Brain Rays' Queer Essentials
Published on 2020-11-16 00:00:00 by Loose Lips
Hello to the Loose Lipped massive! Today we have a tuneblast from Brain Rays, an intriguing Devon-generated gentlemen who just does whatever he wants really; high bpm beaters, scintillating soundtracks (including Rhys Chapman’s debut film Wonderkid), crew found-ings (Wrong Music and Bizarre Rituals) and radio shows (Die Curious on Threads). Packing that into one sentence wasn’t easy, but ye what a guy, and moreover he’s doing something that I love to see in this article; there are many forces at play in the scene which erase the tensions which inspire its , so shout out to Mr Rays for countering this. The tunes are gathered in this Spotify playlist, take it away…
Sadly no part of the world is free from racism, sexism and homophobia. The electronic dance music scene is rooted in the struggles but also the solidarity of the LGBTQ+ community. This is often forgotten about and queer representation in dance music is still depressingly meagre. Here are some of my favourite tracks. They are all by queer artists/producers.Pretty new to this one. Avtomat is part of a queer Polish music scene that are railing against a brutally homophobic government and police force. This amazing voguing track is from Total Solidarity, a charity compilation released with @oramicspl in cooperation with @psychicwarfare and Berlins Uferlos Studios. “Proceeds from the compilation go straight to LGBTQ organisations in smaller Polish cities, where homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are the hardest to endure”.Hyperspeed flows and an acerbic wit that lay waste to your favourite MCs.This one reminds me of Bizarre Rituals crew (oioi!) who I miss very much since we stopped throwing parties. Parish News used to tan this one and it always makes me want to throw down with a big grin on my face.Released in ‘82, and the track often credited as the invention of Hip-Hop. Man Parrish was the first person to use it as a title on a record anyway. A corrupt record label contract and various other struggles with the industry meant he has remained relatively obscure. It’s likely that being a gay, white, middle-class guy from Manhattan meant he was never going to be the poster boy the emerging Hip-Hop scene was after. Always makes me think of Origin Unknown ‘Valley Of The Shadows’ and has a beat that’ll snap your head clean off. From Drew Daniel’s outstanding album ‘Why Do The Heathen Rage’, a subversive queering of that most homophobic of genres, Black Metal (lol).A joyous response to depressing post-Trump America and a celebration of sexual liberation. Also an undeniable jam. Sexually charged heat (NSFW). “Freak pop” purveyor and pansexual powerhouse. From her EP ‘La Vita Nuova’. Tune. Insane heat by Quay Dash with SOPHIE on production. Like many Black trans women, Quay Dash has been regularly subjected to harassment. There is a GoFundMe fundraiser to help re-house her in safer accommodation. Donation link [here](https://gf.me/u/yum77v)…
Written by Loose Lips
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