User:Johnvr4/sandbox52

= Electronica scene in Orlando?/ Florida Breaks? =

The electronic dance music scene in Orlando inspired, nurtured, and enhanced the careers of numerous notable DJ artists, producers as well as a surrounding industry. The scene and cultural movement in Orlando was an early prototype of the Florida and United States dance music, clubbing and raving cultural movement.

From the cultural movement, came the Florida breaks genre consisting of both the Funky breaks and the progressive "Orlando Sound". As the Orlando's underground scene outgrew the Central Florida region, a once localized scene extended its stylistic influences throughout the State of Florida, the remaining U.S. and Europe. The period 1988 to 1998 spanned the era when Central Florida’s club scene was a world-renowned hub of underground electronic dance music that was recognized by U.S. and international media for its innovation. Several tragedies, highlighted by negative press, new government legislation, and an exodus of talent out of Florida brought the local dance music scene to an end and paved the way for the role of the so-called "superstar DJ" and the trend away from intimate clubs towards larger venues and EDM Music festivals.

Setting
2nd summer of love in UK, never ended, US/Ibiza influence in UK. Reynolds GenXTC:UK:"SOL?-More like Summer of having a good time/kids always done since Saturday Night Fever." Mirelle Silcott, in Rave America, states "U.S. rave culture displaced the original large city influences in dance music for smaller cities such as Milwaukee, Baltimore, Portland, and Orlando." Silcott notes that throughout the 1990s, Orlando's scene was "one of North America’s most vibrant populated and surprisingly creative.” Part of that creativity was the new break beat sound of central Florida.

According to Eddie Pappa, also known as DJ Icey, the story of Florida breaks includes both a rise and a fall and observes that the consequences that Orlando experienced were more harsh in comparison with elsewhere.

Silcott reasons that Orlando's younger demographic in the 1990's made it possible for the dance music scene to "spark, glow, and burn.” Simon Reynolds, in Generation Ecstasy, posits whether the older, retired, and wealthy citizens, who make Florida one of the most conservative states in the country, hold the legislative and law enforcement agency reigns of power that placed the Florida scene 'under siege". Disney power and Family friendly town media

Orlando's underground 1988-1990
The underground dance music subculture in Orlando was centered around the Beacham Theatre from 1988-1990. This period in Orlando coincided with the Second Summer of Love, then occurring in the United Kingdom. There were very few similar scenes in U.S. at this time. House scenes in Chicago, Detroit, NYC, Available music was limited at time, caused mixture of genres, Orlando DJs at Beacham traveled to Europe for records, Dj Lisa, Joe edd,

The City of Orlando’s Summer of Love was predicated by an underground acid house scene. The new Acid house sound soon spread to local radio programming as well as college, gay, goth, and teen night clubs (such as Electric Avenue/Visage and Decades) by 1989. Beach club, Spit, Southern Nights

Orlando's "Summer of Love" 1990-1993
Orlando’s Summer of Love is a term encompassing the cultural and underground dance music scene in Central Florida centered around Orlando that developed during the early 1990s. Orlando's Summer of Love is said to have occurred throughout 1991 and 1992 when the underground subculture that originally sprang from the small local acid-house scene in Orlando developed into a cross-European progressive connection that spread throughout Florida and subsequently, to the rest of the United States and back to Europe. The Florida gatherings have been compared to the acid-parties of the Summer of Love which were also called “all night raves.” The term Orlando's Summer of Love was coined in 1998 by Orlando Weekly journalist Matt Kelemen.

The Orlando scene gained popularity by word-of mouth, flyers, and spread by shared mixtapes and magazine articles. It had soon spread to Gainesville, and other pockets of Central Florida such as Tampa, Daytona Beach and Cocoa. The Orlando Summer of Love period was highlighted by producers from the United Kingdom and Germany who began traveling to The Beacham Theater to perform. Soon, a local music industry sprang up and a corporate interest developed, hastening the statewide expansion. Orlando’s Summer of Love inspired local artists, clubs, and producers such as DJ Icey, who ushered in the popularity of a funky sub-genre of Florida breaks, and brought new and upcoming European artists and producers to other Orlando venues.

The new club culture scene was described in 1993 as "a Haight-Ashbury for the 90's," by the Orlando Sentinel’s Liesl Guinto.

