When Hungary held its last elections, the political system – and the general vibe in the country – changed considerably. On election night, a techno party was put on in front of the parliament, and it felt like exactly the right way to mark the moment.
Techno has always had a political touch to it. As Damion Pell writes in “The Politics of Partying: Why Electronic Music Has Always Been Political” (Decoded Magazine), electronic music has deep roots in freedom, resistance and community – music built for crowds who want to feel something together, in public, without needing permission. That history was hard to miss that night: a crowd in front of the parliament, dancing, marking the end of one era and the start of another.
The event itself was great, and credit to the organizers for pulling it off. The one small missed opportunity: none of the performers said a word about the societal impact and history of club culture, the notion of Unity – and how all that might have related; there and then. The dancing said plenty on its own – but a few spoken words tying it back to techno’s roots would have made the moment land even harder.
my Tikkun isn’t political, and won’t take a side here. But there’s something in this that we do feel connected to: the same spirit of freedom, community and showing up for each other that runs through club culture is, at its core, not so far from what we’re about.
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