it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
Under the strobe-lit haze of a warehouse party, boundaries blur. The dance floor, with its undulating bodies and relentless beats, becomes a place of liberation—an unspoken promise of acceptance.
In the Dark
Dancing
SCROLL
Since its inception, rave culture has provided sanctuary for those on the fringes, particularly Black and queer communities who have found solace, expression, and connection on the dance floor.
Jeff Mills
Kevin Saunders
Carl Craig
Robert Hood
Derrrick May
Juan Atkins
The Roots
Detroit's Underground Haven
Under the strobe-lit haze of a warehouse party, boundaries blur. The dance floor, with its undulating bodies and relentless beats, becomes a place of liberation—an unspoken promise of acceptance.
In the Dark
Dancing
SCROLL
Under the strobe-lit haze of a warehouse party, boundaries blur. The dance floor, with its undulating bodies and relentless beats, becomes a place of liberation—an unspoken promise of acceptance.
Since its inception, rave culture has provided sanctuary for those on the fringes, particularly Black and queer communities who have found solace, expression, and connection on the dance floor.
Jeff Mills
Kevin Saunders
Carl Craig
Robert Hood
Derrrick May
Juan Atkins
The Roots
Detroit's Underground Haven
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
it feels like freedom
it feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
It feels like freedom
When the baseline hits
Under the strobe-lit haze of a warehouse party, boundaries blur. The dance floor, with its undulating bodies and relentless beats, becomes a place of liberation—an unspoken promise of acceptance.
In the Dark
Dancing
SCROLL
Since its inception, rave culture has provided sanctuary for those on the fringes, particularly Black and queer communities who have found solace, expression, and connection on the dance floor.
Jeff Mills
Kevin Saunders
Carl Craig
Robert Hood
Derrrick May
Juan Atkins
The Roots
Detroit's Underground Haven
Techno’s origins lie in the crumbling infrastructure of 1980s Detroit, where African American artists like Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick May crafted a futuristic sound amidst the city’s economic despair.
These early raves became refuges, where Black youth could transcend the harsh realities of systemic racism and economic disenfranchisement. The cold, industrial sounds of techno mirrored Detroit’s decaying cityscape, while its pulsating rhythm created a space of warmth and connection. And as techno's influence spread across the Atlantic to Berlin’s underground bunkers and London’s gritty warehouses, so did its message of refuge.
Techno’s origins lie in the crumbling infrastructure of 1980s Detroit, where African American artists like Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick May crafted a futuristic sound amidst the city’s economic despair.
Fast forward to today, and rave culture's legacy as a safe space remains strong. Parties like Papi Juice in New York and BBZ in London continue to hold space for Black and queer communities, crafting environments where expression is not only encouraged but celebrated.
Founded by creatives Mohammed Fayaz, Oscar Nñ, and Adam R. in 2013, Papi Juice offers a party series that centers queer and trans people of color. Their events combine music, art, and community activism, blending euphoria with education. "We’re creating a world that reflects us, where joy is a form of resistance," says Fayaz.
Modern Sanctuary
Modern Sanctuary
Modern Sanctuary
Modern Sancturary
Techno’s origins lie in the crumbling infrastructure of 1980s Detroit, where African American artists like Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick May crafted a futuristic sound amidst the city’s economic despair.
These early raves became refuges, where Black youth could transcend the harsh realities of systemic racism and economic disenfranchisement. The cold, industrial sounds of techno mirrored Detroit’s decaying cityscape, while its pulsating rhythm created a space of warmth and connection. And as techno's influence spread across the Atlantic to Berlin’s underground bunkers and London’s gritty warehouses, so did its message of refuge.
Fast forward to today, and rave culture's legacy as a safe space remains strong. Parties like Papi Juice in New York and BBZ in London continue to hold space for Black and queer communities, crafting environments where expression is not only encouraged but celebrated.
Founded by creatives Mohammed Fayaz, Oscar Nñ, and Adam R. in 2013, Papi Juice offers a party series that centers queer and trans people of color. Their events combine music, art, and community activism, blending euphoria with education. "We’re creating a world that reflects us, where joy is a form of resistance," says Fayaz.
Modern Sanctuary
Modern Sanctuary
Modern Sanctuary
Modern Sancturary
BPM
140
Rave culture offers temporary utopias, but challenges persist. Gentrification, commercialization, and over-policing threaten these spaces. Resistance thrives through collectives, pop-ups, and digital communities. Black and queer rave-goers carve out their own spaces, dancing in defiance. The beat goes on under neon lights, a new generation finding solace in the sound—the promise of freedom, one bass drop at a time.
KEEP
THE
BEAT
ALIVE
![AdobeStock_613384193-[Converted].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3e197f_9fb34edb596b4356bd04649c4e7ca06c~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_66,w_3208,h_2813/fill/w_980,h_859,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/AdobeStock_613384193-%5BConverted%5D.png)
References:
Brewster, B., & Broughton, F. (2006). Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey. Grove Press.
Fikentscher, K. (2000). 'You Better Work!': Underground Dance Music in New York City. Wesleyan University Press.
Garcia, L. M. (2015). Experiencing Music and Generating Culture in the Electronic Dance Music Scene. Routledge.
Muñoz, J. E. (2009). Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity. NYU Press.
Reynolds, S. (1998). Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. Routledge.
Sicko, D. (2010). Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk. Wayne State University Press.
Vice. (2018). How Papi Juice Became New York’s Queer Party of the Moment. Vice.
The Face. (2019). Meet BBZ, the Collective Reclaiming Space for Queer Women of Colour. The Face.
design by: chad balkum
