Advertise on podcast: Rave to the Grave

Journey from Montreal to various raves on the African continent with San Farafina and Hervé from Montréal's post-border interdiscipinary collective Moonshine. We explore their journey from throwing full-moon house parties in 2014 to linking up with the African diaspora around the globe, along the way building a brand, creative hub, and party institution. We hear about what's going on in Kinshasa, Abidjan, Dar es Salaam, Lisbon and beyond and learn how not even electricity cuts, high tides, police and giant insects can keep them from a party. We also discuss their relationship to Vanyfox (our guest on episode #39), the evolution of batida, the changing landscape of DJing worldwide and our run-ins with Game of Thrones characters at the rave. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Vanyfox is a DJ/producer taking the Portugal-born dance music genre batida to the world. Raised on the outskirts of Lisbon near the Quinta do Mocho neighborhood (home to many batida pioneers including Marfox and DJ Nervoso) and based in France, Vanyfox discusses his early memories and the emotions, experiences and production techniques that influence his sound, which borrows from trap, deep house and the rhythms of kuduro, kizomba and zouk. We talk about the deep life questions behind his Melodias e Choros EP, working with Montreal's Moonshine crew, his Angolan-Zairean heritage, the lineage of the coxes and foxes, his approach to DJing and his unique experiences traveling to Ivory Coast, Zanzibar, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Paul Harrington is a British raver with a story to tell. A story about getting arrested in Ibiza with hundreds of E's in a cereal box. A story about the London acid house spots of the late 1980s and early 90s and running with violent football firms until euphoric anthems and a night on the doves at Legends turned his life around. A story about trading Hummers for mangoes with Afghani arms dealers. This real estate dealer from Essex fell into the London club scene fast and hard, lived a wild life, crawled out of cocaine addiction in his 40s and is now writing an autobiography about the whole thing called Beautiful Chaos. While we wait for the book to emerge, I spoke to Paul about burning bright, turning up, burning out and his adventures with the E Team. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Terre Thaemlitz aka DJ Sprinkles talks about her musical life, from the roller discos of Minnesota and Missouri to the transsexual bars and ambient rooms of NYC in the 80s and 90s, from deep house and noise shows in Japan to present-day Panorama Bar and Dekmantel. Vivian and co-host Thomas Venker speak to Terre about electronic music and queerness, softness as rebellion, memorable nightlife characters, sampling, hedonism, ACT UP, ambient music, performance, identity and the politics of the club. Come along for the ride. Recorded at the Monheim Triennale Festival in Germany. Visit RavetotheGrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave for more info and extras.

In anticipation of her new album, HUMANISE, on Mute Records, we talk to DJ & producer HAAi about how a young hairdresser from a small town Down Under landed in London, broke up with her psych rock band, fell in love with house and techno and ended up on the world's biggest stages. Topics include wild rave locations, drug trips, fat pants, dinosaur energies and doof sticks; how she selects records and the elements that play into her otherworldly musical style. Teneil also sheds some light on what it's like to go B2B with The Blessed Madonna, shares advice, talks about the importance of safe space and queer space and shares tales from the making of her latest album with collaborators like Jon Hopkins and the Trans Voices choir. From tree shakers to yacht people, it's all in here. Get amongst it! Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

In part two of our interview with legendary house music producer Junior Sanchez, we talk about the late 1990s until the present day: forming the Wu-Tang of house with artists like Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx, Miami WMC and Ibiza hijinks, the "Planet Rock" tape, the electrohouse era, Junior's remix outlook, working with Madonna and the evolution of club culture over the last two decades, plus what keeps Junior inspired and connected to the underground more than three decades on. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

East Coast house legend Junior Sanchez started mixing records at 11, by age 15 he was playing in the Shampoo Room at Limelight and starting to make his first productions with help from the fly titties guy. You might know Junior from his releases on Strictly Rhythm, Defected and Relief, his trio S-Men with Roger and DJ Sneak, the remixes he's produced for Madonna, The Faint and Fcukers or as the stunning blonde in Daft Punk's "Burnin'" video. Hear his stories about NYC/NY in the late '80s and early '90s, raving at NASA and Sound Factory Bar, getting up with Constipated Monkeys, having bff adventures with Armand Van Helden and dancing on The Grind, plus tales of all the amazing records that have influenced him along the way. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Stacey Forrester, head of harm reduction at British Columbia's Bass Coast Festival and founder of Good Night Out Vancouver, joins us for a frank and fun chat about something we don't talk about enough in the rave scene: drugs and drug safety. We learn about harm reduction and community, how they use diamonds for drug testing, the best way to talk someone down, what chemicals to look out for, how Western Canada became the forefront of North American drug policy and how a nurse-ballerina turned into your favorite rave fairy godmother, among other things. Taped live at Bass Coast Festival in Merritt BC! Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

