Electronic Cities

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xx

   PDF

2. Introduction: Electronic Music, Policies and Space in the Contemporary City

   • Sébastien Darchen, Damien Charrieras, John Willsteed

   Pages 1-16

3. Part I

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17

      PDF

   2. Düsseldorf: On the Golden River Rhine

      • Rudi Esch, Erik Stein

      Pages 19-31

   3. Resisting that Fascist Groove Thang: Sheffield as the Epicentre for Electronic Music (1973–2020)

      • Paul Hollins

      Pages 33-46

   4. Berlin and Manchester Compared: An Interview with Mark Reeder

      • John Willsteed

      Pages 47-57

   5. London’s Underground Acid Techno Scene: Resistance and Resilience in the Global City (1993–2020)

      • Stéphane Sadoux

      Pages 59-75

4. Part II

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 77-77

      PDF

   2. Overlooking the Scene: Electronic Music and Toronto’s Music City Project (1999–2019)

      • Sara Ross

      Pages 79-94

   3. Arbutus Records and MUTEK: Two Models of Experimental Electronic Music Promotion in Montreal

      • François Mouillot

      Pages 95-113

   4. Compression Aesthetics: Transducing Segregation in the Los Angeles Beat Scene

      • Mike D’Errico

      Pages 115-129

   5. Electronic Łódź, Poland: From Freedom Parade to Managed Entertainment

      • Patryk Galuszka, Ewa Mazierska

      Pages 131-146

   6. Budapest, Hungary: Techno Scene (1988–2018)

      • Anita Jóri

      Pages 147-164

   7. Helsinki, Finland: Liberalisation, Shifting Night Clusters and Gentrification (2010–2020)

      • Giacomo Bottà

      Pages 165-181

   8. “You’re Not the Boss of Me!”: The Relationship Between EDM and DIY in Australia

      • Yanto Browning, John Willsteed, Andy Bennett

      Pages 183-203

5. Part III

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 205-205

      PDF

   2. Cluj-Napoca, Romania: Electronic Dance Music and Local Policy (2015–2020)

      • Ruxandra Trandafoiu

      Pages 207-222

   3. On the Fence: Electronic Dance Music Cultures in Hong Kong and Shenzhen

      • Alex Yiu, Damien Charrieras

      Pages 223-241

   4. Embodied Listening: Grassroots Governance in Electronic Dance Music Venues in Accra (Ghana)

      • Leila Adu-Gilmore

      Pages 243-260

   5. Tehran, Iran: ‘Experimental’ Electronic Scene (2000–2020)

      • Morad Moazami

      Pages 261-277

This book examines Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scenes in 18 cities across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. It focuses on the historical development of these scenes, with an emphasis on the post-2000 context, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching effects. Expert contributors highlight the influence of geographical contexts, as well as cultural and political histories, in the development of mainstream EDM scenes and underground Electronic Dance Music Cultures. This expansive work offers additional insights on cultural and creative policies, planning interventions and regulations associated with nightlife management, and provides a detailed analysis of current challenges inherent to the governance of EDM scenes in contemporary cities.

• Electronic music
• Music scenes
• Globalisation
• Policies
• Electronic Music Production
• urban geography and urbanism

“Electronic Cities: Music, Policies and Spaces in the 21st Century is a welcome contribution to the ‘urban turn’ in popular music studies. It moves beyond the analysis of styles and venues, setting musical practice within complex networks of policy, economic history and metropolitan politics. These fascinating case studies take us beyond the self-proclaimed ‘capitals’ of electronic music, into a rich variety of cities whose abandoned urban spaces became breeding grounds for music seeking to invent new futures.” (Will Straw, Professor of Urban Media Studies, Department of Art History and Communications Studies, McGill University, Montreal)

“Electronic Cities: Music, Policies and Spaces in the 21st Century brings a new perspective to understanding urban development and urban cultural policy-making. The book uncovers an incredible variety of stories and scenes from cities around the globe to help us better understand how music shapes the city and how the city shapes music.” (Carl Grodach, Foundation Professor of Urban Planning and Design, Monash University)


“This new edited collection provides a brilliant insight into the dynamic relationship between electronic dance music cultures and the cities from which they emerge. It investigates the myriad ways in which subcultural narratives are woven into the fabric of a city and how the struggle for space is played out in, on and under its streets. At a moment when the night-time economy is under such threat, this is a handbook for survival.” (Alice O’Grady, Professor in Applied Performance, University of Leeds, UK)

• University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

  Sébastien Darchen

• City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

  Damien Charrieras

• Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

  John Willsteed

Dr. Sébastien Darchen is Senior Lecturer in Planning at the University of Queensland, Australia.


Dr. Damien Charrieras is an Associate Professor at the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong.


Dr. John Willsteed toured the world through the late 80s in The Go-Betweens and is a member of award-winning Brisbane group Halfway. He is Senior Lecturer in Music at Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

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