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Los Angeles, CA – At the forefront of the
growing movement against the prosecution of the electronic
dance music industry and its community including promoters,
venue owners, clubbers and ravers, L.A. based non-profit
organization EnvisionPLUR is organizing “WE THE
PEOPLE: Freedom Festival – a united expression of electronic
music, art & culture.” on October 20, 2001. This
event has a 100% no tolerance drug policy and is located at a
completely permitted and secured location within two hours of
Los Angeles. Profits from this event will go directly into
the Electronic Music Defense & Education Fund (EM:DEF),
making “WE THE PEOPLE” a non-profit massive; something
which is truly unique.
The high profile federal prosecution of
Freebase Society promoter James “Disco Donnie” Estopinal in
New Orleans over the past year has served as a warning sign to
everyone who is involved with electronic dance music all
across the country. In response to the DEA’s War on Club
Drugs campaign and the application of the Crackhouse Law in
Federal Court, EM:DEF was formed to provide funds for
legal assistance to innocent professionals in the electronic
dance music business and to serve as a spokes-agency for the
industry.
“WE THE PEOPLE” will feature stages
hosted by some of the biggest names in the industry, and over
60 world class artists will encompass the diversity and wide
array of genres that is electronic music. Artists include
Christopher Lawrence, Scott Henry, Deepsky, Charles Feelgood,
Qburns Abstract Message, DB, Dara, The Usual Suspects, Stakka
& Skynet, Simply Jeff, Wish FM, Jason Blakemore, Wally
Callerio, Dyloot, Tom Slik, Electric Skychurch and
Moontribe’s Treavor, Brad &
Brian.
Performance artisans Dream Theater,
Bantu Mysic Family Circus, Psycho Dance Sho,
Orbital Bliss & Got Fire! are part of an effort to
highlight positive, diverse artistic and cultural aspects of
the electronic music community. In addition, Remix
Magazine will host an Interactive Electronic Music
Technology tent and yet another tent will house an
Electronic Music Film Festival with films shown throughout
the festival including the New Orleans Rave-scene documentary
“Rise!,” Kenji Wiliams’ ”Moment Utopia”, the
Drum and Bass documentary “Betwixt and Between” and the
well-known “Better Living Through Circuitry”.
Event organizers have also put out a call for
attendees to create and submit their own artwork in any medium
that expresses their interpretation on themes of Freedom,
Oppression, Civil Rights, Protest, Liberty, Justice,
Injustice, Revolution, Unity, Self-Expression, Music, Dancing,
Rave/Club Culture or the War on Drugs. Selected works will be
displayed in multimedia art exhibits throughout the festival.
(Artists are being asked to contact
art@wtp2001.com or (818)
789-2644 for submission information.)
Turnout is expected to be high, due largely in
part to the highly effective and inspiring “THE MUSIC NEEDS
YOU” propaganda marketing campaign. “The campaign was
designed to inspire the electronic music community to speak
out responsibly and respectfully and to stand up for their
rights and personal freedoms long before they got behind a
line-up or were even aware there of an event” says
EnvisionPLUR’s Creative Director and Talent Coordinator
Ehron Asher.
“The Electronic Music community often comes
together at massive events. By presenting “WE THE PEOPLE”,
EnvisionPLUR will show the unity, strength and value of
the scene, raise greater awareness of the state of emergency
present in the electronic music industry and it’s community as
well as raise funds to protect it.” says EM:DEF founder Will
Patterson. He continues, “I am heartened by the amazing
artists who have donated their time and talent to this event.
What a lineup!”
EnvisionPLUR’s
co-founders, Ehron, Adam Rosen and DJ Mike Wonder agree that
“WE THE PEOPLE: Freedom Festival will provide an
international podium for the voice of the people in our
community to be heard.”
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For more
information contact Susan Mainzer at Green Galactic/EM:DEF at
(323) 466-5141 or
susan@greengalactic.com. |
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