Try feeding off the vibe of 800 headz going ballistic right in the heart of the desert, dancing to the beat of the drum, hands and whooping voices raised in awe-struck wonder, heads tilted back in mantric trance, howling like wolves at the full moon, limbs and torsos a whirling blur, only the whites of fever-wide eyes and bared grinning teeth visible in the twilight.....and still the hypnotic pounding of the drum beats on and on and on and on....... BOOM ..... BA ... BA ... BA ..... BOOM ... BA ... BA .... BA.... BOOM...BA....BA....BA.....BOOM....
Sounds like an ancient and forgotten ritual in some extinct shamanic ceremony, a witch's secret coven at midnight on Summer Solstice or a even scene from the infamous hedonistic excesses of Goa maybe, ......guess again!!!! Not only did this take place in the developed world, but it took place in America, of all places, right under our noses and it could well be happening in a desert near you soon.
It was the LA Full Moon Tribe Party last week. Maybe this really is the land of the freee..........synchronise watches, set the odometer, 127.3 miles into the heart of the desert....we're going in.
"Each full moon, we, the sisters and brothers of the tribe, come together in the desert and unify, shedding our illusionary differences and our imagined barriers, and celebrate the return to being one. Through music, dance, experience, and spirit, we touch the higher awareness of an existence that resides within us all, that part of us that usually stays quietly beneath the surface, longing for the rest of the world to change. Here, in the desert, we break away from the overwhelming mire of confused energy that fills the city, to be in a place of quiet solitude where that higher awareness may stretch its arms and legs and revel with its tribe, free from abusive energies and nasty vibes. Through these gatherings, that part of us grows and finds strength......We ask that every person open their hearts and come together and unify the tribe. In this way our magical energy will become a transforming force, rippling out from us in great rolling waves of love and compassion. One world, One heart, One Tribe"
(MOON TRIBE PAMPHLET)
Hold on, wait a minute....time out....are these guys on something or what ? "Shedding illusionary differences"? "Higher awareness"? "Magical energy"? Come on, this is a rave we're talking about, are they serious............or just seriously naive? Back in the city and out of context, such words, to the cynics amongst us, might seem like a self-important justification for getting high and dancing, a drugged-up sham for half-crazed acid casualties. Many might wonder if our generation had failed to learn from the mistakes of the past, by creating a rerun of the philosophical LSD-inspired optimism of the sixties, when all those in the know looked to the east for the answers and called their unfortunate kids names like moonbeam and stardust; and still the world did not change........much.
If money were being charged, and the event was set up for cash, not karma, perhaps such cynicism would be warranted, but with a home-grown event laying claim to such huge, no, such enormous, nahh, such gargantuan, mystical properties you can only wonder.... and hope.
So if it's not a sales gimmick, and it is for real, does this kind of overt spirituality really have any kind of relevance to the rave scene?
Before heading out to the desert the few regular tribers I talked to expressed their full-on support for Moon Tribe's unashamedly spiritual take on rave culture, many even implied that for them this was the equivalent of Sunday School, but with a major difference: no one enjoyed or believed in Sunday School. One couple had even tried and failed three times (for up to 8 car bound hours at a time) to find the secret desert venue before they finally made it to one of these momentous gatherings - now that is dedication. And dedication well-placed if you ask my humble opinion. How many Christians would make that kind of commitment to get to church? Very few, I reckon. For the more cynically minded, such events might just provide a chance to socialise, to meet the partner they've been waiting for; for others they might represent pure hedonistic pleasure, an important release from the pressures of everyday life in the city; but for the more spiritually aware (or the more gullible?) dance culture has surpassed the realm of pure social phenomenon and has become something so profound, so mystical and so spiritually nourishing that it has taken on religious dimensions all of its own. Dimensions so vast that they expand beyond the rational scope of modern Western sensibilties. For this select few, the day-dreamers and believers amongst us, a cultural grass-roots-level revolution is taking place as we speak. An alternative and ancient ideology is in the throws of rebirth. At last, another choice is available apart from the spiritually bankrupt materialism of the capitalist society we were born into, apart from the still-born morbidity of Christianity. The ancient rites of music and dance may provide the key and the Moon Tribe may well be one amongst many collectives up there at the forefront of this popular cultural revolution, making it happen.
