Year in review: Has 2021 delivered on its promises?
Andra Nicolayi reflects on a year of hope, unrest and incremental progress
2021-promises-opinion
December 14, 2021
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# Year in review: Has 2021 delivered on its promises?
Andra Nicolayi reflects on a year of hope, unrest and incremental progress
A friend recently started an email saying
something along the lines of 'hope you are
doing well'... "with the winter and COVID and the fascists."
Living in Romania, where we're currently torn between a disastrous [handling][1] of
the pandemic and the rise to power of a [far-right party][2] in Parliament backed by the Orthodox
Church, I can't think of a better way to summarize our current
situation.
{: .highlighted}
Since the beginning of the ongoing
pandemic, I have always been reluctant at the universal call
to operate at normal or to keep our usual routines. In the neoliberal
landscape, it felt like there was no place for those of us who could
not cope, despite the general discourse on slowing down, self-reflection
and the multiple invitations to reassess our current system and ways of
living.
For those of us working in nightlife the blow
was even harder, considering that all aspects of our industry (live
events, gatherings, travel) were suddenly made impossible,
indefinitely. Which, for many, was the basis of our entire
life. Somehow, we survived 2020 and 2021 came as the year of hope. With
new vaccines approved and readily available in most Western countries,
there was an elated feeling in the air, a shared sentiment that this
might all be over soon. Now, with new lockdowns and a staggering number
of deaths across Europe, I can't help but wonder -- what went
wrong?
[1]: http://handling/
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_the_Union_of_Romanians
[Image: Group-18.png]
*Moralizing, Finger-pointing and Online Outrage *
{: .separator}
Our predominantly confined existence in 2020 saw an increase in online
activity, which led to more scrutiny terms on a global
scale. While anti-racist movements, calls for diversity and online
callouts did receive more attention, the focus online in 2020 has been a
moralistic policing of parties, illegal raves, and other pandemic
transgressions.
Accounts like Business Teschno
were reporting on big DJ names playing plague raves in summer 2020 and
demanding accountability, with barely any repercussions or changes
happening. Fairly often, the callouts tend to skew towards simple
virtual signalling than legitimate moral stances, like the recent
criticism of DJs playing in Saudi Arabia shows, the focus
was disproportionately directed to Black DJs Carl Cox and Jeff
Mills, despite many other artists
accepting the dubious government-backed gig.
*Post 2020, is it more important to *appear *responsible/morally
superior online than enact actual change?*
If 2020 taught us anything, is that people
will continue to do what they want, no matter what. Whether by
ignorance, a secret death wish or sheer selfishness, there's always
going to be illegal events or places with fewer restrictions or
where COVID's existence is ignored altogether. This kind
of behaviour has been going on since the [bubonic plague][1], when the Church's urge for piety were met with
orgies in the cemetery after the first wave.
In the midst of the moralizing panic,
musician, DJ and label-owner Aerin Ercolea argues for harm reduction
rather than finger-pointing. "Caring about your community means
recognizing space for activity that may make you uncomfortable or not
want to partake in", she [writes][2].
"Using what small amount, we have learned to help people make safer
"bad" choices is better than creating shamed space where only
unsafe 'bad' choices occur."
At the start of 2021, call-outs
and [DJs urging others][3] to stop playing illegal raves were still the
dominant discourse. With [maskless
pilot parties][4] in the UK labelled
as scientific experiments taking place in the spring, the focus shifted
from illegality to legitimacy. Despite [some criticism][5], the events had little backlash and ushered in the
rush for reopening.
As the summer rolled in, the term plague rave
seemed to have been abandoned altogether. Despite big differences in [vaccination numbers][6] across the globe, Europe and North America were
ready for a new festival season, with events from Honcho to Unsound
going forward as scheduled. While the occasional post urging people to
keep wearing masks and get tested before and after parties despite being
vaccinated would surface, the vast majority of the industry rushed back
into pre-pandemic mode.