The literal translation of his Arabic name, Handsome Tiger is the moniker of Vancouver-based producer and DJ Hussein Elnamer. Hussein got his start in metal bands, found dubstep and is currently fusing the genres big low-end and 140 tempos with global club and bass rhythms in an effort to "decolozine the dancfloor." Hussein talks about growing up mixed-race in Canada – his father is from Libya and his mother is Anishinaabe Métis – and how he's fusing indigenous sounds of pow-wow drums, chants and more into underground bass. We also talk about his artist journey, the Canadian festival circuit, the importance of dance and ritual rhythms and how connecting with his ethnic background has shaped his sound. Taped live at Bass Coast Festival in Merritt BC! Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

We're headed to Perth, Western Australia to catch up with Paul Harding aka El Hornet, one-third of drum 'n' bass group Pendulum, who have reached huge heights with their hard-driving neurofunk bangers that lay bare the group's background in heavy metal and hard rock. Paul is a hilarious storyteller and we talk about CB radio, surfing with sharks, trading beer for mixtapes, losing a dead person at a Pendulum show, being broke in DJ Fresh's London flat making Pendulum's first album and keeping drum 'n' bass punk af. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or follow us on Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

We're headed to the woods of Western Canada to talk to Andrea Graham, a bass music DJ/producer known as The Librarian and the co-founder of British Columbia's music and arts festival Bass Coast, which she established with her friend Liz Thomson in the small coastal town of Squamish in 2009. Ahead of Bass Coast's 16th year this July, we talk running a festival, harm reduction, bass music, environmental awareness, vibe setting, charcuterie plates, what goes on party-wise on the West Coast of Canada and how she had the courage and drive to make an independent festival happen. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

In the last 44 years, Moshe Kasher has been a flyering bear, a sober ecstasy dealer, a sign language interpreter, and a gate monitor at Burning Man. He is now a stand-up comedian living in Los Angeles, and he has a new book out called Subculture Vulture, about the six subcultures that have defined his life. Moshe joins on Rave to the Grave for a funny conversation about Bay Area raves of the '90s, Bonny Doon, PLUR, pacifiers, the Thunderdome, what Katamari Damacy has in common with trauma, and finding himself through raves and comedy. He is currently on a book tour around the United States, followed by some comedy dates. Find out more at MosheKasher.com. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin are DJs, founders of the parties Mister Saturday Night, Mister Sunday, and Planetarium and the Mister Saturday Night record label, as well as New York City nightclub Nowadays. In part two of our interview, we dive deep about opening and running Nowadays, the NYC underground scene at the moment, and how cultural and political shifts impact the underground. If you're interested in soundsystems, nightclub design, Brooklyn after dark and/or what it takes to run a club, this episode is for you. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin have spent the last 20 years helping shape NYC nightlife but these days, they're best known as the owners of Nowadays in Ridgewood, Queens, which is, in many people's estimation, the best club in New York right now. Justin and Eamon are also DJs, run the record label, and are the hosts and residents of long-running parties Mister Saturday Night, Mister Sunday, and an ambient chill-out affair called Planetarium. In part one of this two-parter, we talk to the duo about Mister Saturday Night's 15-year anniversary, the dos and don'ts of fog, wild times at M**********r, DIY spaces, post-9/11 NYC and the parties, locations and music that shaped all their endeavors. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.

Over the last 20+ years, Shawn Reynaldo has been a DJ, record label owner, radio station manager, journalist and the editor-in-chief of XLR8R magazine. He's a one-time staple of the San Francisco indie rock scene, a former promoter of tropical bass and UK funky parties, and also one of the pre-eminent critics writing about house and techno for Pitchfork, Spin, NPR and beyond. Velocity Press just released Shawn's first book, First Floor Volume 1, which collects the spiciest thinkpieces and hot takes on electronic music and culture that he's penned over the last couple years in his popular First Floor weekly newsletter. To celebrate the kick-off of his North American book tour, we talk about how DJ culture has changed over the last two decades, his view on music writing, his spicy takes on the best and worst sonic trends, the current club scene in Barcelona (where he's based), sober raving, and the time he saw Claire Danes eat shit at Berghain. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave. Quick LinksGet Embed PlayerDownload Audio File