Foreword from Liezl

This piece is special—not just because it captures the magic of discovering EDM for the first time, but because it also serves as Marissa’s way of introducing herself to Ty, the founder of The Daily Frequency. Consider this her unconventional application to be an intern. No matter the outcome, I wholeheartedly believe her ability to immerse readers in her experiences makes her a natural fit for storytelling.

Marissa has a gift for making new worlds feel familiar, for taking a moment and stretching it into something you can feel. And beyond that, she’s got the kind of curiosity and drive that makes for an incredible journalist—one who’s not afraid to dive headfirst into something new, take notes, and dance her way through it.

If nothing else, let this be a reminder: sometimes the best way to ask for an opportunity is to show why you belong. Marissa? She’s showing up, stepping up, and vibing her way through the door. And honestly, I’m just really proud to witness it.

Zel

Hey readers, it’s Marissa again. If you read my last post, you know that I am on a journey of exploring new interests while discovering myself along the way. Personally, I have this innate fear that I must be an expert on any new interest, even though it is new to me. So if you share that same fear, or have a fear of trying new things in general, I want this reflection to serve as a reminder that it is okay to be anxious about new things. However, overcoming these fears allows us to find a new passion in our lives.

And I think I may have found a new passion in my life.

EDM may not be the interest you want to start learning about, but I hope my facing my fears will help you face yours.

With that being said…

As I jump into a whole new world cue the Aladdin song, I will admit I know almost nothing about EDM. Now you may be thinking, “Then why are you trying to write for The Daily Frequency?” or “What is making you start now?” which, to be fair, are great questions.

(Hi, Ty this is my audition).

Anyway!

My whole life I have been a lover of all types of music, but over the past year I have become hyper-fixated on “club music.” (Before you yell at me through the screen that club music and EDM are different, trust me I know that. Let me finish.). While we all love the early 2000s and 2010s Kesha, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna, it wasn’t just these artists that I began to love again. My inspiration to explore EDM came from a neon green album cover.

While I am sure you have seen it, this is the iconic cover of Charli XCX’s Brat album.

Charli XCX’s Brat and all of the other reiterations of that album made me fall in love with soul-reverberating, body-moving, techno-like music. While Brat is also considered a pop album, it is a smooth introduction to EDM. And for me, I was (and still am) OBSESSED with the album. So when I started talking to Liezl and she described EDM music and its culture, I became fascinated with exploring more of this newfound interest. So one day after a dance class, Liezl asked me, “Do you want to go to an EDM night at a bar with me?” I was thrilled.

Barzarre in Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, is a self-described “Bohemian Art bar” offering patrons an event every night. On Thursday nights, local DJs and EDM artists are given a venue to shine. Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect, but thankfully, I had a mentor who was not letting me go unprepared. The first thing on my to-do list was listening to a full EDM playlist by Liezl.

First thoughts

I even went into the playlist completely blind: I shuffled it.

The first song that came on was “THIRST TRAP” by Ozztin and I was hooked. I keep typing and retyping how the music made me feel, but it might be indescribable. There was something new pulsing in my veins that made me feel alive. I felt like the sounds surrounded me, my thoughts would be pushed out of my head, and I could feel my body moving to the music mindlessly.

As I listened more and more, I began to discern my own taste in EDM music. I liked songs with buildups that layered on top of each other, increasing each time and ending in a beat drop. This is most likely due to my love for Brat, but I also preferred songs with lyrics. Surprisingly, because I get startled by these sounds all the time, there was a quality in a very mechanic, loud, alarm-like sound that I gravitated toward, too.

While I started to find my taste in EDM music, I had much, much, much more to learn. So who better to ask than my mentor, Liezl?

Q&A with an EDM expert

I headed over to Liezl’s apartment around 8 PM Thursday, and while she cooked Filipino food, I picked her brain on her EDM knowledge.

Liezl made us adobo, a traditional Filipino dish. While she cooked, I asked her a few questions about EDM and its culture.

Q: How would you describe EDM?

A: It is well…the literal definition is electronic dance music so anything from a software that is arranged into a specific non-harmonious sound that gets manipulated into something pleasant. That is why people don’t really call it a song, since it is mainly made up of an unorganized sound. I love that in EDM they turn noise into music.

Q: What are some types of EDM genres?

