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Dancefloors Against Ketamine

by Tom Armstrong
29 October 2014 65 Comments

It’s an unavoidable fact that the recent boom in deep and tech-house has brought with it a club culture based around a drug which has as much to do with music as Shirley Bassey has to do with Chinese snail racing: Ketamine.

I make these observations from the experience of being involved in and writing about the club scene in London extensively over the past year, but anyone who has been to a deep/tech house club night in London over the past few months will be familiar with scenes which could potentially be from Danny Boyle’s ‘28 Bumps Later’ where a cast of expressionless zombies try their best to crawl across a wall to the bar, making a combination of baby steps and aimless lunges to guess where the floor might be.

It seems paradoxical that a music-based movement has spawned a subculture which is entirely disinterested in the music it’s associated with, but it has. Let me take you back a few months to one particularly hot spring weekend. A selection of some of my favourite international DJ/producers were billed to play a warehouse party in Hackney (I’ll spare them the naming and shaming because the issue is much larger than that) which on paper, with the names on display, should have been the party of the year. What in fact transpired was merely a confirmation of what I’d suspected had become the primary clubbing experience for my generation: a ketamine fuelled non-event. Half way through the night I looked out onto a stagnant crowd and watched the room sink further and further into a k-hole until the beats were at walking pace and the dancefloor had no more vivacity than a wave of un-coordinated nodding heads.

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To the DJs and the crowd the music was secondary; something to have on in the background while everybody disappeared into their own world. Nobody cared what tune was playing; the DJs themselves seemingly more interested in the gaggle of idol-worshipping girls behind the decks. There were people walking around in sunglasses indoors - at night - in April. I’d come to expect that sort of posing and image-conscious clubbing at Pacha or Hed Kandi, but this was a supposedly underground warehouse party in a cutting-edge part of London with some of the finest house DJs in the world. How had this scene become so unhealthy? Being in a room with such a downbeat vibe even took the fun out of MDMA, I felt like the only person interested in the party and after a few hours I got my coat and left.

What was more alarming was the reaction the following week by people who had been there. If you believed the hearsay, I’d been at the most amazing party since the last supper. The messageboards were full of it, word-of-mouth spread, but I just didn’t understand, where were all these people who had such a great time on the night? They certainly weren’t on the dancefloor. Then something dawned on me, the elements which are important to me: the music, the crowd, the vibe, the things that have made clubbing that special, meaningful thing that we love, are playing second fiddle to getting as wonky as possible on ketamine and gushing about how great the whole thing was afterwards. The scene, it seems, has become a charade.

You might say ‘getting off your face on drugs in a club is nothing new, it’s the same across the board’. Well, not quite. Acid House was arguably the first youth movement where the clubs were fuelled as much by the drugs as they were the music. For the first time, two separate entities which had co-existed for decades finally entered into an unbreakable marriage. One seemed meaningless without the other, furthermore in ecstasy’s case, one actually enhanced the effects of the other. Briefly, the way ecstasy works is by flooding the brain with serotonin and dopamine, which heightens perception and creates exhilaration. This is why a) the music sounds so good and b) you want to tell each and every person on the dancefloor how much you love them. Ketamine on the other hand is a very different ball game. It jams electrical neurotransmission between brain cells, distorting the senses and effectively separating body and mind. It’s nothing new either, it was discovered in the sixties and used relatively safely as a medical anaesthetic. Within a few years a band of psychedelic experimentalists looking for an alternative to LSD had begun to utilize its recreational advantages, but it wasn’t to find its way into clubland until mid-nineties New York, much to the surprise of its original users.

The reason for their surprise, and the root of the problem we’re faced with today, is that trying to enjoy ketamine in a club environment is like trying to push a square through a round hole. They just don’t go together. You become dissociative, you lose your co-ordination, and you become separate from your surroundings; in effect, K is the quintessential ‘anti-party’ drug. If ecstasy brings a club together under a collective consciousness, ketamine divides it up again into a collection of individual non-responsive egos. If ecstasy makes you one with the music, ketamine shuts it out and ignores it. If ecstasy is energy, ketamine is lethargy.

