New Rave
New Rave is an energetic and eclectic genre, characterized by a vibrant fusion of rock, hip-hop, electro, and funk, often featuring driving rhythms and a DIY disco aesthetic. Emerging in the mid-2000s, it served as a flamboyant, homemade disco response to the more sensitive indie rock of the era, drawing influences from classic rave culture and new wave. Key artists embodying the New Rave sound include Klaxons, Hadouken!, and Late of the Pier. The genre, heavily popularized by NME magazine, had a significant cultural impact, bringing a colorful, party-driven sensibility to the indie scene.
More about New Rave
New Rave emerged in the mid-2000s in Britain at the crossroads of post-punk, electronic music, and rave culture. The term was popularised by Klaxons in 2006, who embraced neon aesthetics and a frantic energy inherited from the underground rave scene of the 1990s. This movement grew out of London's clubs before spreading to concert venues, blending electric distortions with synthetic pads in an unapologetically euphoric atmosphere.
Musically, New Rave is defined by energetic guitars, punchy basslines, and omnipresent synthesisers that evoke the highs of the rave floor. Tempos are fast, choruses explosive, and the production freely borrows from dance and house sonics while retaining a raw rock attitude. Fluorescent visuals and colourful stage outfits are central to the genre's identity, turning every gig into a full sensory experience.
Today, New Rave is enjoying a notable revival through artists like FAT DOG, who electrify European stages with unbridled urgency, and SKIP THE USE, mainstays of the French festival circuit. KASABIAN embodies the arena-rock dimension of the genre, while LIME GARDEN and Two Door Cinema Club bring indie-pop freshness. Confidence Man, Soulwax, and Metronomy round out the picture with their sharp sense of electronic groove.
The best New Rave festivals programme this fusion of rock and electronics with conviction. Events such as Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, and Les Eurockéennes regularly host these artists, delivering sets of rare intensity. The genre attracts a cross-generational audience, from nineties nostalgics to younger crowds hungry for music that is both physical and danceable.