Three hours out of LA and a bumpy, off-road, cloud-dust of a convoy later, we arrive. Its 11.30. Having parked our car in the haphazardly organised parking area (one thing the desert does have is an abundance of parking spaces) we stumble up the nearest of the three mountains that create a natural amphitheatre around the site. The light of the full moon is so bright that it casts long shadows across the desert floor, illuminating everything with an ethereal washed-out glow. Flat open expanses of empty space, give or take the odd cacti, extend for as far as the eye can see, and beyond. Wild, untamed land which has remained the same since man first reared his ugly and destructive head, stretches from horizon to horizon. From this elevation, in the vivid clarity of the desert where the air is cool and fresh, the almost 1000 strong gathering around the soundsystem appears as small and insignificant as a bunch of ants milling around a half-eaten sandwich. Away from the city, it is this kind of height and perspective that enables you to realise the true nature of your position here on this planet. As individuals we are miniscule and largely inconsequential, like grains of sand on a windswept beach that stretches into infinity. (No doubt the ants, too, like us, also feel an illusory sense of self-importance when surrounded by their own ant-hill cities). In the face of such massive dimensions, however, the individual becomes humbled and the life of the earth, of which we are but a tiny part, becomes all important. Such a setting adds a deeper significance to the phenomenon of the rave, placing it in the timeless context of the life of the planet. The similar festivals of our ancestral brothers, the druids, the ancient Greeks, the shamanic native Americans, the babylonians, the mayans, (to mention but a few) all become just a heart beat away in the eternal life of the earth, Gaia. It is out here in the desert that the Moon Tribe's Eastern philosophies make soooo much sense.
Through focusing on music, vibration and energy, the sound and indeed the very essence of life, we are enabled to lay conscious thought aside. By by-passing the conscious mind and plugging into a deeper level of the psyche, the short-sighted understanding of ourselves as separate individuals is ruthlessly blown apart to make way for a higher consciousness: The understanding of ourselves as temporary and (inevitably expendable) incarnations of the greater power that is life itself - this is the 'ultimate reality'. With this transformed perspective comes a cleansing whirlwind of relief that whistles through our very souls blowing away the cobwebs of cultural constructions, all the hang-ups life in 'civilized' society has burdened us with. In the face of the infinite existence of life itself, what seems like the vast expanse of our lives as individuals foreshortens into the wink of an ominscient eye. All the trials and tribulations of mundane existance pale into utter insignificance when confronted with the cruel and uncaring, but, nevertheless, triumphantly joyful, eternal pageant of life, as it creates and destroys, raises up and knocks down, ends and begins again. Instead of thinking how or what it is that we should be, or do, or try to become, we just are.........
By dancing ourselves into a mantric fit we return to consciousness with this profound understanding, tingling with energy, pure power brought back from the electrified, but untapped point of primal contact, where the god-head meets the masses, where we lose ourselves and become truly one with the world in which we live. This is an ancient art, recieved wisdom which has been passed down from generation to generation, culture to culture, since the dawn of time. A baby, barely able to walk, will burst, untutored and unencouraged, into spontanious dance at the slightest musical provocation. It is only our social conditioning that makes us too inhibited to dance, that forces the relegation of dance to the realm of juvenile high spirits or pure entertainment for entertainment's sake. In reality Man has danced in ritual to give praise and celebrate life since time began. Not to do so, not to recognise, accept and nurture Man's spirituality, as our overly scientific age has indeed done, is nothing less than a heinious crime against the evolution of our race. In our spiritually confused age it is too easy to float along from day to day engrossed by the intricate, yet urbane, details of everyday life: Thenextdeadlinethenextmealthenextlaythenext cigarettethenextbeerthenextwhatever (and you do know what it is 'cos you're thinking about it right now). With such constant distractions of such an incredibly (un)important (?) nature it is hardly suprising that we rarely pause to just be ourselves and just plain be. We seldom stop to marvel at the quiet and simple beauties of existance that lie sorrowfully ignored around us (even in LA), or pause to feel the sheer and unadulterated energy that pumps through our veins or to wonder at the complex, yet graceful, beauty of our own bodies in motion. By taking time out to celebrate life we come to appreciate these gifts.