This begs the question: Given the choice, who in their right mind would go to a club and take an anaesthetic? People who aren’t interested in being a part of what’s going on around them, that’s who. People who have grown up on a diet of shit pills and celebrity culture. People to whom being able to say you saw a particular DJ is more important than what tunes they’re playing, and how can you care about the music when the most excited reaction you can muster is a gormless smile and a thumbs up? The club scene has always had an element of this, but to an increasingly large section of my generation music is just a voice in the backseat while ketamine takes you on your own private journey.

The next time you’re at a club or a big-billed house night in London, look around you. How many people are dancing? Really? And how many people are wandering around on autopilot or sat on the side-lines unable to move and uninterested in what’s going on around them. There’s even talk of ‘Wonky house’ (which is surely an oxymoron) being made by ketted-up producers who are every bit as much of the problem as the zombified clubbers. The foundations laid out by the loved-up generation are slowly sinking into a mass k-hole, and if those loyal to the music (and the Mandy, let’s not beat about the bush here) don’t get back onto dancefloors and start hugging eachother again, 20 years of positive clubbing experiences are under threat of being undone. And to those who should know better, next time you’re stocking up for a night out, think, isn’t a party full of people on bumbles much more fun than a walking wonky graveyard?

I’ll end on a poignant quote I read recently from a seasoned disco queen on the subject which highlights how far the ketamine epidemic has spread: “If you like your world in slow-motion and want to become one with the wall then save it for the afterparty, don’t stand there bog-eyed and get in my way while I’m Vogueing.”

Follow me @tomdisco

This article was first published in 2010

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image descriptionCOMMENTS

JJJ 6:03 am, 5-May-2013

Really quite sad in a way that it's come to this. I was fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of clubbing around the country during the early to mid 90s and it was generally just the job of a minority of coke heads to get in the way of a good time. I can't imagine the atmosphere in a space full of people on ketamine. We always thought 'horse tranquilizer' was taken by psychos. To be honest, it's only recently that I've been daft enough to experiment with the stuff and it was just too fucking paralyzing and weird to be enjoyable. Left me feeling quite beat-up mentally for some time. I guess it's the decline of quality MDMA over the decades that's left kids looking for alternatives, but I'm sure as shit this isn't the one. I'll be giving wonky house a swerve I think. Good read, cheers.

Trippin Tattie T 10:01 am, 5-May-2013

While I feel your pain, this article could have been written 10-15 years ago. The answer is to go to smaller parties put on by your mates, 100ish capacity where Irish John has enough bumbles to cover everybody. Anyone can DJ really so you're far from missing out by missing the big names too.

Ezra Quid 10:14 am, 5-May-2013

I totally agree Tom, but this isn't a new thing - up north, this has been the case for the last half decade (!), though the scene appears to be emerging from it's collective K-hole now (fingers crossed, etc), & dance floor zombies are thankfully in the minority again.

james 11:51 am, 5-May-2013

Really do agree with you this one Tom. The point of clubbing used to be the shared experience with a room full of people who, for just a few perfect hours, where full of love and empathy. Everyone would be going mental with complete abandon and no trace of self consciousness. Cheesy but true. Anyone who's ever been hugged by a loved up 18 stone career criminal on the dancefloor will attest to that. And anyone who thinks this a false, purely chemical reaction is dead wrong, Ecstacy/mdma makes you a more social, gentle and generally nicer person day to day- have a read of prof david nutts stuff. Anyhows, clubs seemed to change fairly rapidly. Though I'd bleat on and on to my mates about dancefloors being still and people being less friendly, I quietly suspected this was just me getting older. Then I started noticing just how prevalent ket and coke were becoming in clubs. Im not a drugs snob, I cant do one then get snooty towards another (besides heroin, crack and crystal meth!), its all just a means to an end. I include alcohol in this, anyone who drinks and thinks theyre against drugs is a tit. The problem with ket and coke invading the clubbing scene is that theyre not social drugs and, if anything, make you less friendly than when youre sober. If you want to fall into a k hole at some afterparty later on, then go for it. Just seems a bit pointless turning up at club to disappear into your own head is all.

leftboot 7:22 am, 11-May-2013

I remember when K was something to be feared, they used to cut shit pills with it

LazyD 12:08 pm, 11-May-2013

Think you may have missed the whole thing Tom, happened (as TTT says) 10-15 years ago first across squat parties in London hosted by the likes of underground sound etc. What you may be seeing and describing now are years later rehashes of elements of what were originally squat party culture, nice or grim as they may be depending on your outlook. I know what you're saying though, it had it's mind bending place back then but doesn't seem to really make sense in Clubs and "Raves" today. As the old London squat party scene died much of Ketamine use by the working classes died with it and it has now been picked up by the middle class who may be attempting to experience the old party culture but unfortunately for them that party's over

Shaun 9:11 pm, 11-May-2013

And the so called, Dj's dont give a fuck that people arent dancing to what they are playing these days? Shit, man, why bother? Do as someone else has said and stick to the smaller Parties.

