Jan

“Techno for me is all about the compelling bass and rhythm. I truly love to dance on techno, even with a limited option of moves. Techno sweeps you away, takes you on a journey, together with everyone around you. The whole crowd becomes one entity with multiple limbs, moving to the same rhythm.

It is a release for me, it allows me to let go of any stress. I see myself mostly reflected in the community and the queer techno scene. It’s about surrounding yourself with people with the same struggles, norms, and values. The social aspect of the community is what drives me, letting go together. I feel extremely free to be me and dress however I feel like. They even encourage you to go beyond your own boundaries and explore your identity.

It also has given me a sense of belonging, a community, first and foremost. Over the last years I have come to create my own chosen family in Amsterdam, next to my actual family. All my friends I met through partying, my boyfriend and part of my professional network. I currently also work for RADION (a club in Amsterdam) where I get to make a difference for my community from behind the scenes.

It’s difficult to name the most wonderful memory. I have a feeling that all these memories become one. My most recent memory was our summer reopening at RADION, called REVIVE. The clubs were closed at that point for 1.5 years, so it was an emotionally charged day. It was also the first opening for my colleague Isabelle Ho Kang You and I since we started working at RADION. We were super nervous before opening. And normally I cannot stand all the cheering and applauding throughout the night, while I just want to dance and enjoy the music. But this night, all the cheering really hit home, and I almost started crying. You could feel the crowd was genuinely ecstatic and emotional, after all this time.

Hedonism is not just about ‘fun’ but a sense of relief and release of pain. Pain caused in the past or something you’re going through in the present. And recharging yourself emotionally for the future.

This pandemic has been a really challenging time for our community, for our mental health and social connections. What I do love to see since the (multiple) reopening is that we are finding each other again. And a whole new generation has formed during this pandemic. Normally the ‘new generation’ fuses with the current one, but now they were able to create their own community with their own rules and norms. Something that has been beneficial, since I feel they have been able to be more open and more ground-breaking than before. Be it about gender, expression or supporting each other.

Education plays a big role in a safer and better nightlife. This doesn’t just mean general education, but also educating each other on gender, racism, and any other form of discrimination. Everyone on these dance floors needs to understand: “Everyone is welcome, as long as you respect that everyone is welcome!”

🗣 @janjanssenswillen
📸 @hedonsonance / Annelies Kietselaer