By 1993 the word "rave" was already considered passe in Orlando.

The popularity of the underground sub-culture expanded exponentially during the Summer of 1993. Specifically, the Orlando underground dance music scene scene really took off over the 1993 Independence Day weekend. On July 3rd, 1993 the last of three "Infonet" parties, "The Underground Explosion" was held at at the Orlando Convention Center and on on July 4, 1993, The Dust Bros. (now the Chemical brothers) and 2 Bad Mice had thier first U.S. performances at the Edge.

Sense of Family or unity

PLUR

Orlando: "The Seattle of Electronica" 1993-1997
Silcott explains that by this point, so-called rave and house culture was “a pan-American phenomena" yet there appeared to be "no route place or historical bed rock that 'Electronica' could be identified with". 1980s Chicago and Detroit were discarded as too black or too gay or "not representative" and Europe felt “too foreign”.

In late 1997 music publications began featuring articles on popular electronic music scenes. A scene that represented the central point of electronic music was sought out. Rolling Stone found that scene in Orlando. Comparisons with Seattle grunge and indie rock scene (by Gettelman, Weir, Ferguson, Silcott) "Rolling Stone magazine calls Orlando the 'Seattle of electronica' and Club Firestone the best dance club in the Southeast."

Music second to the party, Greed the Internet during an evolution/ the rise of EDM

Orlando's "Footloose" era 1997-1998
Footloose comparison with local /state rave crackdown

Chicago-Europe roots
House Music originated in Chicago House took on new qualities when it came to Europe where it was played at Ibiza. music from America and Europe, UK warehouse parties only for this type of music different that anything produced in UK or any existing music scene,

Progressive house, was imported back to the U.S. Traveler/ Hippy influence

Florida funky breaks
The local Orlando scene quickly spread to all of Central Florida and subsequently, to the rest of Florida by 1993. Orlando-centered breaks began to influence numerous producers in Florida and Europe (with the exception of funky breaks).

There does not seem to a current universal consensus on the exact elements that constituted Florida's unique sound. The genre's inspirational influences have created regional and preference variations within Florida that have made the genre more difficult to define. Producers and DJs in South Florida and Tampa kept with a deep house flavor or retained more of the funk and hip-hop influence of Miami's so-called "ghetto-bass".

Not exact definition. consensus is has it uplifting happy vocal style. Mixed with elements of Miami bass and Electro to create funky breaks.

Large franchise dance music venues such as The Edge opened in Orlando and then in Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville (silcott?)

The Edge was followed by the Abyss, Firestone

The larger venues attracted more patrons, including tourists, as well as more live performances from international acts and Radio play. (silcott?)

Floridian funky breaks is a Breakbeat house style with booming bass, electro, and "party" lyrics or rap, in the style of Miami bass, with small bits of slowed down British Breakbeat hard-core.

The elements of Florida Breaks consist of a booming "car stereo" bassline, a break beat loop, some electro, Roland-303, a build up, lyrical samples with bits of hip-hop culture and a "sunshiny" feel.

The Florida funky breaks genre can be attributed Dj Icey. Icey's Breakbeat style was not straight beat. The style contained some Chicago house elements, mixed with hip-hop instrumentals, and Breakbeat house, mid-tempo records imported from England and especially those from the Ozone and D-Zone record labels. According to West Coast DJ John Howard, the funky breaks style was also established in the San Francisco Bay Area by the Hardkiss brothers and DJ Dan. West Coast break beat was a slightly faster break beat precursor of U.S. Drum and Bass (called Jungle in the U.K.).

The funky breaks to date, has been the only dance genre entirely created within the American rave scene. The funky domestic style was seen as a product of home-grown "cultural adjuncts" which DJ Icey notes was the natural outgrowth of those who formed their tastes in the 80s and 90s and grew up listening to rap and hip-hop.

By 1993 the availability of new mid-tempo Breakbeat records from the U.K. were limited. Most of the available productions had a very fast tempo. The fast 150-170 BPM tempo popular in UK dance music at that time was called hardcore. UK hardcore and breakbeat hardcore was generally too fast for Orlando crowds where a slower tempo (of 120-135 BPM) was preferred. Faster U.K. hardcore records were slowed down while some 45 RPM records were set at 33 RPM and played in Orlando at 120 BPM. DJ Icey began making a record a month or even one per day.