Still, enough navel gazing.......The time is right.....Fireworks flare across the night sky and stragglers take heed of the sign...... The witching hour, 12 o'clock... It is time.....We must return to the source...... Commence countdown........On either side of me nervous strangers' hands feel their way into mine....10......Joining hands to symbolise our unification.....9.....A circle is created around the sound system.....8.....Ambient soundscapes float on the desert breeze adding a surreal effect......7........With a cacophony of primeval screeching and howling, in a mad rush of released energy.....6...... everyone sprints into the middle......5.....and the circle closes in upon itself becoming one.....4..... meeting in a giant huddle........3...... of disbelieving, excited faces,.....2.......a group hug of 800 strong......1....and then bang.....we have ignition ..........the music kicks in and the dance begins..... .... take off....here we come, planet Gaia.
There's not a burning man in sight, no garish over-wrought symbolism here. No brain death dealing nitrous or high-school kids in bad vibe circles. No seedy warehouse at 6 a.m to deflate that tangibly spiritual aura. No frills or attitude, just smiles and the bare essentials: a super sonic blasting sound system and the joy of being lost in the music, lost in the moment, surrounded by flower children, new age hippies, groovers and funksters , beautiful people and hipsters sending out overwhelmingly positive vibes. All of them confident in themselves and their god-given right to be here celebrating, whatever their parents or the authorities might say, for they've found an affirmation and a purpose, they've found a belief. But most importantly they've found themselves, they've rediscovered their roots, their real connection to the earth mother, Gaia. If the native Americans could only see us now, they would smile knowingly and resist the temptation to say "I told you so", for they were a culture that truly knew how to live at one with the earth. People are really getting funky now, buzzin with ecstatic energy, beaming with the joy of transportation. Mob hysteria has descended around the speakers, as a writhing mass of twenty 'speaker people' with their heads in the bass bins, throb to the rhythm, entranced as if idolising a craven god. The DJ's raise their hands to the sky as they spin the platters that matter, channeling supernatural energy from on high and redistributing it amongst the hungry crowd. I keep expecting to see lightning blaze across the night sky, or a witch on her boomstick to soar overhead cackling with maniac laughter, but no, this scene is weirdly archaic and tribal enough anyway. The crowd is expertly manipulated, using psychedelic trance built teasingly slowly up and over those rushy peaks, only to be broken down again to restart the spiraling musical cycle that mimicks the movements of life and the universe. Eat Static, The Man With No Name (who happens to be called Paul Oakenfold?), Noom (anagram alert!) and Platipus records, amongst other pagan masterminds providing the perfect sound track for our spiritual journey. After what seems like an eternity of smiles, moves and grooves, gone in a split second of hypnotic dancing, the moon dips down behind the mountains and the sun starts to rise. The familiar grinning faces of those around you come alive with the vivid colours of the day and you see them properly for the first time: smiles all round, not an iota of seediness, just other members of our tribe and the desert. What could be more natural. At around 9.30 the mesmeric trance fades into up-lifting ambient classics, such as F.S.O.L's 'Cascade' and Banco De Gaia's 'Lai Lah' - "Why? Because I love you, that's why". The sample drifts unregistered into the collective unconsciousness - very apt considering the extreme love-levels and the Gaiacentricities of the evening's celebrations. Gradually and almost imperceptibly, the tunes slide seamlessly into rushy soundscapes and an awestruck voice-over announces the meditation - "..........This type of mass meditation, at this time and in this situation, has never been done before, so we don't know what will happen. Anything could happen". Sounds like he's expecting some sort of miracle, like a close encounter or something, and in these twisted circumstances I almost believe him! The smell of frankincense hangs in the desert air and the hum of hypnotic mantras, angelic and choral, cleanse and refresh the minds of the many, and the one, as one and all huddle cross-legged, ready for the meditation.