A: House, riddim, deep house, bass, hyper pop, electro tech house, glitch pop, dubstep and all its types, jazz electronic, and so much more

Q: What are some tips for me before going out tonight or to any EDM event?

A: Just don’t think about anything but the music, let your body do what it wants to. That’s what I love about vibing and just going with it. [Unlike] Other places behavior like this isn’t “socially acceptable,” and people know here that anything goes. Especially, with bass music people will make faces like a stank face like something is nasty but in a good way.

Q: What are some other basic tips you have for beginners?

A: It’s a safe space and you’ll see other people treating it as a safe space and sometimes that can be a little intimidating if you aren’t used to being in that sort of setting. It makes you feel safe. There’s this saying or a mantra called PLUR. It stands for peace, love, unity, and respect and it’s really important to follow.

Q: What are resources I can use to learn more about EDM?

A: Besides The Daily Frequency [Heyyyy Tyyyyyy, look at me plugging your website], following people and friends on social media who attend festivals and events. You can’t read or learn about it unless you attend those events. Look at EDMtrain that shows you all of the EDM shows near you and keep going to shows because there are people that travel, like me and my crew.

While we chatted Zel also showed me trinkets that are a part of rave and EDM culture that might appear at Barzarre. First, she showed me her flow toys, which are LED-powered performance objects that people use to reflect their mental state from the music. I also was able to wear one of Zel’s pashminas. So with my questions answered and trinkets in hand, we headed off to Barzarre.

This was my outfit for the night! The long scarf around my neck is the pashmina Zel let me borrow!

Welcome to Barzarre

I will admit, I was very nervous. However, that did not last long at all.

I walk in and am mesmerized by the atmosphere. While I thought it would remind me of some of the clubs in Wilmington, it was nearly the exact opposite. The bar was to my right, the DJ equipment and dance floor to my left, stickers covered the walls, and the lighting was ultraviolet and neon. It’s safe to say it was one of the more eclectic bars I have ever been to, but something about the trippy vibe was less intimidating to the expected dim lighting, sticky floor, and cramped space.

Quickly, a man walks over, it’s too loud to hear his name, but he excitedly welcomes me to the bar. He starts talking to me about the DJ, again I can’t hear a word, but everything about his body language was animated. I didn’t need to hear anything though: his passion was evident.

Admittedly, I was watching everyone else and was astounded by their comfort in the space. Everyone was dancing or vibing differently without fear of judgment. Two girls were tossing a piece of cloth in the air like it was pizza dough, which I now know was a FlowStar. One man was doing tricks with a yoyo. Some people were head-banging, some were doing pretty intense footwork, and some would just sway.

The intro to my favorite set of the night at Barzarre. Even better, I had joked with Zel that if I heard Chappell Roan any that night I would lose my mind. The DJ in this video is NOTH3RE, check him out on Instagram and TikTok

Again, admittedly, I tried to stay on top of my surroundings (you know be a journalist or whatever), but eventually I just let go. I got lost in the music, dancing, and vibing. Honestly, it was freeing and brought back a feeling I hadn’t had in a while: the freedom of movement in its purest form.

My entire life I have been a dancer, specifically a contemporary dancer. A huge part of contemporary is your ability to connect to yourself, your fellow dancers, and your audience. Part of these connections is through energy, and this energy is a product of our emotions. But looking back on my experience listening to EDM before going to Barzarre and while I was there, it is inherent that EDM can make you feel a multitude of emotions all at once even in just one song. This is why earlier in this post, I had such a hard time describing how the music would make me feel. EDM is a completely individual experience that is indescribable because the depth it can make you feel seems so intimate, fragile, and extremely personal. So while everyone listened to the music and expressed themselves in their movement individually based on how they were feeling, we were all still connected by a shared internal experience. I think this connection is part of why I felt so safe and at home at Barzarre: it felt like returning to my passion for contemporary.

I am really sorry if that makes no sense.

So will I continue exploring EDM?

Absolutely yes.

So while this is just a reflection on my first experience, I want to continue learning about EDM. I want to learn the broad history, all the different genres, ideals that are important to the culture, and so much more.

I especially would love the opportunity to continue writing about it, wherever that may be.

(Ty, I hope you liked this)

Sincerely, your local 365 party girl,

Marissa