Nearly 300 electronic musicians and collectives sign Ravers For Palestine open letter

Nearly 300 DJs, producers, collectives and venues connected to London’s underground music scene have signed an open letter calling for the electronic music scene to “urgently speak out against Israel’s brutal and ongoing attack on Gaza”.

The open letter was organised by Ravers for Palestine, a horizontal collective of artists, DJs and individuals engaged in London’s electronic music scene, in order to highlight the solidarity between these individuals in support of Palestinians, as well as demand established music industry institutions take action to oppose the siege of Gaza.

The letter states: “We note that our electronic music community offers critical sites of liberation, resistance and community, particularly for queer and marginalised peoples.

“Yet we are also troubled to see that most of London’s electronic music venues and collectives have been silent in response to Israel’s horrifying and ongoing violence against the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, with the financial and political support of Western states.”

Artists who have signed the open letter includ Ahadadream, Bok Bok, Florentino, Manuka Honey, Objekt, Ross From Friends, Sarra Wild, Tash LC and Yazzus.

On October 9, Israel declared a “complete siege” of Gaza, cutting access to electricity, food and water supplies to the region with a population of 2.3 million while bombing it from land, sea and air. Israel dropped more than 6,000 bombs during the first six days — more than the US-led coalition dropped on ISIS in a month at the height of their bombing campaign in August 2017 — including on schools and hospitals, which has been condemned by the UN.

The Palestininan health ministry has said the death toll is 6,747 people, including 2,913 children, with the UN warning “many more will die”.

The siege follows an attack by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group which governs Gaza, against Israel on October 7, including the attack on the Supernova psytrance festival, with a death toll surpassing 1,400 people, according to the Israel Defence Force, as well nearly 200 people taken hostage.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has indicated his view that all people living in the Gaza Strip are responsibile for Hamas’ attack.

Earlier this week Oxfam accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war against civilians in Gaza.

More than 800 scholars and practitioners of international law, conflict studies and genocide studies signed an open letter on October 15 warning of “the possibility of the crime of genocide being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.

The Ravers for Palestine open letter also says: “We note that the UK government is a critical supporter and funder of Israel’s bombardment and blockade of Gaza and has repeatedly refused to apply pressure on Israel to respect humanitarian law. This public support makes us as British citizens and residents complicit in the horrific suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

“Now is the time for action. We refuse to participate in spaces and collectives that ignore the violence of colonialism while simultaneously profiting from the creativity of musicians and artists from the global South and diaspora communities.

“We urgently call on London’s electronic music parties and spaces, as well as our fellow ravers and artists, to publicly declare their solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of the brutal violence they are currently experiencing in Gaza.”

Last week calls were made for a strike in solidarity with Palestine from within the dance music community, and in 2018 a #DJsforPalestine movement recieved backing from artists such as Four Tet, Caribou, Ben UFO and Laurelo Halo.

The modern day Israel-Palestine conflict dates back decades, with many considering the starting point as the 1947 United Nations’ vote by British mandate to partition the land of Palestine into two states – one Jewish, one Arab – following the violence against Jewish people in Europe during the Second World War and Holocaust. The partition was not accepted by Palestine or neighbouring Arab countries, leading to multiple wars and violence in the region. There has been increasing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory since 1967.

The Ravers for Palestine open letter concludes: “We call on our community to publicly condemn the indiscriminate bombardment and blockade currently being inflicted by Israel on Gaza and to recognise the essential context for this violence—the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes during the Nakba in 1948 and the subsequent 75-year Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands alongside the construction of what Amnesty International calls an “apartheid state” that uses “discriminatory laws to systematically dispossess Palestinians of their land and homes for the benefit of Jewish Israelis”.

“We insist that queer liberation is inextricable from the ongoing global struggle against imperialism and colonialism. If queer music venues in London do not now publicly stand against the attempted erasure and extermination of Palestinians, their advocacy in support of queer causes is hollow and their claims to embody dissidence, liberation and resistance are forever void.”

Read the full open letter here.

Find a list of artists who have signed the letter below.

