New book Rave On traces electronic music’s shift from subculture to multimillion pound industry

Rave On: Global Adventures In Electronic Dance Music, a new book written by widely celebrated journalist Matthew Collin, documents the evolution and ever-changing culture of electronic music.

In examining the rise of dance music from underground subculture to multimillion pound industry and its varied manifestations today, Collin travelled to cities where the culture has grown in unique and fascinating ways. From the star studded parties of Ibiza and Las Vegas and the rapidly growing scenes in Shanghai and Dubai to the thriving communities of psytrance in Israel and deep house in South Africa, the journalist goes in-depth into every corner of the global scene.

With further chapters exploring the longstanding techno culture in Berlin and Detroit and the thriving LGBTQ+ club scene in New York, Rave On looks toward the future of dance music and asks if electronic music still has the power to inspire people and communities as it did in its nascence.

In 1997, Collin published Altered State, an essential history of acid house, ecstasy and the ‘summer of love’ in Britain.

Rave On: Global Adventures In Electronic Dance Music is published by Serpent’s Tail and be purchased here.

For more dance music history, check out the We Call It Techno! documentary, which was made available to stream with English subtitles in December via Telekom Electronic Beats. Also take a look at these 12 amazing photographs taken at the historic and infamous Pikes Ibiza.