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Music and Recreational Drugs


Recreational Drugs and Music Trance in the modern dance scene: A sub cultural phenomenon


From the Latin transire which means to cross or pass over, the word trance
describes the human soul passing out of the body into another state of being; into an
ecstatic state. Trance can be obtained through the sense of hearing. This is evident in
the electronic dance music culture. The usage of repetitive rhythms to create trance
states, in combination with the usage of drugs, is an ancient phenomenon. The
purpose of this essay is to show the relationship of recreational drugs and music
trance in the modern dance scene, through the study and research of the drugs
themselves, dance music and the people associated with them; the industry and the
audience.

Rhythmical drumming…produces striking abnormal psychological states ( comparable to
those produced by some drugs) …These effects include hallucinations…fatigue, confusion, fear,
disgust, anger and pleasure; distortion of time perception… ( Sturtevant 1968: 133)
As mentioned above, since ancient times, tribes used to dance to a repetitive
drum beat, and most of the times by using hallucinogenic drugs, such as salvia
divinorum1; thus bringing themselves in a state of trance. Interestingly enough, this
phenomenon is still apparen created in a laboratory. Even the name “recreational
drugs” connotes in that they are made for recreation purposes; meaning that anyone
who wants to entertain himself , should use them or else he cannot be entertained.
The market for recreational drugs is probably the biggest in the world. People
in developed and developing countries appear to have a desire, sometimes a strong
one, to alter their state of consciousness. The use of stimulant drugs allows them to
stay awake and dance all night under the sound of repetitive rhythmic patterns. The
drugs calm their anxiety and give them alternative forms of consciousness; thus trying
to make them to forget and escape from the troubles of everyday life. Some of the
recreational drugs and more common ones that are used in the modern dance scene
are: the cannabis or marijuana, the amphetamines (Dexedrine), LCD, Ecstasy or
MDMA, ketamine, heroine, cocaine, GHB, PCP or angel dust, methamphetamine,
DXM , Quaaludes, Psychedelic Mushrooms and Laughing Gas; all the above in
combination with alcohol, nicotine or energy drinks, such as Lucozade and Red Bull.



GHB Powder

1 Salvia Divinorum is a powerful psychoactive plant . It has long been used by the indigenous Mazatec (Oaxaca, Southern
Mexico) shamans for healing during spirit journeys.



Several types of ecstasy pills.





Quaaludes or methaqualone tablets and capsules




Out of all the above mentioned recreational drugs, ecstasy is the most popular. Its
popularity as recreational drug coincided with the rise of the rave dance scene of the
1990s. Ecstasy stimulates the brain to produce increased levels of serotonin, a
neurotransmitter which affects our mood. It can cause dehydration, as most of the
users dance for hours without drinking enough water. Other side effects are
depression, memory loss, loss of appetite, increased heart rate and pressure.
Subjective effects are the increased positive emotion and increased sociability and
closeness to other people. The problem though is that, as with many drugs, pills which
contain other substances are often sold as ecstasy2. According to some users:

"A normal dose of pure ecstasy can last between three and six hours. After 1 hour, you feel your heart
beating fast, your palms sweat.. It’ s always better if you haven’t eaten before; when it goes to your
stomach, it creates fizz. You can dance for hours and stay awake all night. You love everybody around
you! ( Anonymous 2007 )"

2 Sometimes, ecstasy is also called MDMA which stands for Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.


Sean P. Hier in the Canadian Journal of Sociology states also the fact that drugs are
sold as Ecstasy to the ravers in Canada; so this is an international phenomenon3:
While the intake of pure ecstasy is associated with very few negative side- effects, the
Toronto Research Group on Drugs (2000) reports that much of what is sold on the streets of Toronto
under the guise of ecstasy falls far short of pure MDMA, often containing “side- products” which
present a greater likelihood of stimulating health complications. (Hier 2002:43)
Rave culture and generally club dance music would have never worked so
well, without the above catalyst drug. Several types of club dance music were
introduced in the 1990’s as a result of the rave culture: House, Techno, Trance and
Jungle, all of them having in common the repetition of a particular beat. Among them,
House music has become more popular nowadays and can be differentiated in
different kinds, such as Harthouse, Funky House, Electro House and Acid House.
Initially house wasn’t aligned with a particular genre of music, but rather with an attitude and a feeling.
It signified a rebellious edge and an underground vibe. ( McCall 2001: 18)




House music is influenced by Disco music; it uses a 4/4 beat( bass drum on every
beat) which is created by samplers. It also uses a repeting electronic synthesizer bass
line. Samples of jazz ,funk or pop then are added to the drum beat and the bass line.
Trance music, like house, is generally characterized by a tempo of between 130 and
160 beats per minute, featuring repeating melodic synthesizer phrases. Sometimes
vocals are also utilized. According to several DJ’s, the style is derived from a
combination of house and electro music. Trance music took its name from the
repetitious beats which change constantly, without the listener being able to
understand the actual change, and the repetitive melodies which put the listener into a
trance-like state. Trance music is divided as well into different kinds, like: Acid,
Hard, Progressive, Goa and Psychedelic Trance, among many.
Trance music uses also some lyrics during the piece, but only in few parts:

3 An interviewee, in Limerick, told me that it’s rather rare that pure MDMA is sold in Ireland. The same thing has been said to
me, by interviewees in Greece.

