on cultural knowledge and taste which confers social status
“Is there an Indian way of raving? Reading the cultural negotiations of Indian youth in the trans-local EDM scene” by Devpriya Chakravarty & Andy Bennett (2023) is one of the only academic journal articles on the Indian EDM scene. The authors draw from fieldwork at festivals like Sunburn India to analyse:
the social contexts in which people in India attend dance music festivals
the way the particular musical tastes of Indian ‘ravers’ is informed by ancient aesthetic canons in Rasa theory
“The Academisation of Rave: Is Everyone Talking About Dancing, Rather Than Doing It?” by Chal Ravens (2024) is a magazine article about the new wave of cultural commentary on dance music scenes. Importantly, the article argues that it is incorrect to ask if rave is political or hedonist. Instead, true experience usually lies between and beyond such dichotomies. In any case, writing-about-rave will always be incomplete and inadequate to describe the bodily experience of dancing.
“Goa is the New Choupati Beach” by Buffalo Intellectual (2024) is a light-hearted commentary on gatekeeping in tourist discourse by elite urban Savarnas. Not music-related but a fun parallel that reflects our sentiments on elite music culture.
If you have suggestions of your own, leave a comment below or drop us a message.