Dr Gonzo 2:05 am, 12-May-2013

It's not the drug, it's the person. Discuss.....

Tom Armstrong 10:29 am, 13-May-2013

LazyD, there may have been a class divide in those days but it didn't seem that way when I wrote the article. It seemed to be the case with people from all backgrounds. Shaun / TTT there are plenty of smaller parties going on with the right people behind them you're right. This is more about the bigger nights for your average club-goer, not your seasoned ITK music head.

Capt Insano 1:27 pm, 27-May-2013

I was quite surprised to hear about Super K in the UK. It is actually quite big (or used to be) in Indias North east. Circa 2000 one of my batchmates in Aurangabad started snorting this shit after being on Spasmo Proxyvons (Lady pain killing drug. Take 4 and your tripping hard) we were primarily pot heads who experimented with acid & E when in Goa. To return to the point, Snortyal as we used to call him got hooked to the shit and would cook up a line to get to work. His room smelt like a checmical factory due to the evaporation of the injection liquid. I tried the shit thrice to see what it is like. First time. Nothing Second. Bad trip Third : Whoohoo! Smoked a j of some nice sonavati (weed from hyderabad, did a line and had Umma Gumma on. That was the last time. Sadly Snortyal od'ed 6 months after graduation. It took a year for this shit to get him and it should be looked down upon with crystal meth, crack & heroin.

bufalo 3:57 pm, 28-May-2013

Bufalos has found the true connection beteewn k and music... bufalo felling

Chaos 6:03 pm, 13-Jun-2013

Self righteous and ignorant beyond belief, the fact that you simply cannot understand K allows you to write this so called piece of journalism? Good on ya son...here's your medal

D4Squared 6:18 pm, 13-Jun-2013

I have never had a worse time than on K in a club. Its not the environment to take it in. Even though personally i was never a big fan of it, im not saying it for that reason. Everyone knows how about how amazing it feels to be bouncing around with the beatiful mandy (in all her glory) and it suits. However as a DJ it will make you play badly and as a clubber will make u co-ordinate badly. STAY AWAY WONKY FUCKERS

Roderick 7:21 pm, 13-Jun-2013

Oh dear.. I think we better fire up the waaaaahhmbulance

Bryan 7:50 pm, 13-Jun-2013

Can't you find anything else to write about other than this old, boring, and tired debate about Ketamin + Clubbing..? Have you tried it? If not, be a real journalist and give it a go. Your rhetoric, and childish 'slating' of people doing what they want (and have the right) to do makes you seem a bit dull. I have enjoyed taking ketamine in many different venues and situations...it's brilliant. I recommend it. The "K-Hole" that you speak of is a place where inexperienced drug users go...just like the horrible gurning of people that triple drop pills or bomb too much MDMA go. If the MDMA that you had taken was any good, you shouldn't be leaving club early because everyone else is ruining your buzz. I'd have a word with your dealer if I were you and discuss maybe getting some higher grade. Or, stop being such a flaccid hater, and write about something interesting that no one else has. Bleh. Rant over.

Jay 7:54 pm, 13-Jun-2013

Agree with everything except very forcefully disagree that K diminishes the enjoyment of the music. I'm super-passionate about music and have taken it many, many a time while out, and it only enhances the music for me. Also, there's being a little affected, and being much more so, and it's very easy to slide from one to the other if you're not careful. I don't do much of it these days, but got very good about not over-doing it. For sure, not being able to dance effectively, carry on a conversation with my mates or a pretty girl is not a good thing!