"GAIA VIBE: January 22-23 1997. At 9.35 a.m Pacific Time, on the morning of January 23, 1997, in the universe swirling above our heads, all of the planets, the sun, and the moon will pull into an archetypically rare alignment, forming a six pointed star. (This sort of occurrence has not happened since the dawning of the Renaisance.) This event will be shared by hundreds of thousands of people all over the planet who will be celebrating this moment with ceremonies honoring the energy that it will open with a common cause: the transformation of our Mother Earth, Gaia.
This planet we live upon is not a cold, dead rock floating in space, but is instead a huge, living organism. And we - every single one of us - are her nerve endings. We are the planet waking up. We are Gaia becoming self-aware. We are truly all One. With the alignments arrival, the Age of Aquarius (the Awakening) finally comes fully into being as the house of Aquarius is where most of the planets will align. The six-pointed star is also the symbol of the Anahata, or heart chakra (energy center). It represents the physical world manifesting into the spiritual (the upwards pointed triangle) and the spiritual world manifesting into the physical (the downwards pointed triangle.) And it represents balance, as these two worlds come together equally in the heart. It is the Universe opening its heart to us. And it is the power of love to transform.
The universe is calling us."
(MOONTRIBE PAMPHLET)
No, no instant miracle, no aliens to be seen. Still, the meditation spreads a warm, benevolent, karmic tranquility through us all, if nothing else. But the miracle has already happened anyway: the ecstatic revelation of Gaia, the earth mother and our rapturous reunion with her and each other. We can channel this positive energy, that is tapped in this ritualistic celebration, back into our everyday lives. It needs to be absorbed and redirected at all of those that we come into contact with, so that they too may be switched on to the light of positivity and love. Not everyone is fortunate enough to come into contact with vibes like these often and consequently they don't understand how to generate them or realise their amazing potential. The more positive vibes that are spread, the more positive vibes that will come back, in a self-perpetuating cycle which could potentially produce a heaven earth....... Some miracles take a while to happen. Having said our luv'd up goodbyes, our car draws away from the hardcore of diehards grooving to the live band playing in the bright morning sunlight. Rainbow colored giant bubbles float in the desert breeze above the gathering, courtesy of the bubble-blower (?) on the rocks. (They must've thought of everything!). Even at this late stage, (11a.m) there were still only exhausted, but happy and satiated faces to be seen. Grinning strangers, with whom we now share a bizarre bond, cheerfully wave us on our way from the nearby mountain they'd climbed, as our car passes by in a cloud of dust.
Despite the occaisonally over-zealous spiritual vibe of the tribe, there is a certain innocent, uncorrupted beauty about such a fresh take on the rave scene. Something which elevates this Tribe above and beyond the purely hedonistic excesses of your average collective, to a place unntouched by the petty selfishnesses of commercialisation. I feel like I've just stepped out of a time machine which had transported me back to the early English rave scene in 88-89. I just hope that the Moon Tribe have got the sense to learn from England's mistakes and keep the vibe, spiritual, free, uncommercialised and underground, making such parties the rule and not the exception, as they have become in England and are in danger of becoming here. You've got to hand it to them, however, they've come this far and they certainly seem to know what they're doing. This is a scene that America can be truly proud of, uniting technology with the ancient art of mantric dance, placing this country squarely on the pagan map of the world.
This is the evolution (and regression) of dance culture and its here, whether you like it or not, a serious force to be reckoned with. This is the real thing, keeping the vibe alive into 97 and beyond. The underground is most definitely where it's at. Techno paganism (psychedelics and ritual dance) may be the answer we're looking for, the ticket for a spiritual journey back to our roots, back to our Earth mother, Gaia. The religion for generation X has arrived. Welcome to the rebirth of the cult of Dionysus.
By Ralph Perring, a 24 year old English freelance music journalist currently living and working in San Francisco.
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