The term rave is paradoxically one of the most divisive and controversial terms within the dance music community. This paradox has always perplexed me. So much so that it led me to want to know more about the very meaning of our shared interest. The term rave comes from the middle English word raven which means to become mad or to go in a frenzy and behave foolishly or irrationally. It would be the Beatnicks in the 50s who initially repurposed the term as a way to describe a particularly awesome party. This term would remain in circulation for the decades to come until the late8s when the acid house and warehouse party scene started exploding in the UK. It was here that rave was repurposed again as the name of a new kind of party which promised a whole new experience. And from there it just persisted. Now I will be the first to admit a lot has changed since those days. When I first started raving back in the day, it was the Twilight era of the real outlaw days of raving. The first place I raved was a crack house called the Black Hole. And believe me when I say it was a slightly different vibe back then. After the Rave Act started defining venues that hosted quote unquote raves as crackouses, the entire industry had to make some serious changes and do a rebrand to keep the good times going. This is where the crux of the issue about the term rave starts. Many I suspect of the same vintage of raver as me say that unless the event is underground and like the old days of partying in bandos and warehouses that it isn't a rave. I completely disagree with this assertion. As a nostalgic and sentimental bastard, I can see where they're coming from. There's always going to be something about those early days of falling in love with the music and the culture that will be very special for every raver. But like all things in life, things change. It is good that they do. There is an apocryphal tale that says that the term rave stands for radical audiovisisual experience. And while this unfortunately is not the true origin, I do think it is a great descriptor of what all this is really about. I have been to underground parties, warehouse parties, club shows, and festivals big and small. And while each has a slightly different vibe, the core thesis behind why we're all there remains the same. We are all coming together for an audiovisisual experience. And what makes it radical are those feelings of freedom and oneness we experience when we're together. So it doesn't matter if it's happening in an abandoned railway tunnel or a mainstage of Lost Lands. As long as you're having the time of your life listening to dope music and dancing with the people you love, it's a rave. So get out there with the people you love. Hit the dance floor and find some new people to love and go stark craving mad and make some memories you will rave about for years to come.