hurrengoa
ravers, daytime night owls mevoy dj   I  jero & unai They start when the small hours of the morning just aren't that small any more. When vampires close coffins shut to ward off the first rays of the morning sun, they begin: raves. When most night owls fly off to their nests, there are those who continue on into the day: ravers. Another way of partying? A new communal way of enjoying your free time? Life beyond the strict rules of dancehalls? A liberating cocktail of nature, music, dance and drugs? Or perhaps a dangerous one? Pure hedonism? There are thousands of possible interpretations. As many as the different possible ways of organising a rave. Even though rave origins can be traced back to Great Britain at the end of the Seventies, the first real raves kicked off in the summer of 1987 (the summer of love). As the hate against the system channeled by Punk began to fizzle out, a new and more spiritual contra-culture movement started to make its presence felt on the streets. Electronic music and young people with a more spiritual outlook on the world who shy away from the system's individualism when it comes to organizing their free time. Raves were created by young people who were into a more communal way of enjoying life.

Raves are bashes organized by the very people who go. They are not to be found on your typical round of bars, dancehalls, official fests or on any of the different "Routes". The impression given is that raves are held in remote hilly areas in "touch" with nature. This, however, is not the case here because of the weather. Ravers seek out other locations; tunnels under motorways, old houses lost in the mountains, abandoned military barracks, hermitages on the point of collapse... any old place is good enough to get a rave going to carry on the party from the night before. Or to start a new one...

not covered by the law
Even though more and more dancehalls and discothèques are starting to call their bashes raves, raves are actually festivals not covered by the law. This, along with the fact they are quite long and very noisy, is why they are set up well away from inhabited areas. Raves are organised at the end of a road somewhere or at the top of a mountain so as not to piss the neighbours off or attract the unwanted attention of the police. It's quite usual for the police to turn up and try and cause hassle or even pull the plug on the rave. It's also true that as often as not they don't have a clue what to do when they get there. There are night-long raves and others that can last up to two or three days.
It is the spirit of organising things for themselves that pushes ravers to set up their never-ending parties. At some raves the party-goers are asked to make a small symbolic donation to pay for the d-js' work and the cost of renting out sound equipment, but generally there is no cover charge. Some raves set up bars, and in others those attending hit the local off-license or empty surrounding vending machines of beer.
Electronic music is boss at raves. The disc-jockey becomes the house "Shaman" as dancers' convulse in time to the music's rhythmic pounding. The choosing, mixing and manipulation of different sounds is not an easy job. Violent rhythms, syncopation and different styles of techno music are favourites at raves. Whereas House, Progressive and Acid have become top-dogs in different clubs and discos, stronger, harder rhythms have replaced them at raves. In this neck of the woods, rave d-js prefer the likes of trance, hardcore and gabba.

The enjoyment of music and dance are the most important elements of a rave. Having said that, ravers have a special way of getting kicks out of music and dance. They seek group enjoyment; their have a positive outlook on things. They share mutual respect and respect of their surroundings. They proclaim the right to be as they so desire and the freedom to live each moment as they choose to. You don't have to justify the clothes you wear to any "intellectual" doorman and you don't need to hide in any toilet to drop a pill or take a few lines. Being openly able to do whatever you want to without having to hide is one of the most frequently praised aspects of a rave. There is no hypocrisy when it comes to dancing, personal relationships or taking drugs.

a shamanistic ceremony
There are some ravers who look for a deep spiritual meaning to raves. The consumption of different drugs, thundering rhythms and freestyle convulsive dancing can send you into a trance. Taking part in group dance has a tribal, spiritual meaning to it. A link back in time to our communal roots in other words. The idea behind raves is not that far removed from the shamanistic ceremonies celebrated by ancient peoples.
The shamanistic ceremonies held by peoples of India and Eskimoos in Siberia also use repetitive music. This fiery repetition of musical cadenza opens the doors to a special emotional and psychological state. These physic trips and trances allow the "tripper" to remove themselves from present space and time. Ravers use drugs in place of the deeply rooted religious or spiritual beliefs held by those ancient peoples.
As well as that, many other ravers see raves as being a stance against the system. They regard raves as a an island of free-time/space that completely breaks with commerce and T.V.'s idea of how free time should be spent. On the other hand, there are those who regard raves as collective alienation and the abandonment of individuality. As you can see and as happens in all walks of life, there are as many opinions as people when it comes to raves. And just as we would with almost everything else, we shall make the most sensible proposal: go along, try it out and... you decide.