New rave (also typeset as nu-rave, nu rave or neu rave) is a genre of music described by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' as "an in-yer-face,

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

disco riposte to the sensitive

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

touted by bands like

Bloc Party Bloc Party are an English rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Louise Bartle ( ...

." It is most commonly applied to a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-based music scene between 2005 and late 2008 of fast-paced electronica-influenced indie music that celebrated the late 1980s

Madchester Madchester was a musical and cultural scene that developed in the English city of Manchester in the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie dance scene. Indie-dance (sometimes referred to as indie-rave) saw artists merging indie music ...

and rave scenes through the use of neon colours and using the term 'raving' to refer to going nightclubbing.

Use of term

The

music magazine ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' is largely responsible for popularising the term throughout 2006 and 2007, until claiming in mid-2008 reviews that "New Rave is over". The genre has connotations of being a "new" version of music heard at raves, as well as being a play on the term "new wave".

Aesthetics

The aesthetics of the new rave scene are similar to those of the original rave scene, being mostly centred on psychedelic visual effects. Glowsticks, neon and other lights are common, and followers of the scene often dress in extremely bright and

fluorescent Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, ...

colored clothing.''The Guardian''. February 3, 2007.
The Future's Bright...
". Retrieved 31 March 2007. New Rave has been defined more by the image and aesthetic of its bands and supporters, than by its music. Trash Fashion lead singer, Jet Storm, and Electro heroine

Uffie Anna-Catherine Hartley (born December 9, 1987), known professionally as Uffie (), is an American-French singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and fashion designer formerly signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records. Uffie's musi ...

, have been described as the scene's very own pin ups.''BigShinyThing''. October 12, 2006.
God Help Us All: New Rave
". Retrieved 11 February 2009. Nevertheless, the use of electronic instruments, a musical fusion of rock and dance styles, and a particular

anarchic Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...

, trashy energy are certainly key elements.

Origins

Klaxons Klaxons were an English rock band, based in London. Following the release of several 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles " Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut ...

,''BBC News''. 3 January 2007.
Sound of 2007: Klaxons
". Retrieved 31 March 2007.''The Observer''. 28 January 2007.

". Retrieved 31 March 2007.''The Guardian''. January 5, 2007.

". Retrieved 12 April 2007.''Boston Globe''. 6 April 2007.
Meet the NEW Rave. Same As the Old Rave?
". Retrieved 12 April 2007. Trash Fashion,''Times Online''. 12 November 2006.
Here We Glo Again
". Retrieved 131 February 2009.

New Young Pony Club NYPC (also known as New Young Pony Club) are an English electronic music band from London. The band was formed by Andy Spence and Tahita Bulmer in 2004. Their influences are predominantly post-punk and new wave artists. Career Forming and sig ...

,''Sunday Life''. 4 February 2007.
Music: Having a Blast
". Retrieved 12 April 2007. Hadouken!, Late of the Pier and

Shitdisco Shitdisco were a dance-punk band from Glasgow, Scotland. They formed in 2003 while studying at the Glasgow School of Art, consisting of Joel Stone (bass, guitar, vocals), Joe Reeves (bass, guitar, vocals), Jan Lee (keyboards, backing vocals) ...

are generally accepted as the main exponents of the genre (although some of them disavow the term entirely). The term was coined by Klaxons founder Jamie Reynolds. Klaxons later declared they were ''not'' new rave, describing it as a "joke that's got out of hand".''Entertainment Wise''. November 1, 2006.
Klaxons: We're Not New Rave
". Retrieved 31 March 2007.''Popworld interview''. 13 April 2007.
Music News
". Retrieved 14 April 2007. In reaction to the media overkill of the "genre", Klaxons banned the use of glowsticks at their gigs in April 2007, saying that "We kept getting asked to explain it. The whole idea of new rave was to take the piss out of the media by making them talk about something that didn't exist, just for our own amusement. And they'd say, I appreciate that, but can you tell me more about new rave?" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' critic Margaret Wappler comments that the "minimalist dance-punk of LCD Soundsystem, the analog classicism of

Simian Mobile Disco Simian Mobile Disco are an English electronic music duo and production team, formed in 2003 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production. Ford is also known for his production work. ...

, the fanatical electro-thrash of

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

, the international amalgam of M.I.A., the agitated funk of

!!! !!! ( ), also known as Chk Chk Chk, is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1996 by lead singer Nic Offer. Members of !!! came from other local bands such as the Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Pope Smashers. They are curr ...

(Chk Chk Chk) and the art-schooled disco-sleaze of

Cansei de Ser Sexy ''Cansei de Ser Sexy'' is the first full-length album by Brazilian indie rock band CSS. It was released on October 9, 2005 by Trama in Brazil, where it reportedly sold 5,000 copies and failed to chart. It was released in the United States on Jul ...

" contributed to the thriving 'new rave' dance scene, which led to a rediscovery of indie rockers, and a critical and intellectual revolution in dance music.

Criticism

The sound of the original rave style is barely (if at all) discernible (save some typical analog synth lines) in the majority of bands referred to as new rave. Bands such as

The Sunshine Underground The Sunshine Underground (often shortened to TSU) were an English alternative dance band based in Leeds, England. Their style developed from indie, alternative to electronic music, and they released four full-length albums; '' Raise the Ala ...

, CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) and Hot Chip are often labeled as new rave due to their large following by fans of the genre. M.I.A. has been described as "a new raver before it was old." Several have publicly declared they had nothing to do with the genre. Stylist

Carri Mundane Carri Munden is an English fashion designer. Born as Carri Munden, she is credited as Carri Mundane and CassettePlaya, her fashion label. She currently works as a stylist and creative director and lives in London. Career Carri as cassette play ...

described it as funny, saying New Rave was "Vacant in retro. It’s just a marketing machine.... I guess it was a fun time but I’m more excited about what happens now. The next level - the next generation. There’s a mood of neo-

spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and Mind-body dualism, dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (w ...

and futurism that excites me." The new rave scene can be viewed as a media construct, largely propounded by the ''

'' and ', with other publications treating the subject as a joke. The belief that many of the bands associated with new rave can more appropriately be associated with the genre of dance-punk has given credence to such suggestions, although differences between both genres are said to be minor and more down to aesthetics. Critic John Harris has stated in ''

'' newspaper that the genre is nothing more than a "piss-poor supposed 'youthquake'" that will soon go out of fashion in the same way as rave. Harris, John. 13 October 2006.
New Rave? Old Rubbish
". ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 31 March 2007.

References

External links