[1]: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/sex-in-the-time-of-the-black-death-they-rushed-headlong-into-lust-419327
[2]: https://seithcommuniti.noblogs.org/post/2020/08/03/thoughts-on-harm-reduction-activist-moralism-and-the-rave-in-the-era-of-covid-permanence/
[3]: https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/features/the-secret-dj/
[4]: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/02/arts/clubbing-liverpool-trials-coronavirus.html
[5]: https://jeanhugueskabuiku.substack.com/p/dangerous-irresponsible-and-unnecessary
[6]: https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/vaccination-rollout-and-access/
Business as Usual, Mostly
Perhaps one of the most painful things about
summer 2021 was how quickly things returned to perpetuating the status
quo. All of a sudden, talk of COVID and introspection was reduced to a
minimum and, despite the looming threat, people were eager not only to
go out, but to play and tour in hopes of making up for lost
income.
Despite the long talks about racism in the
industry and the contrived 2020 efforts of showcasing more Black, POC
and non-white artists, the 2021 line-ups were painfully
familiar. Dekmantel's for example, was
the same mix of Rush Hour-affiliated Amsterdam DJs and international
headliners,
Kenyan artist Joseph Kamaru, who has seen a
meteoric rise under his KMRU moniker, thinks there have been some minor
changes on the diversity and curation, although there's "still a long
way to go to make these line-ups super diverse." As far as his own
bookings go, he consults with his agent to avoid potentially tokenistic
situations. "We always consider the final line-up, and if the festival
is balanced in its curations with regard to gender, identity and race,"
he says. "Some bookings that don't feel right, \[I think\] it's better
not to take them."
Since 2013, feminist platform [female:pressure][1] has been periodically conducting the [FACTS][2] Survey,
focused on the gender of the performers at festivals, which played a
huge role in highlighting the gender inequality in the music
industry.
Long-time member [Aiko Okamoto][3] sees a positive tendency towards change, even if
it's a slow process. "I can't say specifically for this year, but there
is a clear tendency that more and more festivals book DJs/acts of divers
genders and backgrounds," she says. "I think, in general, we see more
growing and glowing scene of Black and non-white female\*, trans, and
non-binary artists." Okamoto posits that despite this, "it's still a
very Eurocentric, colonial industry. Streaming platforms
like [Currents.fm][4] made it possible to get to know more scenes from
outside the West and I wish, we will have more lively exchange between
continents."
For the upcoming survey, the group decided to
also include race, not just gender, as a category. "We were counting
artists gender since 2012 and this year we are counting also racial
ratio. Feminism should always be intersectional and empowering for
everyone. We do our survey, in my opinion, not to just point the finger
but make our scene more fun and safer for all music lovers." Okamoto
hopes the can contribute to a better club experience in the
future.
Ultimately, communities and institutions look
like their leaders, and unless major changes start to take place at
the top, there will always be little to incremental change. Despite the
current popularity of online activism, profits will always be the
driving force in an imperialist, white-supremacist society.
Small, independent initiatives
like [Anno 0][5] demonstrate the possibility of presenting a
diverse, thriving local scene, but events like these are the exception
rather than the norm. The Lisbon festival catered mostly to Portuguese
audiences, aiming to strengthen the existing community
and highlight underrepresented talent rather than become another
international tourist attraction, which is a powerful stance in an era
where everyone is looking to scale.
[1]: https://femalepressure.net/fempress.html
[2]: https://femalepressure.wordpress.com/facts2020pressrelease/
[3]: https://okamotoaiko.wordpress.com/about/%22%20/t%20%22_blank
[4]: http://currents.fm/%22%20/t%20%22_blank
[5]: https://www.instagram.com/aaano000/
[Image: Group-19.png]
*The Big COVID Blunder and the Very Real Fascist Threat *
In early October, an anonymous online group called the [Eastbloc Antifascist Sound Alliance][1] began to garner online attention following a
presentation at Prague's Lunchmeat festival. The group, created as a
mutual aid and exchange network between artists in former Soviet
territories, started pointing out the inequalities between East and West
and the invisible Iron Curtain still present in media coverage and
bookings.
"The historical position of Eastern Europe
within global material and immaterial flows has been a semi-peripheral
one, depending on and serving the Western core, while continuously
trying to maintain its position as a less exploited territory than the
Global South and the further East," scholars and activists Ana Vilenica,
Ioana Florea, Veda Popovici and Zsuzsi Pósfai say in a [collective][2] interview. While Eastern Europe may not be part of
the Global South, it is still a territory operating under an
imperialist-colonial logic of extraction and exploitation.
