Surprisingly Full Suburbs
In what is, we face it, a fairly rural, ingenuous little town at the edge of the world (pop. 300,000) it's reassuring to think that some meagre traces of a 'dance culture' can be sustained, and be...sorta cute and friendly and...small. Mainly thanx to a couple of dedicated record shop people and the party promoters who give huge and thankless amounts of time/$/passion.
And it's diversity stakes are trailing along too. From the stoned dub and reggae beatz of Da Fonky Monks to the Gabba nasties of Nexus. And most shades between those parameters. Unfortunately there are no clubs in Wellington worth wasting airtime with. Suffice to say that some people mistakenly believe that they are hearing good music at La Luna and Tatou. This is wrong. Result: Wellington has no overground scene, all parties are considered 'underground' and hence - in theory - worth attending. But it is underground music in all its luscious undergrowth which is where variety and personal selction begins, guided by the personal selection of the promotion gangs.
Wellington also has a traditionally 'live' live music scene, and some of this has been transplanted into the electronic area. Live sound systems have been a feature of parties over the last couple of years and are becoming more accepted as people grasp the idea.
Many/most ravenkinder are into hard acid and trance, and they seem to have the energy to keep sproinging up and down to it all night long. (baby) But in the quieter corners local djs are constantly exploring, reaching in to relatively new, and established but underlistened areas - expanding and exploring new areas, what they mean, what is taste???; hard house, minimal techno, drum + bass, hip-hop, detroit and electro. And as the fragmentation of the 'dance' scene continues the grand spirit of musical toleration and innovation...etc.
There's more to Wellington than techno (of course!). Coffee is a major part of life here - mine wouldn't be complete without a soy milk latte as soon as I start work. Wellington's java addiction began with the Midnight Espresso in Cuba St. and has over the last ten years exploded into a major industry.
Surprisingly Full Suburbs
In what is, we face it, a fairly rural, ingenuous little town at the edge of the world (pop. 300,000) it's reassuring to think that some meagre traces of a 'dance culture' can be sustained, and be...sorta cute and friendly and...small. Mainly thanx to a couple of dedicated record shop people and the party promoters who give huge and thankless amounts of time/$/passion.
And it's diversity stakes are trailing along too. From the stoned dub and reggae beatz of Da Fonky Monks to the Gabba nasties of Nexus. And most shades between those parameters. Unfortunately there are no clubs in Wellington worth wasting airtime with. Suffice to say that some people mistakenly believe that they are hearing good music at La Luna and Tatou. This is wrong. Result: Wellington has no overground scene, all parties are considered 'underground' and hence - in theory - worth attending. But it is underground music in all its luscious undergrowth which is where variety and personal selction begins, guided by the personal selection of the promotion gangs.
Wellington also has a traditionally 'live' live music scene, and some of this has been transplanted into the electronic area. Live sound systems have been a feature of parties over the last couple of years and are becoming more accepted as people grasp the idea.
Many/most ravenkinder are into hard acid and trance, and they seem to have the energy to keep sproinging up and down to it all night long. (baby) But in the quieter corners local djs are constantly exploring, reaching in to relatively new, and established but underlistened areas - expanding and exploring new areas, what they mean, what is taste???; hard house, minimal techno, drum + bass, hip-hop, detroit and electro. And as the fragmentation of the 'dance' scene continues the grand spirit of musical toleration and innovation...etc.
There's more to Wellington than techno (of course!). Coffee is a major part of life here - mine wouldn't be complete without a soy milk latte as soon as I start work. Wellington's java addiction began with the Midnight Espresso in Cuba St. and has over the last ten years exploded into a major industry.