Cari Golden 8:43 pm, 13-Jun-2013

Spot on article. I became really OVER going out after about two summers of rooftop parties (with those "amazing" deep house producers your speaking of who can't formulate a sentence from beginning to end and often pass out on the decks- classy) where everyone was slack jawed, glassy eyed and incoherent. Thank goodness at least on this end of the world it's starting to come back around a bit. Thanks for the article!

edward 9:02 pm, 13-Jun-2013

deep house and tech house have nothing to do with ketamine, i listened to both music last 15 years and heard ZERO references to these drugs and I have NEVER used them. The Author of this article is associating all the druggie ravers who mostly listen to ELECTRO HOUSE BROSTEP AND TRAP MUSIC ---- this was a extremely insulting and unrealistic comparison. This AUTHOR IS A TROLL!!!

Gray 10:26 pm, 13-Jun-2013

This article makes a lot of wild assumptions and accusations, and from my perspective, it sounds like the author hasn't done his research of what ketamine is exactly, or how it plays into music and art. Drugs are about experimentation right? As is music? To say they have nothing in common is incredibly short-sighted. To say they are linked is also a stretch. There will always be people doing what they want to do in a club. I've never witnessed a zombie floor, nor would I want to, but then again I don't frequent clubs of that nature too often. I enjoy K recreationally from time to time, it's mind expanding, hallucinogenic, and in a way, calming.

Nathan 10:35 pm, 13-Jun-2013

No the author is not a troll - in fact in NYC it's 100% accurate. In the last two years the "deep" and "tech" house scene has dissolved into K-fueled danceless parties. Everyone staring thru sunglasses and doing the "K-Step" on the dancefloor. Thank God for Techno.

Ryan 6:26 am, 14-Jun-2013

The main reason is because everyone is doing fake drugs!! There's no such thing as MDMA or Ketamine anymore!!! We all know the party is only a good as the drugs!! Lets cut the BS your not there for the music!! your there to party and pick up girls!!!!!

Johny 8:58 am, 14-Jun-2013

That's why you can not go to the deephouse scene any more tech house is ok but this depends on whos playing. If you go to a pumping techno and tech house night a lot less people will take ketamine because they don't like pumping music on it they like this slow boring shit! The best attitude and ravers are at the techno events. Shufflers and Ket heads can go and stick to there deep house

amy 9:28 am, 14-Jun-2013

Drug of choice at a club.. Don't take too much though or it's K hole time of course!! I prefer the k zone.. It makes the dancing and the music come alive!

silver fox 12:05 pm, 14-Jun-2013

Many people , go on about how there is no quality mdma, but few realise that the only quality mdma was the first you ever took, do some research on mdma and how its works. and to those who go out and take drugs and hehe listen to music, well if you need to take drugs to enjoy the music then the music you were listening to must be shit to start with, iv been out many nights to see bands, minus drugs and had a great time, and the few occasions i had gone to see certain acts or bands that i genuinely really liked and was hehe off my face, have been life changing and thought provoking, clubbing imo is just being on the commercial tred mill, and not about music, its about subduing your crowd with drugs so you can play them banal boring rubbish, get real and get a life u fucking zombie's

GD 3:43 pm, 14-Jun-2013

I'm sorry but this article reads a little like a jaded clubber who can't accept the fact that this particular part of the scene is no longer as underground, and therefor no longer as cool. Sounds to me like the event in question is an event full of kids who following what Mixmag has pronounced to be cool for the last couple of years (I refer with that point mainly to the observation of sunglasses in a club). Time changes, what really is cutting edge becomes main stream, which is exactly what is happening now with parts of the house/techno scene. Hackney is going through the same motions that Camden and Brixton have previously been through in the past, and it's vibe has been reaching out to more trend followers than trend setters. To write an article blaming ketamine for a scene suddenly changing after the number of years the drug has been popular in clubs (at least 10 by my counting) seems a little scare mongering to me. It's been part of club culture or a long time now (and I'm no fan of it on the dancefloor) and I've been to many house and techno nights in the last couple of years that have had amazing atmospheres rivalling the those of the trance and hard house nights I cut my teeth on 13-14 years ago.

Yianni 4:18 pm, 14-Jun-2013

I completely agree that k shouldnt be a drug used on the dancefloor, but this has been going on since at least 2005 when minimal surfaced. I remember having the exact same feelings as you about what was happening back then. i think the problem has more to do with the scene in London and the tendency of London clubbers to want to get so mashed. Its ugly and something needs to be done, but I stop short in blaming the deep dech scene.

CHRISTEN 4:59 pm, 14-Jun-2013

It seems a bit late to comment on K culture, about 5 years after it took ahold of clubland.