It’s not me; It’s just a demon you see. It is like a big flat stone lying on your chest. (Goa Trance 2001)




The above quote can be found in a piece composed by Massimo Santucci, called
Libidine Motorica. Interestingly enough at the moment, Santucci has changed his
style into house music (www.myspace.com/massimosantucci). I asked a friend of
mine what he thought of this phrase, when he heard the piece:
L: What do they mean by this phrase “ big flat stone lying on your chest”?
K: Oh that has to do with the drugs…When I take E and starts working, I feel my chest kind of heavy;
especially when I dance and drink the same time. I don’t breath normally.. I think that the demon refers
to some hallucination.
While trying to find why a producer/composer would use a phrase like the above on a
piece of 9.21 mins, only once, I received the answer I wanted from a friend of mine
who is a DJ in a major club in Athens. He said that “these are tricks that the dance
music industry use” ( Anonymous 2007 ). I later found out what he meant.
Club Dance Music industry is one of the biggest in its kind. The record
companies and the venues make always much effort in promoting a recording or an
event.



Example of a cover from a recording. The title here
is very important: Euphoria.



Another invitation- commercial which was recorded for the pirate stations in London:
( Wayne 1998: 58)
In a secret location, somewhere in London, Genesis ’89 proudly presents the Chapter of the Chapters.
An invitation to all Genesis members and veterans.
Entertainment will be supplied by an all-star DJ line-up,
including: Fabio, Grooverider, Mickey Finn, Tony Wilson, Dem 2 and Bones.
A production of the highest quality includes 60k of turbo- sound, lasers, special effects and
cinematic-sized projections.

For the information hotline, please stay tuned. Genesis ’89 is live and kicking.
The venues are either big warehouses or sometimes happen outdoors, as a form of an
“electric pic nic”. The lighting, the sound and the visual material plays important role,
as to increase the trance state of the audience. But let us now wonder: is this music
encouraging the use of drugs?


 In Athens, in the 1990’s, there was a big trend towards this music and the use
of Ecstasy. Big parties were organized in the suburbs with the support of famous
music producers; these were taking place in big warehouses or in big parks, always
organized secretly, as the organizers were afraid of the police. The organizers were
giving flyers and informing only people who were reliable and always the day before
the party or the day of the party. I remember in my school, two of the people of my
close environment, who were two years older than me, were well connected with such
organizers and were receiving flyers almost every week. They told me only once to
go. The experience was unbelievable!

This party was taking place in big park in a suburb, North of Athens in the
summer of 1995. When we arrived there after midnight, there were already many
people in a strange code of clothing; I was casually dressed. In one side of the park,
there was a big kiosk where people could get water or Lucozade( energy drink). It was
strange for me to see that no other refreshments or alcohol were available there, but
only water and this energy drink. There was also a big platform which looked like a
stage to me, in the front. There were big speakers next to the stage and on every side
of the area that the party would take place. I cannot still understand how they were
provided with so much electric power. I noticed though that there were many
containers with electric equipment on the back side of the stage. There were big
screens over the stage projecting mushrooms in different colors flying in the air,
graphics in every color and several words jumping flashing on the screen.
I found this magic! But that was only the beginning. Suddenly, I felt the earth
shaking and then I understood that the speakers were producing a repetitive bass
sound. I knew that piece; Skyline by Resistance D, found in the Harthouse Album
which was released that same year. The audience started moving. I could not count
how many people were there precisely, but I presume there were over 500 people
there. My friends disappeared for a while and they returned after 30 minutes with a
more loving attitude that I found strange. One of them tried to speak to my ear and he
said that if I wanted an E, I could go with him. I said that I did not want one and that I
would just drink Lucozade. I was now sure that most of the people there were on E
and I was curious to find out where exactly the dealing was taking place. I wandered
for a while in the crowd which seemed to be in a state of trance; some people were
kissing, others were hugging each others and they were bouncing their bodies in to the
rhythm of the music. There were two DJ’s on stage with very big decks. I could see
them from far away, waving at people. I went next to the kiosk where I saw many
people gathered. I saw one guy with shaved hair putting something in the hand of
another guy. The latter opened his mouth and put the palm in his mouth, as to swallow
the pill. Then he drank water and he left.

