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Reclaiming the streets: Yushy's new photobook captures the bittersweet liberty of London's underground raves
Section 63: Underground & Unmasted follows Yushy as he embeds himself within various crews in London
A new photobook from London-based photographer Yushy is exploring the DIY spirit of dance music, found within the UK capital's underground rave scene. Section 63: Underground & Unmasted features images captured by Yushy as he embeds himself with various crews across London who are working to “reclaim” nightlife.
The title refers to a provision in the 1994 Criminal Justice Bill, which gave police powers to put a stop to illegal raves in the UK — Yushy compares the protests and struggle against the bill in the '90s to the fight to maintain dance music spaces in 2025 in the face of widespread club closures.
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“I've been working towards this for years, and to be releasing it at such a pivotal moment in UK dance music culture, when clubs are closing at a record rate, feels especially meaningful,” says Yushy. “The reactions have, in my opinion, been quite surprising, in a really great way.”
“Grassroots movements matter more than ever, and being lucky enough to document these communities during this time has been eye-opening. I've seen grassroots events fight to create safe spaces to rave, while mainstream events increasingly cosplay as underground raves — it's really shaped a more positive narrative around squat raves and the people involved.
"People have been incredibly supportive of the launch. It’s my first published book, and being with Velocity Press makes me feel both grateful and in safe hands, just being alongside photographers like Matt Smith, Jordan's Tough Luck and Georgina Cook is incredibly humbling. Honestly, I’m just excited to see it out in the real world."
Yushy's Section 63: Underground & Unmasted – Documenting Underground London Raves is expected to land in shops on October 3, pre-order copies will be sent out in September . You can order yours via Velocity Press, here.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter.