Aimée 5:29 pm, 14-Jun-2013

and this is why the psytrance scene will always be my favourite :)

Mergen 10:11 pm, 14-Jun-2013

LET'S GET KETTED LABIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA MCCABE!!!! THE GAY HITLERS ETC

HouseDiva 2:45 am, 15-Jun-2013

It's the same exact scene in NYC!!! I am a dancer and find these people annoying wasters of dancing space! If you need to get so messed up to enjoy the music then maybe this isn't your scene. I will continue to say that until I am blue in the face. I can dance for 24 hours on nothing but pot and alcohol, the music is what keeps me going all night...

This 9:28 am, 15-Jun-2013

Coming from another country to the UK dance scene have to agree with this article. I don't understand how K became something you took out at a dance party. I've carried off a lot of mates from the dance floor who simply can't function any more. I get K at the end of a night at the after party but that is it.

Ro 3:38 am, 16-Jun-2013

1) Ketamine use is prevalent across the entire club scene. As is cocaine, mdma, acid, and various other drugs. Your genre-specific tagging is totally unsubstantiated. 2) Try removing alcohol from the occasion. I've had wonderful experiences on ketamine in clubs, where the music was central. But I've seen many drink too much on k and have a bad time. That's just inexperienced partiers. 3) You give the awful impression that you're writing about something you haven't experienced. That's the worst thing a journalist can do.

Derek 3:21 pm, 17-Jun-2013

Yeah, "mad cow powder" was big on the london squat scene late 90's / early 2000s, it's not new. You're right in that it destroys music though and it just isn't a party drug. But then it was invented by the US military for use in the Vietnam war and you can't get a worse pedigree than that. Squatter mates used to call it "crack acid", something best left to the horses.

jimmy 12:34 pm, 18-Jun-2013

you lot are as bad as the government let people do there thing you dont like it dont do it ketamine is very safe drug rele and truly fuck all to do with an youe else if man wants to veg out you got too uch time on your hands cheers.

george 8:00 am, 19-Jun-2013

they killed hippie culture with heroin, they did the same with rave and ketamine. the days of innocence are gone, and from the looks of it we lost, again.

Adz 9:34 am, 19-Jun-2013

[ ] quality article

Ben 12:58 pm, 19-Jun-2013

As a lover of all musical styles, I find it hard to relate to the subtext that K is the drug of choice for the Deep Tech-house fan? I may be alone in this, but i LOVE this style of music and have done in it's many guises, for over 20 years..I have a love of deep music of any genre. and at no point have i used K...especially to enjoy the music. Surely that is like Sunbathing whilst stabbing yourself with a fork! It's just not conducive to a good experience! Maybe i'm wrong?

Morton 6:08 pm, 19-Jun-2013

K killed the Squat Party Scene in late 90's London from the inside out . Rotted it . I totally agree with some of the posts that point out that bad drugs are used to destroy counter culture .

Pez 6:36 pm, 19-Jun-2013

What was bright, energetic and amazing just turned in to dull, lifeless on the dance floor. People tripping over one another, falling in to each other and on top of other people. I remember some of the most amazing nights with everyone off there heads on "E" & L.S.D. party's like Shtonka, Pendragon & Trance Central @ Tyssen St Studio and the 4 Aces, club Alien at the Rocket. Great scene, great vibe, people dancing like there was no tomorrow sweating and going mental. All the above Ketamine didnt do any of that.

Padder 1:08 pm, 27-Aug-2013

STOP CALLING IT DEEP HOUSE!!!

db 1:41 pm, 27-Aug-2013

You don't know what you're talking about.

kkkkkk 8:15 pm, 27-Aug-2013

Gotta love special K!!!!! its designed in the US as an anti-depressiva (taken of the market because of side muscle related effects after long use) Can't handle it, don't do it....

Gene 10:00 pm, 27-Aug-2013

"ketamine divides it up again into a collection of individual non-responsive egos" Wrong. I think your experiences with K are pretty limited. It can be a great bonding experience. K destroys the ego. And to share the substance with friends who are also losing their basic constructs is a very fun, communal activity. Maybe you haven't had the pleasure this, but that's your loss, not ours.

