Global Tribe: Technology, Spirituality and Psytrance (Graham St John)
Dancecult January 1, 2004 DOI: 10.12801/1947-5403.2014.06.02.05 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA book by Riccardo Balli, a longtime insider of the international underground electronic music scene, aims to resist the process of historification, which the author compares to museification and death. Balli, a DJ, label owner, composer, novelist, and live performer, offers a firsthand account rather than a critical or historical analysis, seeking to preserve the scene's living, experimental spirit rather than allowing it to become a static, commodified artifact.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Tribe Spirituality Sociology History Anthropology |
| Key finding | Argues that the book's main aim is to resist historification of the underground electronic music scene, a process akin to museification and death. |
Abstract
An absolute insider of the international underground electronic music scene for 20 years or so, Riccardo Balli is the best conceivable Charon for those who weren't there and want to get at least a flavour of what it was-and still is-all about. But beware, Balli is neither a music critic nor a music historian. Rather, a DJ, label owner, composer, novelist, live performer and, above all, a relentless experimenter in every domain of cultural production, Balli has now released a book whose main aim is to resist historification-a process which, as anyone acquainted with the Situationists knows, is inherently akin to museification and death (or, worse, sell out).