“Club Etiquette Vol. 1 grew out of both micro and macro frustrations in the club” – Intro to Club Etiquette Vol. 1
On September 2nd, we’re hosting a night with Dummy at the Ace Rooftop in downtown Los Angeles and couldn’t be more excited to add The Dance Pit and Nargiz to the lineup. In anticipation of the night, we’ve asked both artists to record a mix for us, providing joint entries for Astral Plane Mix 120. Find more info on Dummy Presents: The Astral Plane here and RSVP here.
In dance music lore, the club is treated as hallowed space; an elevated plane that exists far from the biases, contradictions and power structures that pervade day-to-day life. Anyone who has attended a club/venue/bar/warehouse recently knows that the reality is much more complicated. Everyone has had a drink spilled on them or had a taller individual block their view and a nasty lack of respect between security, bar staff and club-goers often circulates. More importantly, predatory behavior is often allowed to run rampant, unchecked by both security and male patrons, making the club a fundamentally unsafe space for female, LBTQ and non-binary folk. These issues are systemic and won’t be fixed over night, but Anuradha Golder aka The Dance Pit is putting in overtime to address and discuss a battery of subjects ranging from personal space on the dance floor, safe (and fun) drug use, and a simple set of rules and expectations for both throwing and playing shows. At six editions, the beautifully drawn Club Etiquette zine is a necessary, and thoroughly enjoyable, read, providing an erudite critique of the myriad issues facing modern club land.
As if offering up others a guide for to engage with club spaces, throw shows and interact with other DJs wasn’t enough, Golder throws Club Etiquette parties and DJs as The Dance Pit, building a literal space to try and exemplify the ideals espoused in the zine and to promote likeminded producers and DJs. Astral Plane favorites The Large, MM, Abby, Lechuga Zafiro, Nargiz and more have all touched down at Club Etiquette parties since the first edition in August 2015 and a free/$5 donation to leave policy is integral to maintaining an open and inclusive spirit. As a DJ, Golder plays a range of bounce-y, floor ready material, drawing heavily from dancehall, reggaeton, soca and other Caribbean forms, all blended together in a loose style that tends to accentuate huge hooks and joyous blends.
Whether it’s because of scene politics or deep-seated misogyny, racism and transphobia, the dance music community often lacks the reflexive self-critical attitude necessary to approach patriarchy and endemic racial bias, but Golder has started and will continue to push a conversation that aims to make the club a safe, open, enjoyable space for all.
The Astral Plane 