Name 5:08 am, 28-Aug-2013

Kids on ket monging out and not dancing. but also "shufflers" who are dancing and really going 4 it also ruining the "scene" waaa :( dance floors always full off suspect ravers. I'm always on the look out for the pocket of the dance floor where people are up 4 having a good time rather than taking up space. I hav taken ket in a rave but will still b able to hear a bum mix or tell u wat I thought of selections. And I'm going 4 it. Duno if my moves are any good but that's the point of dance music. We all get to enjoy a dance without choreographed skills. Watevs x

Name 5:13 am, 28-Aug-2013

Jimmy few comments ago ket is far from a safe drug probs 1 of the worst "acceptable" drugs around. I've dun but wudnt recommend at a rave. MDMA all day!

Park 2:52 pm, 28-Aug-2013

False.

toto 10:23 am, 29-Aug-2013

same with Panorama Bar these days, at least before sunday noon. People have no clue who is playing, they dont dance and they dont care. Useless party, thats why I only start attending PBar after Berghain has closed, because then the Berghain people go upstairs and create a lively atmosphere. Partying with people who are on K sucks big time, K essentially destroys a party for those who dont take it, I hope it vanishes from the scene soon.

Gail Andrews 10:44 pm, 29-Aug-2013

I'm an OLD SKOOL Raver.. Back in 89.. I still go the parties, raves, clubs.... Only where there is OLD SKOOL Music & DJ's playing... However the state of play on the dance floors these days are actually very wierd from what I can see.. I don't really know as to why people who choose to use K & go to raves etc:- they just don't go together ( or is it just me showing my age ) these people if u can call them that I choose to call them Zombies... They don't want to interact, they isolate themselves, & behave almost like I said Zombies...Thats not what I call Fun... Worse still is when someone approaches you when they have taken K, is that you dont understand what there talking about.. & as for the dancing... Forget it... On a positive note.. Well @ least there having fun eh...

Greg 12:50 pm, 16-Sep-2013

You go to a house night to hear some music being played in the company of friends. So why take something that makes you completely oblivious to what is going on?

chris 8:59 am, 5-Oct-2013

ketamine has been killing dancefloors for years, london is just getting dreg ends of it now with the invasion of the most meek, watered down subculture to date - the hipster. It suits them to the ground - the grey listless, androgynous, floppy knitwear clad bag of bones just there to be seen ,in this sanitised version of a scene long gone, that's now just some sort of laborious rite of passage for the privileged migrants from the home counties. these warehouse parties are just club nights anyway, what sort of warehouse party charges £20 a ticket, has drug searches and makes you smoke outside?! it's just one big sad joke...

Skyhun Tartan 11:31 pm, 8-Oct-2013

O.K. ask around

ugg 6:33 pm, 29-Oct-2013

de reprendre un téléchargement interrompu ou de le programmer. Les deux groupes partenaires mettent notamment laccent sur leur p? Au cours de la phase de transition qui devrait durer six à douze mois,fr a d? films fran?Mais il aurait des implications au-delà des frontières jugées néfastes de lautre c? Conformément aux (offres légales de contenus numériques) pour ce segment de marché,Alors que les entreprises concentrent leurs efforts sur la croissance et l'innovation et à la difficulté de respecter les accords de niveau de service. et en particulier avec SAP.Complet et simple dutilisation, une entrée ligne,Une jolie somme pour un service en ligne lancé il y a deux ans. Véronique Di Benedetto (DG du groupe Econocom) et Vincent Gentil (DG de la filiale Leroy Merlin en Russie et père de Romain Gentil, lhistorique de recherche et toutes autres traces que lutilisateur laisse après avoir utilisé son PC.

pistolpete 12:10 am, 18-Nov-2013

K has been around in the clubs easily since the late 90s. I think I have to ask: what kinda clubs are you going to exactly? "Big billed" club nights just tend to be filled with losers and plastic clubbers. Who don;t you go and look for proper real parties, because everyone seems to be having fun there in London right now. Lazy article.

Tom Armstrong 11:37 am, 18-Nov-2013

Pete, you're right, think it was even earlier than that, early 90s New York. To give a bit of context to this piece, it was written around 3 and a half years ago, and when I talked about 'big billed club nights' I wasn't talking about Pacha, Ministry etc, it's all relative. The landscape of London clubbing has indeed changed noticeably since then. It's great. Looking back, I'd say this piece was written at a turning point. If it was written today it'd be altogether different.

