Raving by McKenzie Wark, touches on both scholarly and personal aspects of the art and culture of raving. Really reveals the importance of community and sociological implications of special musical spaces. Especially recommended if you're interested in the trans community, raving culture, electronic music, COVID and the social scene, etc.
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Such a smart trans writer and incidentally a gem of a person. I just finished "Raving" and I felt very wrapped up in a little corner of community in a nourishing/reassuring way. Also check out "Capital is Dead" if you need motivation to divest from "social media" (pejorative) and post-capitalist digital platforms. A gift. Stay safe bb <3
Jan 24, 2025
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I read this book when I was 18 and it fully changed my life. I had never read such an eloquent take on the auditory feast that surrounds us. It certainly validated my obsession with environmental sounds and industrial horror shows like military jets ripping through the fabric of the sky… Schafer is a Canadian composer who talks at length about how Sound is so esoteric, it alludes to institutionalization, but never has been like the visual arts. The inherent subjectivity of sound makes it so difficult to formally discuss…yet we aren’t willing to admit that we’ve designed our industrialized society to mostly sound like shit. Sound is a bit of an afterthought. But we sit within the vibrations of the jarring sounds we create all the time. Maybe if we cared about what things sounded like, our environment would reflect a rich buffet of natural auditory phenomena and intentionally curated spaces, and then maybe we’d all feel physically more in tune?
Oct 4, 2023
dense as fuck though i had to put it down to read other stuff bc it was driving me crazy. but very good stuff, wark is great. it basically argues data and people are capital? talks a lot about data, digital surveillance, tech companies, how the internet relates to capitalism
Jun 16, 2025
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If you’re performative for the sake of people pleasing and attracting romance then it makes you lose your colour. But if you’re intentionally performative and choose your persona day to day as you please it’s suddenly hilarious and enjoyable. (With moderation of course, can’t be too fake cause being genuine matters.)
May 22, 2025
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Yes except I've been rejecting it so much and now I have nearly chronic fatigue lmao
Just not a fan. I could be enjoying so many other things but my dumb body and brain need to shut down for so long. Not that it doesn't feel good but I'd rather it was elective and that not doing it didn't have serious consequences
May 22, 2025
May 22, 2025