I understood that some people there did not come to dance, but actually take
drugs in order to have fun. I did not like that. I returned back to where my friends
were. They seemed a lot different now. My friend took my hand and she started
jumping. She was smiling and she told me to “cheer up”. Her palm was sweaty.
That’s one of the effects that Ecstasy has. Almost everybody was dancing for hours. I
was very tired and I wanted to go. But I could not leave without my friends. At
around 5 am, the DJ played another piece from the same album I mentioned earlier;
Taking Place in you by Eternal Basement and Michael Kohlbecker. The robot lights
starting flashing with green and purple colors. The screen was showing graphs of
bodies flying towards one another. I let myself free to the power of the music, this
rhythm. The earth was vibrating from the speakers and one could see the trees that
surrounded the people changing all kinds of colors. I suddenly felt that I was outside
of my own body; like I was watching myself from a distance. It was very strange
experience. For four hours after the party had ended , almost everybody was asleep on
the grass.



I forgot about this experience I had and I only remembered it few months ago,
while being here in Ireland, after almost 12 years. I was surprised that this trend was
still in action here, as in Athens it was abandoned long time ago. Police made massive
arrests in rave parties, as they knew that these parties were a place for dealing drugs,
especially E. As a part of my interviews, I was curious to see how my friends in
Athens would react if I were to call them and tell them that this trend was still in
action here, even though it has been modernized.

Markos4 was surprised but he explained to me that this is a current trend in UK and Ireland. I asked him why people
attended the parties in Athens. He told me that some were coming out of curiosity
(like me), some because they wanted to take drugs, dance and be with other people
that they did not know and had never met before. He knew at least 50 people from the
party that I went to and I asked him what their backgrounds were. He said that all of
them either were working as waiters or waitresses, as sales assistants; some of them
left school, most of them coming from middle classes. None of them that he knew
was coming from an upper class background. I knew though that even rich people
were going there. I had seen in the news that many times, they had arrested people
who were coming from a “wealthy background”.
 


My research was conducted in Limerick. I interviewed a friend of mine who
is not an Irishman, but he has lived in Ireland for many years and most of his friends
are Irish. I also went myself to such gigs in which I saw many differences from the
Athens trend of the 1990’s. I cannot give the real name of the interviewee, as he did
not wish me to.

Excerpt from John’s account5 (2007)
L: How often do you go to parties and clubs?
J: I work, you see, so let’s say I go in the club every Friday and Saturday; and after, there is always
some party around. Usually, there are parties every week.
L: Do you go to these parties because you know that you can find drugs there?
J: Oh yes! Definitely! Last Friday, I went out and then my friend called me and said that there was a
party in the country. I wanted to go and so I went. There were about 30 people there, no more. I knew
some of them. The music was loud when I entered the house; really loud! The tunes were bangin! I
took an E, which as you know it’s not an E… I don’t know what b……. they sale here. When I was in
Manchester, things were different. You could definitely get pure MDMA. The E that dealers give here
just keeps you awake for more hours. Maybe I have already some kind of tolerance in the drug, so
maybe I say b……… again. (he laughed)
L: Why do you take them?
J: Why? Because I enjoy it and I have some kind of control. I do it since I was 17!I’m 33 now.
L: Doesn’t it harm you?
J: Sure it does! Like alcohol and this fag, I smoke at the moment. But for me, Labrini, it is an escape. I
want to walk away from my problems for a while. I’m very stressed with my job, I haven’t seen my


4 That is not his real name, as we agreed that he would remain anonymous in the interviews.
5 I will use the capital letter L instead of my name and J instead of John for abbreviation. This is a translation of the interview.

family for some time. I find this extremely healing for me; coming is such parties, listening to this
music, taking drugs… It’s nice !It’s cool!
L: What do you like about the music?
J: I like the rhythm… The repetition, you know what I mean? You can feel your whole body vibrating;
you feel the chest vibrating from the bass. It’s some kind of spiritual escape.
L: What do you mean by “ spiritual escape”?
J: You know, everybody comes in the parties to take drugs and dance to this music while they are on
drugs. They want to feel the vibe, how can I say it? They want to forget…The whole thing seems to
cure them.
L: Do you really believe that it cures them?
J: I certainly do! It has cured me many times. I forget everything if I’m under the “spell” of the music
and drugs.
L: John, do you think that this music is a drug by itself ?
J: Ah, that’s not something easy to answer. I do not know. I suppose it is… I have never listened to it
without taking drugs. I think it is though. It has great power!



