Celebrating 4 years of Electro Space
1st to 7th May 2023
Wow 4 years! I need to get another life!! 🤣
OK a bit of background ... Electro Space was created on 1st May 2019 with the first Electro Space Jam. The Jam event was designed to bring DJs from various electronic and underground music venues together to showcase music and their style. It was created as an alternative to club limiters such as perm days/times, regular scheduled 2 hour sets, genre restrictions, invite only based on popularity/style. DJs joined in when they wanted to and this is how ES remains today. This is what l call ES Freedoms; DJ's choice days, open DJ registration, public schedule and most dates remain on a DJ books basis.
We always celebrate our anniversary at the May Jam each year but this year, I have extended the celebrations across the week and we're inviting DJs who have been a big part of the ES community this year, to help us celebrate all that is ES on our 4th anniversary. We will also be celebrating in some of our favourite party spaces, some of which have been here a while now.
So what is happening this week?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
4ES Mix Sessions
Downtown Rooftops (2021)
The Hub (2020)
Bassment (2021)
Celebrating DJ's Choice 1 hour Sessions. The freedom to be you, be creative, show off, gain new followers or even get spotted by club owners. It all happens at Sessions and I love it ❤️ This week we celebrate with three Mix Session days.
Thursday
4ES Anniversary Jam (ES48)
The Dock (2019)
Our 48th Jam and it's how it all started on the Dock back in May 2019. DJs from multiple clubs came together to play what they wanted and create The Jam every month, and we are still 'Jammin'' every month in 2023. This year it also falls on Star Wars Day so expect a theme maybe ;)
Friday
Open Stage and my Day Off. I am going out out!! 🤣
Downtown Station (2021)
Do use the space if you want to, it is what it is there for.
Saturday
Crave the anti-rave: All Hardhitters Night
Rave Cave (2020)
Crave has been running since July 2021 and was an event idea introduced by eVolies, a good friend and DJ in our community. eVolies wanted an underground feel event full of Hard and Dark music.
Today Crave has evolved to include all Harder EDM styles but the underground feel remains, in the depths of the Rave Cave. This week we bring all those styles together with some of our favourite hard hitters!
Sunday
The Barbie Social
Barbie's House (I think - not built yet!)
The Sunday Social was an idea introduced by another DJ in our community, Jay Revolution, in September 2022. Originally a daytime House Social, it has evolved into a DJ's Choice open stage, which DJs can join on the day. This week, we are making it a Barbie Social, as suggested by Chanya, yes another DJ in our community, and we're partying for Relay for Life. So dress as your favourite Barbie or Ken and come help us raise lots of L$ for those affected by cancer.
ES Quirks
I am challenged quite a bit on things such as why sets are just 1 hour, why DJ's choice, why do you never invite me? This is ES and I want to stay true to why I created the first ES Jam back in 2019. ES was never supposed to be a club with a regular schedule and a 'staff' team and never will be. First and foremost it is DJ sessions, events and open stage. A space for DJs of electronic music to be creative and express themselves when and how they choose. This is also why we are called Electro Space.
There are about 200 DJs in the group. Not everyone is actively DJing of course, some not even in world anymore I expect, but it is still important for me to keep as much space for as many as we can each week. This is why I ask that DJs book just one session in every 2 week period. This applies to Monday and Wednesday sessions only, so there is space and time and variety for us all. If the same DJs play at the same time every week, then ES is not available and accessible.
Please also consider when being critical of ES quirks, that I do this, for the most part, on my own, in my free time and it is how I want it to be. If you want something different or think you can do it better, please go head and do it. SL is free for all and many people do open club spaces for this reason, because nothing else meets their needs. This is exactly why I started ES after all and no, it is not going to meet everyone's needs.
Recki-isms
I have a few principles, opinions!! Many will know this. I'm a stubborn arse too. 🤣
It is not a dream.
ES is not a dream of mine, it is not some major vision I have had for years, it just came about because as a new DJ myself, I found it difficult to fit anywhere, to play what I wanted, to practice live with like minded people that could guide me, so I could gain confidence. It's as simple as that, but because of what it has become, it is now my SL. I am always here, I mean they try and get rid of me for peace (rude!) but it's where I want to be and I never DJ anywhere else when ES is open.
Whether it is supporting new and developing DJs, sharing other venue logos and information, promoting togetherness and collaboration, Relay for Life fundraising or developing my DJing and music taste from listening to your sets, SL is not just a game to me. It is an escape for sure, it is fun, sometimes hard work and sometimes even emotionally challenging but everyday has a purpose for me. Without all this, I just would not log into SL at all.
It's about music and people.
Ok we are not the busiest space on the grid! My PC is thankful for this 🤣
People come to ES if they choose to. I do not mass TP in desperation to snatch people into ES! Personally I hate it and it feels like clubs are fighting over people to be dots on a map!
We also do not have a number of alts/bots that sit in our space just to be a dot on a map. Why? Because I really do not care how busy we look on that map! This means nothing and does nothing for our community. These planted avatars are not listening to the music or talking in local and helping to make a party atmosphere. They may just be in a venue for money or prizes even. ES is about you. It is about community. We know there are big clubs with 40-60 people and I can still have more fun and conversation at ES. I also know some people prefer a packed venue and that is ok too, it's just not a focus for me and not primarily what ES was set up for.
You will notice I don't welcome DJs to a 'family' with a group post.
The group is open for anyone to join. DJs are individuals and are free to play wherever they want. They are not part of my family and no one owns DJs! I find this ridiculous today. Once, way back, when DJs played exclusively for one venue, ok I understand but this is not usual in our community any longer. I welcome each person, DJs, music fans, explorers, everyone, every day to ES. No fanfares, no celebrity status, no red carpets. We are in the space for the same reason. To have fun, enjoy music, make friends, relax, be free! You could have been Djing 25 years, with a kit that costs 10k, learned to DJ with vinyl, DJing out the back of a camper van with Fat Boy Slim and you will get the same Recki welcome at ES. 🤣
Secret: I don't like being welcomed to any group with some fanfare post or welcome. I never know what to say. Just let me sneak in quietly geeeez! 🙃
ES is still community run.
One community, one group. No separate manager/staff group, everyone is ES and we are having fun together. It's real, it's open, it's honest and importantly, our community shapes ES, not me! Just like the event examples above.
Many support Electro Space and keep our community alive, not just through DJing and making parties, but some of you live here and help support the running costs. Many of you throw a few L$ in the club donation diamond and still, today after 4 years, I do not have to put real money into SL to keep ES running. Ok it helps that I do not have a shopping habit! 💯
I will also never take x% of your tips to DJs to run a space I chose to set up. If you tip a DJ or Host or Manager at ES, they keep 100% and you each have the freedom to choose if you want to support ES also that day. That is not for me to take!
You are my best gauge on whether to keep ES running and if DJs stop booking times and people stop coming and supporting ES through donations and rentals, then I know it's time to close. Electro Space is here as long as you want it to be.
To everyone that continues to be a part of Electro Space and enjoys what we do and how we do it, thank you so much for your support and for making ES what it is today.
Recki
x
Footnote : I seem to write some kind of life story post at ES birthday time and get very wordy! What a predictable sap I am! 🤣 I will put last year's in related posts. 🤣
