Back in the ‘90s, the Phoenix rave scene was thriving. During the zenith of electronic dance music's popularity more than 25 years ago, underground and all-night dance parties were happened on the regular at local warehouses and venues such as The Icehouse, typically attracting hundreds of people eager to get their groove on.
The fashion was colorful, the beats were potent and the vibes were contagious. DJs like Z-Trip, Pete Salaz, Markus Schulz and CL McSpadden were all frequent performers at Phoenix raves during the ‘90s and have since become a legendary part of local EDM scene lore, as have the parties.
On Friday night, old-school Valley ravers and readers of Step Up magazine, a local publication launched in 1996 by “like-minded friends in their early 20's excited about the vibrant underground rave culture in Arizona” will gather at The Dark Side TFM in Tempe for a reunion of sorts. DJs like Emile, Gary B, Morley, SkuTech, Soloman and Jane Vanderbilt will perform.
In honor of the occasion, we’re taking a look back at photos of the Valley rave scene of the ‘90s from the archives of local artist Ramy Hosseinie and the Phoenix New Times.
Note: Phoenix New Times would like to thank Ramy Hosseinie and Matt Dunn for the use of their photos.
A circa-1990s photo of a local female raver from the Phoenix New Times archives.
Phoenix New Times archives
Bunny Eachon, the frontman of electronic music act Rabbit in the Moon, performs at the Discotheque rave at The Icehouse in May 1997.
The scene at the British Tecniques rave up in the Happy Valley area north of Phoenix in October 1997.
Valley residents Katie Pegler (left) and Carminda Loleng (right) dressed up a blue fairies for the Resonance party in October 1999.
Space Girl (a.k.a. “the queen of acid trance") performs during the Kaboom rave at Tucson Warehouse & Transfer Co. in July 1999.
