CfP: DC25 | Dancecult Conference, 24–25 January 2025, Berlin (Deadline: 15.09.2024)

DC25 | Dancecult Conference 
24–25 January 2025
Call for Proposals. DC25: Preserving and Archiving Electronic Music and Dance Cultures

Deadline: 15.09.2024

We are delighted to announce the call for proposals for DC25, a Dancecult Research Network conference to be held at the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, 24–25 January 2025, in cooperation with the Audio Communication Group, Dancecult journal and CTM Festival. DC25 will host participants from the broad interdisciplinary community of research around electronic (dance) music and cultures who will converge, share and celebrate their ongoing research efforts. The conference is also an opportunity for graduate students and senior researchers alike to share insights on the questions of preserving and archiving electronic music and dance cultures. DC25 is a two-day in-person conference, where all presentations will be live streamed.

The conference aims to explore various dimensions of electronic music and dance cultures and the challenges associated with their documentation, preservation and archiving. Dance cultures have emerged as a global cultural phenomenon, shaping and reflecting the attitudes, values and experiences of diverse communities for years. As they continue to evolve, change and diversify, it becomes increasingly crucial to discuss ideas about preserving and archiving their cultural heritage. These cultures also encompass a wide range of music genres, subgenres and associated practices, including DJing, club culture, festival culture, music production, remixing and more. In Berlin, the location of this conference, for instance, “Techno” has even become part of Germany’s UNESCO cultural heritage list. This inclusion has been critically discussed by different communities, especially by those who highlight techno’s Black roots from Detroit. However, strategies for its preservation have hardly been developed. 

While electronic music and dance cultures have had an important impact on contemporary music, art and social movements, their temporary nature and reliance on digital technologies present different challenges for archiving and preserving. Not only do we need to consider the potential technical difficulties when it comes to older technologies in music production, but also the preservation of other cultural materials such as event flyers, posters, ravezines, fanzines and even locations like clubs or festivals, which have barely been preserved and documented.

While the topic of cultural preservation in (popular) music cultures has been extensively discussed (e.g., in Baker, 2015), EMDCs have yet to be fully included in these conversations. These research findings emphasize the Do-it-Yourself and Do-it-Together approaches when it comes to the processes of cultural preservation within musical heritages, which are also applicable to electronic music and dance cultures. Despite the accessibility of oral histories (e.g., Bainbridge, 2013; Denk & van Thülen, 2014; Hanford, 2021, etc.), there remains a lack of extended collections of archival materials on this subject. This conference aims to address this gap by questioning the necessity of preservation and the role of institutions in keeping these cultures alive. It also reevaluates existing oral histories by exploring who has been asked to share their stories and who may have been left out, particularly marginalized individuals. Furthermore, the DC25 organizing committee is also interested in the methodological challenges of cultural preservation: How and what to archive and preserve when it comes to electronic music and dance cultures?

Submissions will be considered, including but not restricted to proposals for individual papers and panels on research related to the following areas:

  • Histories, documentation and ethnography: New methodologies and approaches for documenting and ethnographically studying electronic music and dance cultures.

  • Preservation of DJ and producer archives: Ideas for preserving and archiving these creative outputs.

  • Social and cultural aspects: Documentation of the social, cultural and political implications of electronic music and dance cultures, including issues of identity, inclusivity, subcultural resistance and community-building.

  • Archiving event culture: Exploring approaches to documenting festivals, club nights, raves and other events, including the preservation of materials such as photographs, videos and installations.

  • Access and dissemination: Examining methods for providing public access to archived materials while respecting copyrights, intellectual property rights and privacy concerns.

  • Case studies and projects: Presenting case studies or ongoing projects that highlight creative methods for documenting certain communities, scenes or subgenres.

  • Preservation and documentation of dance, club and Techno cultures’ certain artifacts: Music recordings, DJ sets, event flyers, photographs, etc.

  • Ethical considerations: Preserving diverse and marginalized communities.