The funky breaks style did really not infiltrate Europe. Much like British hard-core in the early 90s, the Florida breaks party music sound was described with terms such as simplistic, uncomplicated, cheap, gangster, trashy and "not thinking man’s dance music". Followed established formula.

The Orlando Sound
The Orlando Sound/FL breaks was a mixture of genres. with early breakbeat dance music being released in the UK.

silcott: "The Beacham was the genesis of the Orlando scene. 1986 Chicago house did not directly provide the stimulus for Aahz as in other U.S. scenes such as Detroit and New York City. Instead it was inspired by ecstasy and the British acid-house wave in 1988." Promoter Stace bass, DJ Kimball Collins "synonymous with Orlando House," Dave Cannalte Disney. Silcott: "Aahz ingrained the spirit of what would soon be the most notable characteristic of Orlando electronica tastes": "easy and uplifting, happy, not severe or aggressive."

The Orlando Sound of Central and Northern Florida were strongly influenced by European new beat, trance and progressive house. This mixture of different genres became known as "The Orlando Sound." Early progressive breaks venues were Aahz in the Beacham Theatre and Simon’s in Gainesville. These smaller venues were followed by larger venues specializing in the progressive Orlando sound such as The Club at Firestone and Icon.

The Orlando Sound's progressive breaks gained critical acclaim and international recognition was highly popular among producers, DJs, and club goers during the mid 1990s. (<!see Talk:Beacham_Theatre?>)

The Orlando Sound was marketed internationally as "Orlando friendly."

Nick Newton, an English breaks DJ and producer, called his 1996 record Orlando.

Artistic experimentation and risk taking, "gay" Sasha & John Digweed, similar sound, early, visits, commentary about the Orlando scene, impact on careers, on Orlando, use of FL breaks Sasha came more than 15 times in 3 years.

Use
Simon Reynolds said of Florida's rave scene, "It's infamous for taking excessive hedonism to the point of near-death experience and sometimes taking it all the way."

New "ecstasy" pills arrived in Orlando in 1992. The large-sized, round, "Texas tallboy" tablet with "chocolate chip" specks were called "wafers." The so-called wafer tablets very likely did not contain any MDMA. Wafers caused users to become very high, with many vomiting. Users would then "zone out" with slow motion, “fall into oneself” feeling, to a state where some users were nearly unable to speak. They remained feeling strung out for days. Wafers may have contained a huge dose of MDA as did the "Snowball" tablets circulating in the U.K in 1993 which created very similar effects in the users.

The Orlando club scene was also a Rohhypnol scene. In addition, GHB use and drug related date rape was prevalent in Orlando. Special media and law enforcement scrutiny was placed on assaults at Firestone and Ultraviolet with city leaders holding the nightclubs responsible for any drug use in or around their venue.

Poly drug use also led to a break in the scenes vibe and the synergy between club goers who were all "on different trips.". Scott Hardkiss said of the Florida scene, "It's an active place but the whole state has done too many E's" "...there are 3,000 people there but no one's dancing...Everyone is off their heads on Rhyopnol and 'E that's like heroin', 'sit down E'."

Poly-drug use (especially mixtures with sedatives, GHB and drugs that depress breathing), bad ecstasy or heroin abuse were blamed for the overdoses. Orlando was inundated by heroin by 1994.

Church going families and city leaders were shocked to see still-under-the-influence clubbers streaming out onto city streets on Sunday mornings after an entire night of dancing. Scenesters who were clearly under the influence of club drugs during daytime business hours were also encountered in Orlando.

Ambulances and overdoses were regular occurrences at Orlando late night events. There seemed to be a death at an event every two weeks. The emergencies triggered alarm in the local news media who rallied the public against the public hazard of Orlando's rave "drug supermarkets". The drug overdoses generally generated desensitization or cynicism rather than moderation among club goers.

During the Summer of 1994, the deaths of 18-year-old Sandra Montessi at the Edge, and 21-year old Teresa Schwartz at Dekko's, shocked the City of Orlando and the dance music scene. Area physicians estimated that there were nearly 60 deaths related to drug use in Orlando with many of the deaths linked to the area's club and rave scene between 1991 and 1997. Sub-zero superficial PLUR (Kelemen?)