Interesting are the accounts of Scott Hutson in the Journal of Anthropological
Quarterly:
Rave is thus seen as a more “direct” form of spirituality than organized religion. ( 2000: 38)
Because rave experience is so often described in religious and spiritual terms, and because the type of
healing is of the spirit as opposed to the body, I refer to the type of healing discussed above as
“spiritual healing”. (2000: 39)
A raver from the same article gives his own perspective concerning the music:
(2000:39)
It is through dance that I have found transcendence. Music has taught me to fly using wings I never
knew I had. It is through music and dance that my soul is free to soar among the heavens … allowing a
clearer vision of the world that I am creating.
An important element and characteristic of all the people participating in these gigs is
that they are united and they do not differentiate from one another. Interesting is the
title of one piece by Faithless: God is a DJ6 .

Faithless: God is a DJ



We all share a lot in common, regardless of age, gender, race , [ sexual] orientation, whatevah. We all
need other people. Though we may have differences, we all arise from the same source. ( Hutson 2000:
42)
My last part of the ethnography was in a club in Limerick for which I will use a false
name. We went there with my friend who is Irish. A famous DJ was on the decks that
night. There was one big screen above the stage with flashing graphs. The floor was
full of alcohol. I noticed later that in Limerick, they prefer to mix alcohol with drugs.

6 This is my church. This is where I heal my hurt… Enemies becoming friends. It's in the world I become content in the hum,
between voice and drum…

There were many people I know there from the University; mostly students. The
average age there was not more than 28 years old. When the DJ was playing a
sustained sound on the decks, everyone was screaming, with their hands in the air;
when the beat was coming back again, then everyone was jumping up and down while
moving their head slightly from left to right. Everybody seemed very happy there.
They would smile to you or feel more close to you.

Suddenly on the screen appeared a strange image. There were two hands full
of pills ready to be swallowed by the person who was on the screen. I found this
horrendous. After few seconds, all kinds of Ecstasy pills were flashing on the screen.
This lasted about one minute and it was repeated at least seven times. I did not like it
and my friend did not like it as well. I thought it was too much. It’s funny though,
because the next time I went again to the same club, there were almost similar images,
but without the E pills on the screen. It seems that these images with the pills were
censored.
 



And this brings us to the point to ask the question: Should the music being
censored as well due to the use of psychedelic and drug related lyrics? Interestingly
enough, almost none of the recordings which I know are censored. Even in
myspace.com/music, under the category House, there are profiles which have
uploaded tunes with obvious sexual and drug connotations. I’m wondering why this
music is not censored. It maybe the case that music industry is clever enough to use
the lyrics they want to use, in a particular place of the piece; and note that every piece
is more that five minutes. I believe that some of the pieces should not be performed at
all. But of course, nobody controls this industry, so producers do what they want and
they do not care if the few lyrics being used in the piece are inappropriate.
It seems that listeners, though, do not mind for the content of the lyrics. They
rather prefer to allow themselves listening to the music while they are on drugs,
alcohol or nothing at all. They want simply to forget and to feel a new experience.
“Raving” is a substitute for the modern society; People want to “escape” from their
reality and their problems. It is so interesting that most of them share a common
background; it is not from which class they are coming from, middle or upper, but
rather that they share the same interest about this music and the things that surround
it. They meditate themselves through this experience.

Raving is about getting in touch with yourself. Meditating through movement so that you can crawl
deep inside the crevices of your own head, experiencing pure internal joy as if you were a child
again…Raving is about being disoriented so you can be re- oriented. It’s about abandoning who you
thought you were, what you look like and how you normally interact…It’s also about learning you
don’t have to do drugs to get there. ( McCall 2001:5 )

Finally, it seems though that there are some people who they do not regret of what
they experienced, but they would not wan to experience it again. Either because they
got bored or because they found another way of life.Wayne Anthony, the above
mentioned dance party promoter at the epilogue of his book summarizes what he did
all the years that he was doing this job and finally he asks the question if he would do
all these things again. His answer is rather definite, I think:

No f…… chance. ( Wayne 1998: 188)
 


References:
Books:
Iversen Leslie.2001. Drugs .A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
McCall Tara.2001. This is not Rave. In the Shadow of A subculture. New York:
Thunder’s Mouth Press.
Wayne Anthony.1998. Class of 88. The True Acid House Experience. London: Virgin
Books.
Articles:
Hier P. Sean. 2002.“Raves, Risks and the Ecstasy Panic: A case study in the
subversive nature of moral regulation” .Canadian Journal of Sociology/Cahiers
canadiens de sociologie 27 (1) : 33- 57.
Hutson P. Scott. 2000. “The Rave: Spiritual Healing in Modern Western
Subcultures”. Anthropological Quarterly 73 (1) : 35-49.
Sturtevant William. 1968. “Categories, Percussion and Physiology”. Man, New Series
3 (1) :133- 134.

[Discography]:
Faithless: God is a DJ. CD single. UK: Cheeky Records/ BMG, 1998.
Goa- Head: The Best of Goa- Trance and Psychedelic Techno .Vol.15.Germany:
Leguan, 2001.
Harthouse: Global Virus. Germany: Planet Earth Recordings, 1995.