This debate has been chronicled by Czech
journalist [Miloš
Hroch][3], albeit under a very
forgiving lens. The fear of repercussions in criticizing the established
Western structures became very real when Russian label [Klammklang][4] posted a series of memes that resulted in British
journalist [Richard James
Foster][5] [threatening][6] Moscow festivals with lack of further
coverage.
Meanwhile, countries in the region faced a
looming fascist threat as growing far-right policies and anti-LGBTQ+
laws were taking root in [Hungary][7], [Poland][8] and [Romania][9], to
little international press. One of the more triumphant moments was
seeing young Polish queers vogueing to Avtomat's [*Stop Bzdurom (The Bad Gays)*][10] during a [protest][11].
Fascism also entered the music discourse as writer Jean-Hugues Kabuiku
exposed [Dominick Fernow's Nazi ties][12]{: .c-link target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"
data-stringify-link="https://jeanhugueskabuiku.substack.com/p/about-vatican-shadow-link-with-the"
data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true"}, urging the
industry to act. While publications like *EB*{:
data-stringify-type="italic"} or *The Quietus*{:
data-stringify-type="italic"} published an addendum, [a petition][13]
has been launched by the Anti Fascist Music Alliance, calling
publications like *Resident Advisor* and Pitchfork to
follow, as well as Ostgut Ton, which handled Dominick Fernow's
bookings in the past, to release a public statement about their plans to
prevent artists with fascist ties to perform at their venue.
As a Romanian, seeing how the vast majority
of Central and Western was enjoying festival season in October as if
COVID was a thing of the past (I saw a total of 3 people wearing masks
indoors at Lunchmeat), my country was in the throes of a [tragic 4th wave][14]. The
situation in Bulgaria and Serbia was equally dire, due to the countries'
low vaccination rates. During this time, German newspaper *Morgenpost* published an article titled [*The Idiots of Europe*][15], blaming the countries for their own
demise.
Less than two months later, Germany was
struggling to grapple with its own new deadly wave. On November
27th, Berlin had just introduced the 2G+ rules for
clubs and bars, meaning punters need to be both vaccinated and tested
negative within 24h of the event. At Neukölln cultural space Oyoun, the
[Frei(T)räume Envisioning Free Space
conference][16] was taking place, an
event aimed at tackling current issues in the industry. However, among
the topics ranging from NFTs and body work to harm reduction, a larger
discussion on reaching a COVID consensus was absent.
One of the most direct mentions of COVID was
during the *Future Technologies of
Queer Raver Care* panel, with members
from [Mina][17], [Kosmicare][18] and Lecken. Besides the talk about harm reduction
and safe drug use, Maria F. Scaroni from Berlin's queer-femme club collective [Lecken][19] presented a series of strategies they've been
implementing when dancing and gatherings were forbidden. Actions like
the Techno Drift, an exercise
combining rhythmic motion outside of dancing, were an innovative form of
exploring movement and finding the comforts of community outside the
regular clubbing paradigm.
Perhaps, as \[the leftist art
publication\] White Pube's co-founder Gabrielle de la Puente [wrote][20], what
we are lacking is not just the lack of a united front and communal
action, but also a lack of imagination. Not everything can be fixed with
moving things online and going through endless cycles of lockdowns
and reopenings.
"The challenges have increased -- we need to
make this really important connection between our network and networks
around the city," social ecologist and urban activist Michael LaFond
said during his panel. "We need to organize our local spaces: we need to
defend them but also think about the bigger picture."
Ultimately, the nightlife industry cannot
surpass this crisis without strengthening collaborations, both with
local governments and officials and international networks. Maybe big
European and US festivals should take a plea to booking more local
artists. An industry guideline on hiring more diverse staff across the
board, from bookers to bar staff, would also something worth
implementing. Perhaps imagining places of care and education outside the
club like community centres for ravers, and investing in widespread
community outreach programs would also yield positive
results.
If anything, things can definitely not go on
as they have been, and unless we all make a coordinated effort,
nothing will change. Change is never an easy or comfortable process, but
solidarity and perseverance can go a long way.
