Raving in Asia vs. America

My name is Drew, and I run the travel blog The Hungry Partier. I have been living, traveling and partying nonstop around the world since 2012. During those times, I’ve attended a dozen dance music festivals and raved in over 40 countries.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been into electronic music, but I didn’t become obsessed until I went to my first show, deadmau5, in 2010. Since then, I’ve been hooked.

Growing up in Arizona and attending college in Wisconsin, I’ve attended festivals throughout the US, including EDC Vegas, EDC Chicago, Bonnaroo, Summer Set and Coachella, and partied in Toronto, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Vancouver, New York, Boston, Miami and San Francisco.

Immediately after graduating college, I moved to South Korea to teach English for two years, which provided me with substantial income to travel and party around Asia. I’ve attended Sensation, Ultra Korea and Global Gathering Korea, and I’ve raved in 30 different Asian countries.

Nowadays, I’m traveling and blogging full-time and hitting up as many EDM festivals and events as I can. I just attended Sensation Amsterdam and Tomorrowland last month, and I’m going to Sziget festival in Budapest next week. If you want to see what all of these events are like, then join me on Snapchat @drewbinsky.

As you might imagine, the rave scenes in America and Asia are very different and quickly evolving. Here’s what I’ve noticed:

Rave Etiquette

Asia: Asian people are much more respectful when it comes to causing harm or being out of control. They are polite and good at maintaining their behavior. It’s less likely for Asians to make new friends at raves, because they usually keep within their friend groups.

America: Americans are more likely to go out of their minds at raves and get as fucked up as possible, which has led to many problems, unfortunately. Culturally, Americans are generally more open to making new friends and dancing with random people.

Fashion

Asia: Asians aren’t into dressing themselves in neon-color rave gear. They dress much more conservatively and prefer blending in with the crowd. People seldom wear kandi, except for the ones who have raved internationally.

America: Americans see raves as opportunities to dress crazy and stand out as much as possible. Girls dress in next-to-nothing, guys wear bro tanks, and everyone’s bodies are loaded with kandi and other accessories.

Drug Use

Asia: Drugs are virtually nonexistent here. They are extremely illegal in most Asian nations and thus hard to find. Most Asians stick with drinking alcohol at raves, but don’t underestimate them: They have a high tolerance for boozing. Even so, you’re unlikely to see an Asian person too fucked up at a rave. The only people I’ve seen like this are Americans, Europeans and Australians.

America: Hard drugs can be found at raves, which has led to many issues and unfortunate overdoses. Oftentimes, Americans see raves as a chance to black out and abuse drugs, and I can’t think of a rave in America where someone wasn’t too messed up and needed help.

Music

Asia: The dance music is always a few years behind whatever is mainstream in America. Right now, big room house, dubstep and jumper beats are popular. Songs like TJR’s “Ode to Oi” are staples at Asian nightclubs and music festivals. Also, many Asians have less of a connection with the DJs. How many Asian DJs to you know? That’s why most Asian ravers just go to dance and be happy and have a smaller connection to the music itself.

America: Americans have a stronger connection with the music because they are more closely related to the DJs and can understand songs’ lyrics and messages. The dance music of choice in America is quickly evolving. Avicii and Calvin Harris’ hits are always on the radio, and now we’re hearing deep house as well.

The Future

Generally speaking, I feel like the scene in America has come close to hitting its peak, whereas in Asia, things are just starting to get popular. While the US currently has about 10 times the number of dance music festivals and events of Asia, I predict this number will equal out over the next five years.

New festivals in Asia are popping up left and right—like Ultra Tokyo and Sensation Korea—and there’s speculation about Tomorrowland India. On the other hand, many American festivals are past their prime and will decline.

I’ve also seen a huge influx of big-name DJs playing shows in Asian cities, like Tiësto in Seoul, Zedd in Taipei, Kaskade in Tokyo, and Avicii in Kuala Lumpur. These cities have huge populations and a massive number of nightclubs and concert venues, meaning the party is really just getting started.

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