Reaction to
Reunion and Decko's closed three weeks after the death of Teresa Schwartz, Edge closed in 1995 Backlash against rave, Split in the scene in Orlando and elsewhere similar to U.K. hardcore and intelligent house and techno: progressive house Away from rave music and hardcore breaks vs prog scene,

Edge crowd young, straight, breakbeat, Rave; Edge=drugs=dirty. Edge (91 to 96)silcott p. 130. 92 or 93-1995... Abyss, all ages, breakbeat After Edge, Ultraviolet for breaks. Did not allow progressive By 2000 breaks survived at non-alcohol after-hours venues such as Cyberzone until it shut down in 2001 when owners arrested in a challenge to the State's rave law and also at H2O, until it was shut down in 2002 by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation  after multiple drug arrests.

Kimball prog house sound Aahz alumni vs new ravers/ breakdancing "Old school" in Florida was Aahz alumni who wanted clean getaway from rave Progressive was anti-rave Prog most international Firestone- older, Progressive straight beat, gay then mix at Firestone. Firestone- Dress up no backpacks or sneakers, collars, no breakdancing Icon- progressive house, dress code/ collars, no hats, backpacks, no breaking

Amphetamine sold as MDMA in the U.K. is considered a prime reason that an increased BPM in British hardcore was preferred by club goers there.

Conversely, it’s believed that the effects of the wafers was a contributing factor in the creation and popularity in Orlando of a slower mid-tempo funky breaks sound. regional coverage in newspapers, police harassment, state county city legislative repression rave not a national news subject

NBC 1997 20/20 expose of Florida scene, Rolling Stone Local, state ordinances, national bills, laws against,

Following the Rolling Stone article... Rave review task force. "Anti-rave" bill.

two weeks before rave bill was passed Zen music festival Arrest of promoter, death of patron

A Rave review task force in 1997 set up by Orlando police and city government stifled the all night activities in the city.

implementation of a teen curfew Talent exodus. The restrictions did not completely kill Orlando dance music scene but it did end all late night events in the city.

The Local ordinance pushed late night events out of Orlando city limits. Less drugs, tourists, Firestone die out

Both breaks and prog scenes moved out of city limits. City and county rave ordinances did not apply to (late night electronic music concerts) or all-night events at theme parks such as Disney..

EDM repackaging
Major record label interest in electronic music developed.

The subsequent rebranding of "electronica" created a confused jumble of genres.

In an effort to distance itself away from DJ and dance culture, which they viewed as a drug culture, Music Industry executives chose to market electronica acts as Pop and Rock band culture.

"Electronica" pushed UK artists like the Chemical Brothers, Underworld, and The Prodigy and then American artists like Crystal Method and Rabbit in the Moon to follow a Rock and roll performance-based formula.

Breakdancing had a US/European revival in 1998 Madonna

The Funky breaks of the early 1990s sounds very similar to the Big beat genre, and in particular, the sound popularized by FatBoy Slim. Big Beat is felt by some in Orlando to be a rip off of the funky breaks.

Festivals (zen etc.), Wind down of Breaks, Rise of EDM festivals, Electronic dance music

misc. topics
Rabbit in the Moon

New producers

Zone records, labels such as. FFRR.

Scene spread by magazine articles, word-of-mouth.

Abyss, all ages, breakbeat

Commentary

 * Brewster 2005>


 * Montes 2008>


 * Glazer 2017> (Relevant content is 1/2 way through interview: Simon's, Gainesville, curfew, Orlando, Aahz-to 10 am, Kimball, Dave Canalte were UK centric, was not an American house vibe. Trips to England, Sasha, Chris Fortier, gay and latin culture in dance music. FL scene dissolved, Firestone gay night, line down street)


 * Melendez 2016>

Orlando Sentinel coverage

 * Abbott 2013>


 * Gettelman1997>


 * Guinto1993>


 * Owens1997>


 * Decker 1997>

Orlando Weekly coverage

 * Kelemen 1998>


 * Ferguson 2013> ;


 * Le-Huu 2015> ;


 * homage2016>


 * Moyer2017>


 * history2015>

Other local sources

 * Luvables2012>


 * Allout2015>


 * Byrd1997>


 * Krueger1997>


 * O’Conner2017>

External media

 * Documentary about Orlando dance music scene in the 1990s