Andra "Amber"
Nikolayi is a Bucharest-based sound artist, DJ, and researcher. Zi
contributes regularly to Bandcamp Daily and to Romanian
pop-feminist mag Cutra*.*
[1]: https://twitter.com/eastblocsound/
[2]: https://lefteast.org/urban-struggles-and-theorizing-from-eastern-europe-a-collective-interview-with-ana-vilenica-ioana-florea-veda-popovici-and-zsuzsi-posfai/
[3]: https://thequietus.com/articles/30801-eastern-bloc-music
[4]: https://klammklang.ru/
[5]: https://twitter.com/incendiarymag/status/1468878246104207362
[6]: https://twitter.com/Klammklang/status/1469016376769662979
[7]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/15/hungary-passes-law-banning-lbgt-content-in-schools
[8]: https://ipi.media/poland-independent-media-under-attack-again-as-pis-moves-against-tvn24/
[9]: https://unicornriot.ninja/2021/romania-bucharest-pride-under-siege/
[10]: https://tance.bandcamp.com/track/stop-bzdurom-the-bad-gays-2
[11]: https://twitter.com/warnagra/status/1454161226267832329
[12]: https://jeanhugueskabuiku.substack.com/p/about-vatican-shadow-link-with-the
[13]: https://antifascistmusicalliance.wpcomstaging.com/transperency/
[14]: https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2021/10/10/photos-coronavirus-pandemic-fourth-covid-wave-rips-through-romania
[15]: https://www.mopo.de/news/panorama/europas-idioten-warum-die-corona-lage-im-osten-voellig-eskaliert/
[16]: https://envisioningfree.space/about/
[17]: https://www.instagram.com/minasuspension/
[18]: https://www.instagram.com/akosmicare/
[19]: https://www.instagram.com/lllecken/
[20]: https://www.thewhitepube.co.uk/love-letter-to-the-art-world
[Image: Rectangle-1.png]
---
id: 41fedf5b-b493-4898-a4c5-100f8dac5382
blueprint: article
title: 'Year in review: Has 2021 delivered on its promises?'
date: 2021-12-14T17:09:36+01:00
wp_id: '198591'
subtitle: 'Andra Nicolayi reflects on a year of hope, unrest and incremental progress '
slug: 2021-promises-opinion
teaser_image: legacy/2021-promises-opinion/YIR_21_Failed_Promises_SITE-scaled.jpg
contents:
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type: text
text: '<p class="highlighted"><span data-contrast="auto">A friend recently started an email saying something along the lines of </span><span data-contrast="auto">‘</span><span data-contrast="auto">hope you are doing well</span><span data-contrast="auto">’…</span><span data-contrast="auto"> “with the winter and COVID and the fascists.” Living in Romania, where we’re currently torn between a </span><span data-contrast="auto">disastrous </span><a href="http://handling/"><span data-contrast="none">handling</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> of the pandemic and the rise to power of a </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_the_Union_of_Romanians"><span data-contrast="none">far-right party</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> in Parliament backed by the Orthodox Church, I can’t think of a better way to summarize our current situation. </span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Since the beginning of the ongoing pandemic, I have always been reluctant at the universal call to operate at normal or to keep our usual routines. In the neoliberal landscape, it felt like there was no place for those of us who could not cope, despite the general discourse on slowing down, self-reflection and the multiple invitations to reassess our current system and ways of living. </span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">For those of us working in nightlife the blow was even harder, considering that all aspects of our industry (live events, gatherings, travel) were suddenly made impossible, indefinitely. Which, for many, was the basis of our entire life. Somehow, we survived 2020 and 2021 came as the year of hope. With new vaccines approved and readily available in most Western countries, there was an elated feeling in the air, a shared sentiment that this might all be over soon. Now, with new lockdowns and a staggering number of deaths across Europe, I can’t help but wonder – what went wrong?</span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p>'
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type: images
images:
- legacy/2021-promises-opinion/Group-18.png
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type: text
text: '<p class="separator"><em>Moralizing, Finger-pointing and Online Outrage </em></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Our </span><span data-contrast="auto">predominantly confined</span><span data-contrast="auto"> existence in 2020 saw an increase in online activity</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> which led to more scrutiny terms on a global scale. While anti-racist movements, calls for diversity and online callouts did receive more attention, the focus online in 2020 has been a moralistic policing of parties, illegal raves, and other pandemic transgressions. </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Accounts like </span><span data-contrast="auto">Business Teschno</span><span data-contrast="auto"> were reporting on big DJ names playing plague raves in summer 2020 and demanding accountability, with barely any repercussions or changes happening. Fairly often, the callouts tend to skew towards simple virtual signalling than legitimate moral stances, like the recent criticism of DJs playing in Saudi Arabia shows, the focus was </span><span data-contrast="auto">disproportionately</span><span data-contrast="none"> directed to Black DJs Carl Cox and Jeff Mills</span><span data-contrast="auto">, despite many other artists accepting the dubious government-backed gig.