EU referendum: can't do without you?

On June 23 the UK votes on whether it should stay in the EU or not. Mixmag is here to tell you what leaving might mean for UK ravers.

1. Vinyl might cost more

You may not realise it, but most labels in the UK get their records pressed in Europe. There are a handful of small pressing plants in Britain, but nothing to compare to something like MPO in France, an industrial-scale vinyl factory that processes a huge amount of underground dance 12”s. International courier ParcelHero have estimated there will be an extra 30 per cent added on to any EU import in duty taxes and additional transportation costs. By their reckoning, a purchase of £1,000 – roughly the cost of running off 500 12”s – will come in at around £1,300 – an increase that may be reflected in the cost in the shops. With nowhere near enough capability in the UK to handle demand, it’s possible the upshot will be a hike in record prices.

2. On the flip side, US imports may be cheaper

Theoretically, leaving the EU will allow the UK to negotiate different trade deals with other countries. This means the cost of importing 12” bangers from Chicago, Detroit, New York or Shanghai (it could happen) may change as duty taxes are renegotiated. This won’t be much good for labels pressing records; the cost of shipping in hundreds of slabs of vinyl will almost certainly negate any saving on tax, but fans buying a 12” from a non-EU country may get a saving.

3. Travel to the EU could become more of a hassle

While some in the UK may still be content with a wet weekend in Whitby, a whole generation of ravers have got used to jetting off to European festivals at the drop of a hat. Brexit could mean that Visas (or some other kind of document) are required to travel to European countries. To be honest, that may not prove too much of a problem, as most would be fairly easy to apply for – though it might add a few quid to the cost of your trip. Less appealing is the fact that British tourists would no longer be covered by EU air travel regulations. These guarantee you compensation if your plane is excessively delayed, and have saved many a festivalgoer (including this writer!) from being screwed by budget airlines with shoddy timekeeping.

4. Booking European DJs to play in the UK could get trickier

At the moment freedom of movement means there’s relatively little red tape to get through if you want to, say, book Sven Väth, but post Brexit, no-one is exactly sure what will be negotiated in terms of outside workers visiting Britain. However, European DJs who want to move here for good – something Prosumer has done recently – could well find things a little harder. According to The Guardian, “Those planning to stay [in Britain] for longer would need to present proof of employment – posing as a major disincentive for those in industries with low job security, such as the arts.”

5. Moving to other European cities is going to be way less attractive

Sometimes it feels like half of the UK has relocated to Berlin, Amsterdam or Lisbon. Cheap rents, cheaper booze, quality clubs and loads of great record shops make the transition particularly appealing to dance fans. Brexit, however, doesn’t look promising for ex-pats. One problem is health-care. At the moment, you can live in (or visit) any EU country and get access to free medical treatment. If Britain leaves it will need to be renegotiated. The Daily Telegraph has predicted “an exodus from the continent if voters opt to leave the bloc.” Of course, on the up-side this means that UK DJs who have been out of the country may come back.

6. New employment laws could affect club staff

Dropping EU directives designed to protect workers has been a main concern of the ‘out’ campaign – they tend to describe EU employment law as ‘red tape’. According to The Independent, EU regulation means “employees have rights to paid holiday and rest periods, as well as the right to be informed and consulted about matters that directly concern them at work.” With the world of dance music revolving around clubs that open long and unsociable hours, the removal of EU regulations – which also stipulate how many hours an employee can be required to work in a week – might well see staff being obliged to work extended shifts with no break. Of course, if you’re a club owner you may find this an appealing way of keeping down overheads; but for knackered staff, and the punters served badly by knackered staff, it seems a little bit less of a winner.

7. Production gear could drop in price

And now the good news! Just as most vinyl is pressed on the continent, most tech hardware is manufactured outside of Europe. Pioneer, Native Instruments and Apple all use factories in India and Asia to put together their products. If there was a change in trading tariffs established between Britain and, say, China, there could be a drop in the price of some of those high-end goods. Potentially, anyone who’s ever lusted after a set of DVJ-1000s (currently over £3k for a pair) could be a little bit closer to realising the dream.

8. No-one has actually got a clue

And here’s the hard truth of the matter: no-one has really got a Scooby Doo what will happen if we vote ‘out’. Having trawled through endless documents, it’s become clear to us that the referendum is largely about two opposing groups trying to convince the other the world will end if they don’t get their way. The ‘in’ camp can at least point to how things are as evidence of how they might stay if we remain inside the EU, while the ‘out’ camp, by the very nature of what they’re trying to achieve, can’t. But for once, what happens next is entirely up to you…!

Registration for voting closes today. Head here to register