Thank You. I really enjoyed that article. I was 18 in 1994 and into this scene so this this brings back a lot of memories. I can remember the first time I heard Vapour Space's Gravitational Arch of 10 at some dark and grungy squat party and asked the DJ what it was. I'm surprised I remembered it the next day... My memory used to be a lot better.
I love it how back then you have to explain what it means to be vegan "The tour has been rough on his strict vegan diet (vegans don’t eat eggs or milk products),"......
No prob, I'm totally with you-- who knows what sticks and why? Ok, if you were there in summer 85, I guess I just missed you; I started at Berkeley that fall, soon moving into Barrington's nearby, somewhat harder-drug-plagued sister or "rival" coop, Chateau, and attending many Barrington events nearly identical to the ones you've described with the same dramatis personae. I only learned that you'd been in that particular mix from your entry "Berkeley Chapel." To which I think I posted about a telling sutra/koan/epigram that I treasure, which was dispensed by a local unhoused man (wish I could remember his name) who Barrington assigned as stairwell Bong Monitor and who, after setting up his young charges, would intone the surprisingly relevant advice: "It's a good idea. To have a little food. Every once in a while."
We certainly crossed paths, not in SF but in NYC when I was on staff at NY Mag and writing for Spin. The overlap that surprised me was your Barrington Hall period, when we definitely could have bumped into each other at a wine dinner/acid-jello Walpurgisnacht (where I'd likely have failed to recognize a family member). Gen had boundless charm. That's my main memory of him. A buoyant, impish, amused, trickster with a bloke-ish gender fluidity (if that makes any sense). btw: I LOVE your interaction with the DMT-repping kid--Oh no, I just like it!
I read this piece in Spin, in SF, having interviewed Genesis P in our illegal Mission warehouse space, thinking, Man, that Erik Davis is on point! What a fractal time that was.
Wow!!I remember your history had some older journalism I couldn’t place prewired mag, you sort of make it seem the idm era was like another generation. The aphex twin history too was some of the best. Funnily I was laying down trying to read Rushkoffs cyberia before this on archivedotorg.. I appreciate looking back Erik hope ‘24 will be great for us all.
brilliant rave reporting, as usual. the part where moby compares dance music to going straight to the source, ie: beholding the vastness of the ocean instead of reading yeats, is going to stick with me for a while...
Great article. It gave me a real feel for the people.
The early 90s were a fun time. I loved the sense of expectation which in some ways has been disappointed --- BUT HOW CAN I SAY THAT now that AI is real??
I've fought my whole life the sense of missing the last cool thing making me miss the current cool thing!! The late 70s though the early 2000s were plump with tasty bits. Since then a lot has disintegrated, in my opinion. Internet technology HAS brought out a lot of truth and the lizard people have upped their game in response. Unfortunately a lot of my crowd is caught up in reptilian eternal hate games and other money and power seeking scams in the name of "the nice" that isn't nice.
I think you we almost missed each other a couple of decades ago. Sylvia and ayahuasca in the Brazilian rain forest? Robert Venosa and Martina Hoffman?
Thank You. I really enjoyed that article. I was 18 in 1994 and into this scene so this this brings back a lot of memories. I can remember the first time I heard Vapour Space's Gravitational Arch of 10 at some dark and grungy squat party and asked the DJ what it was. I'm surprised I remembered it the next day... My memory used to be a lot better.
I love it how back then you have to explain what it means to be vegan "The tour has been rough on his strict vegan diet (vegans don’t eat eggs or milk products),"......
No prob, I'm totally with you-- who knows what sticks and why? Ok, if you were there in summer 85, I guess I just missed you; I started at Berkeley that fall, soon moving into Barrington's nearby, somewhat harder-drug-plagued sister or "rival" coop, Chateau, and attending many Barrington events nearly identical to the ones you've described with the same dramatis personae. I only learned that you'd been in that particular mix from your entry "Berkeley Chapel." To which I think I posted about a telling sutra/koan/epigram that I treasure, which was dispensed by a local unhoused man (wish I could remember his name) who Barrington assigned as stairwell Bong Monitor and who, after setting up his young charges, would intone the surprisingly relevant advice: "It's a good idea. To have a little food. Every once in a while."
We certainly crossed paths, not in SF but in NYC when I was on staff at NY Mag and writing for Spin. The overlap that surprised me was your Barrington Hall period, when we definitely could have bumped into each other at a wine dinner/acid-jello Walpurgisnacht (where I'd likely have failed to recognize a family member). Gen had boundless charm. That's my main memory of him. A buoyant, impish, amused, trickster with a bloke-ish gender fluidity (if that makes any sense). btw: I LOVE your interaction with the DMT-repping kid--Oh no, I just like it!
I read this piece in Spin, in SF, having interviewed Genesis P in our illegal Mission warehouse space, thinking, Man, that Erik Davis is on point! What a fractal time that was.
Wow!!I remember your history had some older journalism I couldn’t place prewired mag, you sort of make it seem the idm era was like another generation. The aphex twin history too was some of the best. Funnily I was laying down trying to read Rushkoffs cyberia before this on archivedotorg.. I appreciate looking back Erik hope ‘24 will be great for us all.
a great read, thanks for sharing. love these bands, brings back many good memories (from here, not their tour there)
brilliant rave reporting, as usual. the part where moby compares dance music to going straight to the source, ie: beholding the vastness of the ocean instead of reading yeats, is going to stick with me for a while...
Hi Erik,
Great article. It gave me a real feel for the people.
The early 90s were a fun time. I loved the sense of expectation which in some ways has been disappointed --- BUT HOW CAN I SAY THAT now that AI is real??
I've fought my whole life the sense of missing the last cool thing making me miss the current cool thing!! The late 70s though the early 2000s were plump with tasty bits. Since then a lot has disintegrated, in my opinion. Internet technology HAS brought out a lot of truth and the lizard people have upped their game in response. Unfortunately a lot of my crowd is caught up in reptilian eternal hate games and other money and power seeking scams in the name of "the nice" that isn't nice.
I think you we almost missed each other a couple of decades ago. Sylvia and ayahuasca in the Brazilian rain forest? Robert Venosa and Martina Hoffman?
And you, what do you think? What calls to us now?