Being a raver is an exciting emotion which each of us carries with pride. By definition, a rave is a large dance party of electronic music DJs, however if you ask a raver it is much more than that. It is a culture, a community, an experience to which we belong weekend after weekend.

Rave was the word that emerged in the late 1980s to describe the illegal gathering of the techno and acid house subculture. As these subcultures grew, rave became an important part of electronic music culture around the world.

Vegim x Rilindja Warehouse

To be part of the rave culture, and experience joy as ravers do, there are a couple of things you should know. I will guide you to the most essentials thing you should know if you want to join the rave community.

1. P.L.U.R – A Ravers Constitution

P.L.U.R stands for:

Peace – no negative emotions allowed

Love – share feelings and empathy with others

Unity – for the night, rave is your family

Respect – each of us is different so no judgment, only tolerance

To be a raver you must know and follow this rules, it is the only way you can live the experience.

2. Get lost in the universe of techno music

Explore, get lost, search. There are a variety of subgenres and styles of techno music, not to mention plenty of DJs. In techno, you will find numerous artists that doing amazing work behind the scenes, as well as the more prominent and famous selectors. Search out the events near you, get a sense of the artists that are playing there, and know what to expect from the event. Here at Monument, you can find some unique and talented DJs, a perfect mix of ambient, techno, hard, and deep. Check out our Soundcloud to find our archives.

3. Be yourself

When you head to a rave, egos are left at home. Raves are a place where you act as yourself and no one judges you for that. This is why it is important to follow the P.L.U.R constitutions. Ravers are people with open hearts and minds, who embrace each other’s weirdness. Go ahead, be the weirdest you can be and live the experience that techno gives.

Besides, raves are places where you meet all kinds of unique people. Get to know them. Talk, express yourself, and make new friends.

4. Wear your most comfortable clothes + an essentials bag

As nobody cares how you look, you got to wear what you are most relaxed at. Raves are long parties and having comfy clothes is a must. Pick the shoes you are most comfortable in as you are going to dance, a lot.

A bag with essentials will save your life also. Put in an extra t-shirt, sunglasses, wallet, phone, a bottle of water, and some fruit, you’ll thank me later.

5. Dance

Ravers dance a lot, it is the therapy we give to our souls.

When heading to a rave you don’t need any dancing tips. Whether you are king/queen of the dance floor or you never danced, it doesn’t matter. You just listen to the music, feel it and let your feet do the magic.

6. Drink water

Water, water, and water! To experience the real rave you need to have your energy up and always stay hydrated. Having a bottle of water with you all the time will help you a lot as you are going to dance and sweat a lot. And that fruit I mentioned earlier? Those are going to come in handy too.

7. Don’t forget to go home

Raves are such unique experiences that make us happy and forget the world. You get in, enjoy yourself, be yourself, express yourself, wanting this to go on forever. You may want to party for 48 hours, but that won’t make you happier than partying for 10 hours. Remind yourself to go home. Raves will never stop. Weekend after weekend, festival after festival, gig after gig raves will be with you for eternity.

Raves are trips of joy and self-expression, creating human connection and making memories that last a lifetime. Now that you know what raves bring to your life, go ahead, jump in and plan your next rave.