A Høj Luft party looking beautiful at dusk in Copenhagen.
Electronic music sounds great under the open sky (this is where it really and totally unfolds properly), the blurpy and creaky sounds of psychedelic trance and techno just makes a whole lot more sense when you dance next to trees, and the tribal beats make cosmic sense when you dance barefoot, connecting to earth.
Chriszka enjoys the open air dance floor and feels her soul.
Like Marcus from Son Kite says:
“This ritual is built into our DNA. We are supposed to do it, and we have always done it. Something important happens when we dance to hypnotic drum patterns for several hours. It gives us energy and fuels us with creative ideas. It’s healing, like yoga and meditation. It’s so important that we know this and don’t forget our roots”.
Another absolutely awesome thing about outdoor parties is the fact that they are usually require some effort to get to. You have to find it, if it’s hidden, like the outdoor pirate parties. Or you have to endure the long travels out there (like the Boom festival, situated in the middle of nature, far from everything).
If you can’t make the effort, you won’t make it to the party. This means that everyone attending is super-dedicated to the music and the atmosphere. Result: Perfect.
Spontaneous dance floor at the Boom Festival 2022.My own raver career started very indoors-y (jungle + London) but my preferences changed as my musical horizon expanded and I started listening to psytrance. The origins of techno are indoor urban environments, but the origins of psytrance are the outdoor parties on the Goa beaches. Totally my vibe, man. This is Camp Electric by Stevns Klint 2001, the outdoor (trance) floor, and even though there was an indoor jungle floor, this is where I spent most of my time. Open air wins. Spot yourselves! (I am right next to Svingsen (who is very blond at this point) in the middle of the photo).This is one of the dance floors (the German Floor) at the Somewhere Festival 2016. Beautiful spot, but I must admit I spent quite some time longing for some more psychedelic sounds, considering the surroundings.I love visuals and lasers, but dancing next to natural beauty like this is phenomenal. Somewhere, 2016.All the raver equipment looks great in nature: Flags! Colored lights! The friendly crowd! Secret party in Copenhagen 2022.And then bringing lasers to nature so that we have ALL the good stuff in the same place is obviously the best idea ever. Christiania, 2022.And then there’s the Natural Sky Show to watch. Below the clouds: A warm-up concert at one of the Høj Luft parties, 2022.Always bring your glittery disco balls to nature. Høj Luft, 2022.Place them in interesting spots. Somewhere Festival 2016.Someone brought a super magic disco ball to the hidden forest floor at Fusion. Find the secret light switch (you have to jump to reach it), and the light show is on. ❤ Thank you to Tobias for this magical excursion.Liquid just EATS nature at the Dyssen party after the Hifly Pigfest, 2010.Two friendly mädchens look at a tiny green plant at Fusion 2009.This is what a garden party made by ravers look like. ❤ Løgtenborg Slotskur 2014. Photo by Mathias Vejerslev.Chriszka brought a glittery flower to the Dyssen Party 2010.Martin meets the flower on the dance floor. The Dyssen party 2010.Experienced ravers drink bubbly stuff at an electronic picnic in nature. Copenhagen 2010.Thomas and Jonas love nature at the So Verbot party, 2022.Chriszka and Elisabeth also love nature. This evening turned into one of the Jungle Bells parties later on.Flowers adorn the dj workspace at Elektronisk Picnic, Copenhagen 2010.Ravers hanging out in trees above the dance floor at Bachstelzen, 2019.Chriszka brings a bunch off German ravers out in nature to rave by the ocean. Copenhagen 2021.Mariii brings a lovely piece if nature to Chriszka’s vernissage at H22 in May, 2019.A dj takes a break in nature at Elektronisk Picnic 2010. But still connected to the machinery.Kresten and Chriszka walk through the forest towards the dance floor at Freaky Fields 2010.
If you forgot why it’s so important for ravers (and JUngLEkalenderen) to be out in nature all of a sudden, let me remind you. Let’s jump back to a quote from my Son Kite interview:
““Back in the 90s when the techno revolution started, the whole thing was underground. It wasn’t about styles and genre, but more about a gathering on secret locations that felt new and refreshing and was a really strong experience for everyone. But then the scene evolved and changed and became popular in the mainstream. Parts of it reached the overground and turned into club culture. That was good for a while, but then the money striving and the business models took over and transformed into standard club nights with the typical setup and the typical dj’s and the same thing week in and week out. And those modern industry standards for clubs and techno are not enough for our souls”.
This is what the chill out space next to the dance floor looks like when you rave in nature, far away from standardized club culture. ❤ Somewhere Festival 2016.Early morning ravers on their way out into nature after the Distortion Final Party 2022.Raver arrival by the ocean at the afterparty of Distortion 2022. Very Copenhagen.Ravers slow down and enjoy the dusk and long conversations at a secret party in Copenhagen, 2022. Classic open air setup at Elektronisk Karneval in Copenhagen, 2008.Incredible views (and a weirdly blue drink) on the dancefloor by the ocean at Somewhere 2016.Chriszka, Svingsen and Asger shrunk dramatically (like Alice in Wonderland) and look at plants from a new perspective.Ravers belong outside, but some ravers love the sun in their face more than others. Here are some blondes seeking shade on a hot day at Somewhere festival.Liquid just wears nature at his own birthday party. Copenhagen 2022.Filip has decided to wear nature permanently on his body. Turmbühne 2014.Ravers enjoy the incredible beauty of the natural light show and feel their soul at Somewhere Festival 2016.Yup, obviously there should be more tropical outdoor parties for junglists. Chriszka gets completely lost in nature in her most junglistic moment ever – in a jungle waterfall on Bali.
Read about my choice between outdoor trance and jungle here: The Secret Junglists
Christina Majcher 
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