Signed:

ahadadream
allyXpress
Andrømeda
Angel D’lite
anu
ãssia ghendir
Architect
Bianca Oblivion
Bok Bok
Buggery Grips
Chandé
Chippy nonstop
CITYTRONIX
Cosmic Caz
CRYSTALLMESS
Dalston Superstore
DJ Fingerblast (Planet Fun)
Errol
FEMI
Florentino
George Riley
Giant Swan
HALFQUEEN
Jurango
Klahrk
LYZZA
Machine Girl
Manuka Honey
Metrist
Mia Koden
Mica Coca
Mr Assister
Mun Sing
NARA
Nihal
Objekt
Ross From Friends
Sandra JP
Sarra Wild
Scalymoth
Shannen SP
Silvia Kastel
Slowfoam
Sputnik One
Tash LC
The Three Wheel Drive
Tristan Arp
TSVI
umru
Voicedrone
Wednesday
whiterose
Wordcolour
X3butterfly
Yazzus
Znzl

Further signatories:

+777000
030.radio
1-800 GIRLS
7 PERCENT
Abstract Man
adi
Alexis De La Rosa
AltBlax
Anjali
ARCHANGEL
Areliz Ramos
Ariesfallenangel
Asher Fynn
Assyouti
Astrid Sonne
Atrialia
AVGDJ
Avs
Ayana
baby___asl
Bad Behavior
bby_spinnage
Beatrice M.
Benna
Beno Siraly
Beringei
Boyfriend Dick
Brunnera
Byulah
C. Tivey
Caroline the DJ
Chahine•••
Charles the Princess
CHERI
Ciel
Cold
colecta
Cosmo Sofi
Cottam
Critical Youth Sound System
Curlisu
D'Monk
Dextra Mandrake
Different Shades
DINA
Dj Aaron Lazo
DJ Double Oh!
DJ GUREY
dj osc
DJ Tubeibi
Dobbs
Dotwavnotwave
Doula
Dr Banana
drexthisiscold
Drumz Of The South
Dubrunner
Earful of Wax
Eggpuddle123
El Kid
ELEANOR
Em:lka
eoin dj
etdal
Eva Loveless
excel dj
exella
Ezy
Fazah the mazza
Flamingods
Focused
forma oscura
Franklin
Gabor Matty
Gabs
GGI 끼
Giovanni Coppola
Gisou Golshani
GLITTER55
golcher
Grace | غريس
Gresha
Grinderteeth
Gulliver Whitby
Handsome Tiger
Hang The DJs
Hani
harliiharleyharlee
Herbie Ennor
HVN
Ifeoluwa
Ikävä Pii
Illegal data
instar
Isha
IYESHA
Jake rollinson
James K
Jc villain
jjjacob
Jlte
job type
Joel Deep
Joshua Milú
jpeg.love
juline
Jumping Back Slash
jung latch
Junior XL
kareina
Kasia
Kiik Amor
Kissen
Koodeta Club
KUNTEAA
Lagoon Femshayma
Lazy Rosario
Leala-Rain
Lis Dalton
LITNEY
Lo.Sai
LOUIIS
Love Muscle (Leeds)
Luca manning
Ludwig wandinger
LUMA
luz
LVRA
Main Phase
MaK
Makalea
Malik POLO
Mami Chula
Manuka Honey
Marius Bø
Marwa Belhaj Youssef
Marylou
Maxfield Kirk
MDOT
Mechanical Heaven
Mera Bhai
metal upa
Midnightswami
Milad
Milk Shandy
Minxt
MisterrCha
Mo Probs
Mole
Mosai
Muna
Mvcoko
Nadī
negev
NikNak
Not Mass
Nymph3tamine
Okay Allie
Operation 4.0
ophélie
optionlist
pet
Photographer
Planetmoose
PLANNINGTOROCK
Plantainchipps
plygid
Princess Xixi
Prinx Silver
Psykh
Q-BRA
Rabz
raffika
Rainstick
Rainy Miller
Ramsey
Redd Ophis
Repetitive Strain
Ri Mistry
Rohan Rakhit
Rosa Theodora
Roxanne
S/HE
S4M23
Saint Hypocrisy
Sam PV (Pumping Velvet)
Sam Valiant / MO
Santx Jumana
Sapphyre
Sarahsson
scruz
séverine
SHIR.IN
Short Hair
Shrek666
shrike
Sian Nevenicola
side II side
SIM
Simisea
sinny
Skeptic
Skies Up
Skinny Duchamp
SKORPION KING
Slaystar royco productions
Sleepy Jean
slmvx
Slumberjunkie
Sonny Flexen
Stone
stoneypie
Sweet Basil
SXCL
Sylvia Shale (Obsolete Future)
TAIM8
tape_2046
Temporary Pleasure
TFNE SK - Club Siren
THEMPRESS
Tibor
TMDS
Tony Poland
Tooth Rust
Translucid
Turbo Miffy
TV SHOWW
Underarrest
unperson
ur love affair
Ursula Holliday
VARSHA
Xalimo
Year of the Rat
Yonez
YoungWoman
yourboykiran
Yung Reenie
Zar

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Editor & Digital Director, follow him on Twitter