Joe Alexander: Darth Raver of the Kandi World

His Darth Vader kandi masks have gotten him dubbed Darth Raver, and now, Joe Alexander is on a mission to get his concoctions to as many people as possible. The 35-year-old began raving in 1998, attended the third-ever EDC in 2000, and has been spreading love and positivity ever since. With his ever-growing list of mask orders, Alexander is a bit like the Santa of the kandi world, expecting nothing in return for his gifts. If you’re attending EDC Las Vegas this year, be on the lookout for Alexander and his girlfriend Tanya Canady, who will be passing out select masks with messages inside.

How did you get into raving?
In 1998, I went to my first rave, called Home Base, with my buddy Tommy. It was in Oakland, California, in what was basically a closed Home Depot. We went with a bunch of friends, and I remember instantly falling in love with the event and the music.

“If it takes a couple of hours out of my day to make kandi, of course I’ll do it to make someone happy.”

What prompted you to start making kandi?
Obviously, I saw people with kandi back in the day, but I never really made my own. I started making the masks in 2013 for Beyond Wonderland Bay Area, after my girlfriend gave me the idea. I got a mask at Party City, and she had a whole bunch of beads, so I started piecing them together all over the mask. The response at Beyond Bay was incredible. So many people came up to me, wanting to take pictures and touch the mask. I didn’t have many masks at the time, but I’ve gotten such a huge response since then that I’ve started making a list of names and mask orders. If people don’t have the money to pay for them, I’m also willing to trade PLUR packages or whatever else they’d like to offer.

How long does it take you to make a mask?
The plain, flat ones take about four hours, and the bigger ones—like the Darth Vader and Predator masks—take at least eight. I’ll make the mask in pieces over a couple of days, because sometimes I burn my fingers gluing the beads onto the masks.

What’s your favorite mask you’ve made?
I’d say my Darth Vader mask. I’m really into Star Wars, and people tend to choose that one as their favorite as well.

How did you get into Star Wars?
My dad got me really into it. As a kid, all the special effects in the movies blew my mind. I’ve make a lot of Star Wars kandi, including 15 Star Wars-themed masks with messages inside. My girlfriend and I are going to pass them out at EDC Las Vegas this year so people remember who we are.

How has kandi culture has changed over the years?
Times are always going to change, and I try not to look at it in a negative light, even though a lot of people do. If I see people at an event without kandi, I offer them some. Their first response is usually “I don’t have any,” but that doesn’t matter to me; I just want them to have something to remember the night by and meet people like my girlfriend and me, who want to spread positivity. I love seeing people’s responses, especially when I give them a whole cuff; they’re just blown away. If it takes a couple of hours out of my day to make kandi, of course I’ll do it to make someone happy.

What does rave culture mean to you?
It means a lot, because I’m really family with the people I rave with. I also met my girlfriend through the scene; it was shocking to meet someone that liked raving as much as me. You do run into people who give raving a bad name and stereotype everyone, but as long as I can keep spreading love and positivity, that’s what I’ll keep doing.

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