Tales From the Dancefloor

By: Mick Jacobs

Music makes us impulsive.  It makes you want to dance, to sing, to cry, to speak out; ultimately, music wants you to be part of the experience. 

Music, specifically house music, is what spoke so strongly to Ben Annand, LA-based DJ and self-described “mover and shaker.”  Annand never planned on being a part of the DJ scene, rather, it welcomed him with open arms.

     

“When I really discovered raves in 1995 it was an inspiring experience for me to see people so openly friendly with each other,” says Annand. “It opened my eyes to the possibility that we could treat strangers as our friends.”

            

Camaraderie & openness within the EDM scene struck a chord with Annand, who studied social psychology at Claremont McKenna College.  With that social understanding already in mind, Annand brought that viewpoint into his DJ-ing.  After refining his record collection and learning the basics of spinning, Annand and friends began hosting  dance-events called Planet 9, each with an altruistic purpose.

       

“Planet 9 always benefitted charity in some way,” says Annand.  “Since our parties were often not monetarily successful, we did a lot of canned food drives where we had something to donate at the end regardless of outcome.”

     

From there, Annand developed Tropical, a themed dance party where proceeds went to non-profits including NextAid.  Over next few years, Tropical would host over 40 different events, many occurring overseas in areas such as London.  At each event, Annand stresses that Tropical not be “an obligation,” but rather a celebration.

            

“When people are invested and interested in the event, it helps ticket sales and in turn helps us meet our goal of donating to charity,” says Annand.  “I want people to go because this is an amazing event and because they know their money is going towards a good cause.”

   

The lovely aspect of Tropical for Annand is how it combines philanthropy with the amity & unity of the house music scene.  In his eyes, it’s no wondering why such aspects go hand-in-hand, and allow for everyone to experience the same music in a different way.

“I like that it (house music) is not overpowered by obvious vocals, and that it's more the layers of sound that tell the story, making that story very open to interpretation,” says Annand.

     

These stories are very much important to Annand, so much so that he’s using his Tropical platform in conjunction with Give A Beat highlight the layers of this eclectic community.  With Give A Beat, Annand strives to tell the tales of those who found solace and saving grace in the EDM community.

And we would love to hear yours.  To use Annand’s words, don’t make it feel like an “obligation:” your story stands out distinctly from everybody else’s, because it’s yours.  Take our survey here, and let us know what EDM means to you.