The Davis Electronic Dance Music Club discusses their events
By LAILA AZHAR — features@theaggie.org
The Davis Electronic Dance Music Club (EDMC) is a space for students interested in EDM. They’ve hosted events such as the “Heaven or Hell Boiler Room” themed rave and a Picnic Day afterparty.
As Tracy Duong, a third-year managerial economics major and EDMC’s treasurer explained, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding electronic music.
“There are so many subgenres within EDM,” Duong said. “So maybe one subgenre isn’t
for you, but there are probably countless others that are, and our club likes to embrace that.”
Embracing this diversity within the EDM scene is an important aspect of the club. Their events often include DJs who specialize in different styles, ensuring that a wide range of music gets played. They additionally value diverse experiences within the club’s membership.
“We have so many different kinds of people show up to our events, all different backgrounds and majors,” Duong said. “Everyone brings different energies, but it’s always so fun to see how people merge and get along together.”
EDMC aims to appeal to people with all kinds of experiences. Some members are avid EDM listeners, some are aspiring DJs and some are completely new to the scene.
Natalia Rascon, a fifth-year computer science and engineering major and the club’s president, noted that she hopes EDMC can be a space for people to enjoy regardless of how much experience they have.
“I think it’s really important for us to have a welcome space for anyone, whether they’ve never heard of EDM or they love it,” Rascon said.
As the club’s vice president, Rohan Rao, a fifth-year mechanical engineering major recalled, this welcoming atmosphere is a key element of the club that made it appealing for him.
“For my first meeting, I was actually forced to go,” Rao said. “I’m kind of a shy dude, but my friend was like, you’re a DJ, you can get your name out there. Then I got to know the people who founded the club and keep the club going. They’re cool people. I love the team and I love the community we try to create.”
Duong echoed this sentiment, noting an appreciation for EDMC’s tight-knit community.
“It’s actually kind of crazy how we all really do get along,” Duong said. “It really could be a miracle or some sort of coincidence, but the people in this community are really close and supportive and inclusive.”
This is exemplified by peace, love, unity and respect (PLUR), a set of values held in great importance in the rave community, and emphasized often by EDMC.
“PLUR is one of the important aspects of the rave community,” Rascon said. “It’s something we really keep in mind when trying to give people these free spaces to express themselves.”
When keeping the value of PLUR in mind, EDMC events serve as a place for people from all walks of life to connect with one another, Rao pointed out.
“People don’t have to come to events like these,” Rao said. “They come to events like these because no matter how complicated or simple your life is, music is this one standard that everyone enjoys. So you can have very different people meeting for one thing, and that’s a really cool experience.”
Those interested in staying up-to-date with EDMC’s events can follow their Instagram account @davisedmc.
Written by: Laila Azhar — features@theaggie.org