  • Oral history methodologies: How to capture experiences and narratives of musicians, professionals and fans?

  • Collaborations: Between academic institutions, cultural organizations and industry members.

  • Music and sound: Technical difficulties and opportunities in archiving older technologies, including instruments, recording devices, etc. 

 The DC25 organizing committee invites researchers, practitioners and experts from various disciplines to submit abstracts of their research for consideration. The conference will feature a combination of paper presentations and panel discussions. 

 All proposals will be peer-reviewed after submission. Please submit proposals on the submission platform no later than 15 September 2024. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by 10 October 2024. Submissions for papers should include a 300-word abstract that states the paper’s goals, summarizes the context and argument and includes a brief conclusion. A 100-word maximum biography should be included. Presenters will have 20 minutes (including 5 mins for questions). Panel discussions lasting 1 hour, plus 20 minutes for questions, should consist of a moderated conversation with 3-5 participants, and require a single 300 word abstract and list of panel members, with one speaker designated as the panel moderator. Include 5 keywords to identify the theme of your proposal.

References
Bainbridge, Luke. 2013. Acid House. The True Story. London: Omnibus Press. 

Baker, Sarah. ed. 2015. Preserving Popular Music Heritage. Do-it-Yourself, Do-it-Together. New York, London: Routledge. 

Denk, Felix. & von Thülen, Sven. 2014. Der Klang der Familie. Berlin, Techno and the Fall of the Wall. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

Hanford, Paul. 2021. Coming to Berlin. London: Velocity Press. 

Registration Fees:

  • Full: €130

  • Concession*: €80

* Concession fee is for (PhD) students and freelance researchers without institutional support

 Registration fees include:

  • Full program, including keynote presentations (TBA)

  • Coffee breaks

  • CTM Festival weekend pass for 24–27 January 2025

 “Afterfestival”:
The conference will be followed by an opportunity for participants to visit CTM Festival’s locations in Berlin. Conference participants will receive a weekend pass for 24–27 January 2025.

Key Dates and Submission Details: 
Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 September 2024
Submit your proposals here: Submit
Notification of Acceptance: 10 October 2024
Registration opens: 15 October 2024
Registration closes: 15 December 2024
Conference Dates: 24–25 January 2025
CTM Festival weekend pass: 24–27 January 2025

DC25 is enabled by the Dancecult Research Network and the Technische Universität Berlin’s Audio Communication Group. It is partnered with Dancecult and CTM Festival.

 About Dancecult: 
Dancecult is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal for the study of electronic music and dance culture (EMDC). A platform for interdisciplinary scholarship on the shifting terrain of EMDCs worldwide, this Scopus indexed journal houses research exploring the sites, technologies, sounds and cultures of electronic music in historical and contemporary perspectives. Playing host to studies of emergent forms of electronic music production, performance, distribution, and reception, and as a medium through which the cultural politics of dance is critically investigated, Dancecult is the forum for research on EMDCs. For more information visit Dancecult.

About the Dancecult Research Network (DRN):
The DRN is an interdisciplinary network of academics, scholars and students researching all aspects of electronic dance music culture. As an educational and research network, the DRN facilitates information exchange, resource sharing and collaboration among international researchers of the genres, identifications, aesthetics, technologies and other manifestations of EMDC. Visit DRN.

About CTM Festival:
Berlin’s CTM Festival supports an open, networked, mutually-collaborative, global music culture through its yearly 10-day festival as well as countless collaborative and research initiatives, co-commissions, concerts, and other constantly-evolving formats. The 25-year-old festival stands out for its conscious pairing of daring artistic content and adventurous club experiences with an in-depth discourse programme, framing today's sounds and music cultures within a shifting, hybrid global society. Visit CTM. 

The DC25 organizing committee consists of: Anita Jóri (chair), Graham St John, Steffen Lepa and Dave Payling. 

More information on https://dancecult-research.net.

CFP, CFA, NewsPenelope Braune