</span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p><p><em>Post 2020, is it more important to </em>appear <em>responsible/morally superior online than enact actual change?</em></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">If 2020 taught us anything, is that people will continue to do what they want, no matter what. Whether by ignorance, a secret death wish or sheer selfishness, there’s always going to be illegal events or places with fewer restrictions or where COVID’s existence is ignored altogether. This kind of behaviour has been going on since the </span><a href="https://inews.co.uk/opinion/sex-in-the-time-of-the-black-death-they-rushed-headlong-into-lust-419327"><span data-contrast="none">bubonic </span><span data-contrast="none">plague</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, when the Church’s urge for piety were met with orgies in the cemetery after the first wave.</span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">In the midst of the moralizing panic, musician, DJ and label-owner Aerin Ercolea argues for harm reduction rather than finger-pointing. “Caring about your community means recognizing space for activity that may make you uncomfortable or not want to partake in”, she </span><a href="https://seithcommuniti.noblogs.org/post/2020/08/03/thoughts-on-harm-reduction-activist-moralism-and-the-rave-in-the-era-of-covid-permanence/"><span data-contrast="none">writes</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">. “Using what small amount, we have learned to help people make safer “bad” choices is better than creating shamed space where only unsafe ‘bad’ choices occur.”</span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">At the start of 2021, call-outs and </span><a href="https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/features/the-secret-dj/"><span data-contrast="none">DJs urging others</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> to stop playing illegal raves were still the dominant discourse. With </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/02/arts/clubbing-liverpool-trials-coronavirus.html"><span data-contrast="none">maskless pilot parties</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> in the UK labelled as scientific experiments taking place in the spring, the focus shifted from illegality to legitimacy. Despite </span><a href="https://jeanhugueskabuiku.substack.com/p/dangerous-irresponsible-and-unnecessary"><span data-contrast="none">some criticism</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, the events had little backlash and ushered in the rush for reopening. </span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">As the summer rolled in, the term plague rave seemed to have been abandoned altogether</span><span data-contrast="auto">.</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">Despite big differences in </span><a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/vaccination-rollout-and-access/"><span data-contrast="none">vaccination numbers</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> across the globe, Europe and North America were ready for a new festival season, with events from Honcho to Unsound going forward as scheduled. While the occasional post urging people to keep wearing masks and get tested before and after parties despite being vaccinated would surface, the vast majority of the industry rushed back into pre-pandemic mode. </span><span data-ccp-props=''{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}''> </span></p>'
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type: text
text: |-
<p><em><br>
Business as Usual, Mostly </em></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Perhaps one of the most painful things about summer 2021 was how quickly things returned to perpetuating the status quo. All of a sudden, talk of COVID and introspection was reduced to a minimum and, despite the looming threat, people were eager not only to go out, but to play and tour in hopes of making up for lost income. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Despite the long talks about racism in the industry and the contrived 2020 efforts of showcasing more Black, POC and non-white artists, the 2021 line-ups were painfully familiar. Dekmantel’s </span><span data-contrast="auto">for example, was the same mix of Rush Hour-affiliated Amsterdam DJs and international headliners,</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Kenyan artist Joseph Kamaru, who has seen a meteoric rise under his KMRU moniker, thinks there have been some minor changes on the diversity and curation, although there’s “still a long way to go to make these line-ups super diverse.” As far as his own bookings go, he consults with his agent to avoid potentially tokenistic situations. “We always consider the final line-up, and if the festival is balanced in its curations with regard to gender, identity and race,” he says. “Some bookings that don’t feel right, [I think] it’s better not to take them.”</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Since 2013, feminist platform </span><a href="https://femalepressure.net/fempress.html"><span data-contrast="none">female:pressure</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> has been periodically conducting the </span><a href="https://femalepressure.wordpress.com/facts2020pressrelease/"><span data-contrast="none">FACTS</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> Survey, focused on the gender of the performers at festivals, which played a huge role in highlighting the gender inequality in the music industry. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Long-time member </span><a href="https://okamotoaiko.wordpress.com/about/%22%20/t%20%22_blank"><span data-contrast="none">Aiko Okamoto</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> sees a positive tendency towards change, even if it’s a slow process. “I can’t say specifically for this year, but there is a clear tendency that more and more festivals book DJs/acts of divers genders and backgrounds,” she says. “I think, in general, we see more growing and glowing scene of Black and non-white female*, trans, and non-binary artists.” Okamoto posits that despite this, “it’s still a very Eurocentric, colonial industry. Streaming platforms like </span><a href="http://currents.fm/%22%20/t%20%22_blank"><span data-contrast="none">Currents.fm</span></a><span data-contrast="none"> made it possible to get to know more scenes from outside the West and I wish, we will have more lively exchange between continents.”</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">For the upcoming survey, the group decided to also include race, not just gender, as a category. “We were counting artists gender since 2012 and this year we are counting also racial ratio. Feminism should always be intersectional and empowering for everyone. We do our survey, in my opinion, not to just point the finger but make our scene more fun and safer for all music lovers.” Okamoto hopes the can contribute to a better club experience in the future.</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Ultimately, communities and institutions look like their leaders</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> and unless major changes start to take place at the top, there will always be little to incremental change. Despite the current popularity of online activism, profits will always be the driving force in an imperialist, white-supremacist society. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Small, independent initiatives like </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/aaano000/"><span data-contrast="none">Anno 0</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> demonstrate the possibility of presenting a diverse, thriving local scene, but events like these are the exception rather than the norm. The Lisbon festival catered mostly to Portuguese audiences, aiming to strengthen the existing community and highlight underrepresented talent rather than become another international tourist attraction, which is a powerful stance in an era where everyone is looking to scale. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p>
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<p><em>The Big COVID Blunder and the Very Real Fascist Threat </em></p><p><span data-contrast="auto"><br>
In early October, an anonymous online group called the </span><a href="https://twitter.com/eastblocsound/"><span data-contrast="none">Eastbloc Antifascist Sound Alliance</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> began to garner online attention following a presentation at Prague’s Lunchmeat festival. The group, created as a mutual aid and exchange network between artists in former Soviet territories, started pointing out the inequalities between East and West and the invisible Iron Curtain still present in media coverage and bookings. </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">“The historical position of Eastern Europe within global material and immaterial flows has been a semi-peripheral one, depending on and serving the Western core, while continuously trying to maintain its position as a less exploited territory than the Global South and the further East,” scholars and activists Ana Vilenica, Ioana Florea, Veda Popovici and Zsuzsi Pósfai say in a </span><a href="https://lefteast.org/urban-struggles-and-theorizing-from-eastern-europe-a-collective-interview-with-ana-vilenica-ioana-florea-veda-popovici-and-zsuzsi-posfai/"><span data-contrast="none">collective</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> interview. While Eastern Europe may not be part of the Global South, it is still a territory operating under an imperialist-colonial logic of extraction and exploitation. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">This debate has been chronicled by Czech journalist </span><a href="https://thequietus.com/articles/30801-eastern-bloc-music"><span data-contrast="none">Miloš Hroch</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, albeit under a very forgiving lens. The fear of repercussions in criticizing the established Western structures became very real when Russian label </span><a href="https://klammklang.ru/"><span data-contrast="none">Klammklang</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> posted a series of memes that resulted in British journalist </span><a href="https://twitter.com/incendiarymag/status/1468878246104207362"><span data-contrast="none">Richard James Foster</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Klammklang/status/1469016376769662979"><span data-contrast="none">threatening</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> Moscow festivals with lack of further coverage. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Meanwhile, countries in the region faced a looming fascist threat as growing far-right policies and anti-LGBTQ+ laws were taking root in </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/15/hungary-passes-law-banning-lbgt-content-in-schools"><span data-contrast="none">Hungary</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, </span><a href="https://ipi.media/poland-independent-media-under-attack-again-as-pis-moves-against-tvn24/"><span data-contrast="none">Poland</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> and </span><a href="https://unicornriot.ninja/2021/romania-bucharest-pride-under-siege/"><span data-contrast="none">Romania</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, to little international press. One of the more triumphant moments was seeing young Polish queers vogueing to Avtomat’s </span><a href="https://tance.bandcamp.com/track/stop-bzdurom-the-bad-gays-2"><i><span data-contrast="none">Stop Bzdurom (The Bad Gays)</span></i></a><span data-contrast="auto"> during a </span><a href="https://twitter.com/warnagra/status/1454161226267832329"><span data-contrast="none">protest</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p>Fascism also entered the music discourse as writer Jean-Hugues Kabuiku exposed <a class="c-link" href="https://jeanhugueskabuiku.substack.com/p/about-vatican-shadow-link-with-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://jeanhugueskabuiku.substack.com/p/about-vatican-shadow-link-with-the" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">Dominick Fernow’s Nazi ties</a>, urging the industry to act. While publications like <i data-stringify-type="italic">EB</i> or <i data-stringify-type="italic">The Quietus</i> published an addendum, <a href="https://antifascistmusicalliance.wpcomstaging.com/transperency/">a petition</a> has been launched by the Anti Fascist Music Alliance, calling publications like <em>Resident Advisor</em> and <em>Pitchfork </em>to follow<em>, </em>as well as Ostgut Ton, which handled Dominick Fernow’s bookings in the past, to release a public statement about their plans to prevent artists with fascist ties to perform at their venue.</p><p><span data-contrast="auto">As a Romanian, seeing how the vast majority of Central and Western was enjoying festival season in October as if COVID was a thing of the past (I saw a total of 3 people wearing masks indoors at Lunchmeat), my country was in the throes of a </span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2021/10/10/photos-coronavirus-pandemic-fourth-covid-wave-rips-through-romania"><span data-contrast="none">tragic 4</span><span data-contrast="none">th</span><span data-contrast="none"> wave</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">. The situation in Bulgaria and Serbia was equally dire, due to the countries’ low vaccination rates. During this time, German newspaper </span><i><span data-contrast="auto">Morgenpost</span></i><span data-contrast="auto"> published an article titled </span><a href="https://www.mopo.de/news/panorama/europas-idioten-warum-die-corona-lage-im-osten-voellig-eskaliert/"><i><span data-contrast="none">The Idiots of Europe</span></i></a><span data-contrast="auto">, blaming the countries for their own demise. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Less than two months later, Germany was struggling to grapple with its own new deadly wave. On November 27</span><span data-contrast="auto">th</span><span data-contrast="auto">, Berlin had just introduced the 2G+ rules for clubs and bars, meaning punters need to be both vaccinated and tested negative within 24h of the event. At Neukölln cultural space Oyoun, the </span><a href="https://envisioningfree.space/about/"><span data-contrast="none">Frei(T)räume Envisioning Free Space conference</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> was taking place, an event aimed at tackling current issues in the industry. However, among the topics ranging from NFTs and body work to harm reduction, a larger discussion on reaching a COVID consensus was absent. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">One of the most direct mentions of COVID was during the </span><i><span data-contrast="auto">Future Technologies of Queer Raver Care</span></i><span data-contrast="auto"> panel, with members from </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/minasuspension/"><span data-contrast="none">Mina</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/akosmicare/"><span data-contrast="none">Kosmicare</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> and Lecken. Besides the talk about harm reduction and safe drug use, Maria F. Scaroni from</span><span data-contrast="auto"> Berlin’s queer-femme club collective</span><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lllecken/"><span data-contrast="none">Lecken</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> presented a series of strategies they’ve been implementing when dancing and gatherings were forbidden. Actions like the </span><span data-contrast="auto">Techno Drift</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> an exercise combining rhythmic motion outside of dancing, were an innovative form of exploring movement and finding the comforts of community outside the regular clubbing paradigm. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Perhaps, as </span>[the leftist art publication]<span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-contrast="auto">White Pube</span><span data-contrast="auto">’s co-founder Gabrielle de la Puente </span><a href="https://www.thewhitepube.co.uk/love-letter-to-the-art-world"><span data-contrast="none">wrote</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, what we are lacking is not just the lack of a united front and communal action, but also a lack of imagination. Not everything can be fixed with moving things online and going through endless cycles of lockdowns and reopenings. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">“The challenges have increased – we need to make this really important connection between our network and networks around the city,” social ecologist and urban activist Michael LaFond said during his panel. “We need to organize our local spaces: we need to defend them but also think about the bigger picture.”</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Ultimately, the nightlife industry cannot surpass this crisis without strengthening collaborations, both with local governments and officials and international networks. Maybe big European and US festivals should take a plea to booking more local artists. An industry guideline on hiring more diverse staff across the board, from bookers to bar staff, would also something worth implementing. Perhaps imagining places of care and education outside the club like community centres for ravers, and investing in widespread community outreach programs would also yield positive results.</span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">If anything, things can definitely not go on as they have been</span><span data-contrast="auto">,</span><span data-contrast="auto"> and unless we all make a coordinated effort, nothing will change. Change is never an easy or comfortable process, but solidarity and perseverance can go a long way. </span><span data-ccp-props='{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}'> </span></p><p><em>Andra “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amberamberdj/">Amber</a>” Nikolayi is a Bucharest-based sound artist, DJ, and researcher. Zi contributes regularly to </em>Bandcamp Daily<em> and to Romanian pop-feminist mag </em>Cutra<em>.</em></p>
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# Year in review: Has 2021 delivered on its promises? Andra Nicolayi reflects on a year of hope, unrest and incremental progress A friend recently started an email saying something along the lines of 'hope you are doing well'... "with the winter and COVID and the fascists." Living i...
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Andra Nicolayi reflects on a year of hope, unrest and incremental progress A friend recently started an email saying something along the lines of 'hope you are doing well'. "with the winter and COVID and the fascists." Living in Romania, where we're currently torn between a disastrous...
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With new vaccines approved and readily available in most Western countries, there was an elated feeling in the air, a shared sentiment that this might all be over soon. Now, with new lockdowns and a staggering number of deaths across Europe, I can't help but wonder -- what went wrong?&n...
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While anti-racist movements, calls for diversity and online callouts did receive more attention, the focus online in 2020 has been a moralistic policing of parties, illegal raves, and other pandemic transgressions. Accounts like Business Teschno were&n...
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Whether by ignorance, a secret death wish or sheer selfishness, there's always going to be illegal events or places with fewer restrictions or where COVID's existence is ignored altogether. This kind of behaviour has been going on since the [...
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"Using what small amount, we have learned to help people make safer "bad" choices is better than creating shamed space where only unsafe 'bad' choices occur." At the start of 2021, call-outs and [DJs urging others][3] to stop playing illegal raves were still t...
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As the summer rolled in, the term plague rave seemed to have been abandoned altogether. Despite big differences in [vaccination numbers][6] across the globe, Europe and North America were ready for a new festival season, with events from Honcho to Unsound going forward as...
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While the occasional post urging people to keep wearing masks and get tested before and after parties despite being vaccinated would surface, the vast majority of the industry rushed back into pre-pandemic mode. . [1]: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/sex-in-the-time-of-the-blac...
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[1]: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/sex-in-the-time-of-the-black-death-they-rushed-headlong-into-lust-419327 [2]: https://seithcommuniti.noblogs.org/post/2020/08/03/thoughts-on-harm-reduction-activist-moralism-and-the-rave-in-the-era-of-covid-permanence/ [3]: https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/f...
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Perhaps one of the most painful things about summer 2021 was how quickly things returned to perpetuating the status quo. All of a sudden, talk of COVID and introspection was reduced to a minimum and, despite the looming threat, people were eager not only to go out, but to play...
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