Lorna 12:44 pm, 26-Nov-2013

Fantastic piece, I could not agree more.

craig 12:47 pm, 4-Dec-2013

Mid nineties Dorset coast free parties were full of this stuff, clubs have been late in to this and it has been rife in Japan and India(they say the best comes from there)for along time In fact I think India was the place where hippies started taking it in the 60's. 'Elephant tranquilizer' Bladder infection, colostomy bags and part stomach removal is where it ends up, it is vicious on the body and addictive as hell. welcome to the new age heroin everyone !!!

Roger The Dodger 4:48 pm, 4-Dec-2013

Zzzzz. Hasn't this worn out opinion been ping ponging round club land and the associated forums since like forever? I'm bored now. Who cares?

NoDisco 12:38 pm, 5-Dec-2013

Unfortunately, club scene (referring to your precious tech-house music) destroyed everything, every instance of good taste for music, everything… till today i can't understand how all of you can enjoy 10 and more hours of the same, repetitive drum loops, same rhythm, over and over without your brains bursting out, you all must be aliens or something.

Ketamine-Kid 5:28 am, 4-Jan-2014

Referring to what you said to pistolpete how would the article be different? Have you become a k head now? It was clear at the time of writing this article you hadn't a clue of the feeling and effects of k which means really you should never of wrote this article

chunkjones 8:31 pm, 10-Apr-2014

As much as there is good house/techno music around at the moment, the scene is lame. I found it boring and the clubbing experience largely un-inspiring apart from a few good small parties.

g 4:26 pm, 11-Apr-2014

we're dealing with the same zombies here in nyc. save it for the after after party, you fools

SG TARTAN 8:52 pm, 7-May-2014

KETAMINE INDUCE HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN HSP72 MAINLY IN LAYER 3 NEURONS OF THE POSTERIOR CINGULATE AND RETROSPLENIAL CORTEX CAUSING DAMAGE The retrosplenial cortex has dense reciprocal projections with both the anterior thalamic nuclei and the HIPPOCAMPUS. In humans, MRI studies implicate the posterior cingulate region in the recall of episodic information. The retrosplenial cortex is one of several brain areas that produce ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA when damaged. Ketemine: is hydrochloride salt C13H16ClNO ClNO : Nitrosyl chloride is the chemical compound NOCl. It is a yellow gas that is most commonly encountered as a decomposition product of aqua regia, a mixture of HYDROCHLORIC ACID and NITRIC ACID. The effects of the temperature and duration of HYPERTHERMIA is seen on HSP72 induction in tissues of rats. The characterization of spinal HSP72 induction and the development of the ischemic tolerance have been viewed after the spinal ischemia in rats. Heat shock protein - HSP; refers to families of heat shock proteins on the order of 60, 70, and 80 Kilo Daltons [The unified atomic mass unit] in size, respectively.

kieran alexis 7:46 am, 29-Jun-2014

sad how many self-absorbed K addicts there are on this board trying to justify their tragic behaviour. k will kill you eventually, but only after making a total fool out of you. music is music. dislocants are dislocants. so many people are physically and mentally damaged forever by this soul-stealing techno-smack. ketamine will fuck a scene up for good. and we have all known k addicts who just can't stop, despite their embarassing and irritating behaviour. kidney stones, brain lesions, organ failure, car crashes, drowning, cutting off own arm to get at the robot parts inside, all have actually happened to people I used to know. shun K, it's for cunts who want out.

sam 3:40 am, 3-Jul-2014

does anyone still go to clubs these days? I do not see much enthusiasm for clubbing at all? I live in manchester and there is plenty happening for free parties or illegal ones but when it comes to clubbing the music is so awful it would be better to take K.

Grimps 6:56 am, 15-Jul-2014

In December In my home town of Grimsby they have started a new club night for over 30s playing only old school house classics. They are now selling out all 1000 tickets in under 2 hours. next up us Todd Terry in a few weeks.All the old school ravers from the past seem to have dusted off their dancing shoes and hit the floor again. They only put the night on every 3 months so it gives everyone enough time to book a sitter ect but it has probably been the closest I've come to how it used to feel for 20 years. Some good pills being available seems to have helped too. Being able to get off your tits with a load of similar aged clubbers without having to worry about ketted up steroid munching divs all with the same hair cut being allowed in has been a massive success

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Music image description SABOTAGE

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