The Dax J incident shows just how insensitive dance music can be

Dance music having an image problem is nothing new; it’s long been stigmatised for an array of reasons. But for the most part we like to think this is an outsider view from outmoded eyes that are leering in. Figures with conservative attitudes have dismissed the value of the scene because they find the idea of staying out all night dancing distasteful. From their point of view, it’s all illegal raves and police clashes, excessive intoxication and addiction.

Anyone with an appreciation for dance music or a basic knowledge of its history will recognise the cultural importance it carries. From the role of clubs as safe spaces for oppressed minorities and the thematic promotion of unity to the constant innovation pushed by producers, our scene has largely been a force for good and its impact is something to be proud of, regardless of what the fustier corners of society believe.

That said, it’s patently not all been perfect, and this rose-tinted eulogising erases the suffering and mistreatment that has occurred and continues to do so. Perhaps it’s because of the internet, social media and the greater visibility these things lend, but in recent years it seems like the negative aspects of the dance scene have really ramped up, especially in regards to cultural insensitivity, and these instances are being perpetrated by insiders.

There’s now no scope for rallying around with an us-versus-them mentality and pretending that everything’s golden and that any criticism levelled at our community is from out-of-touch governmental officials or police, because looking closer to home we’re seeing examples on a regular basis of ignorant attitudes and problematic behaviour from prominent artists, label bosses, promoters, and so on. It’s not always malicious, and offence is often probably not intended, but that doesn’t negate the fact that insensitive acts are being committed and greater mindfulness is needed to cut this out.

A recent example that’s been widely discussed in the past fortnight is British DJ Dax J playing a track that sampled the Islamic call to prayer at Orbit Festival in majority-Muslim country Tunisia, which caused an outcry that led to him fleeing the country, being sentenced to a year in prison, and officials from the club he played in being arrested with the venue being temporarily shut down.

Much of the talk online about the incident has been deeply sympathetic with Dax J, painting him as a victim and labelling the Tunisian officials' response as an overreaction. But Dax J’s clumsy choice of track and the reaction in the comments section and the timeline is reflective of the cultural insensitivity that exists within dance music. I’m sad to hear he’s been threatened, and I believe he didn’t intend to offend anyone. But I don’t think it’s particularly ambiguous that cutting sacred music into your techno mix at a party is not going to go down well, and at some point actions have to be owned alongside a recognition that mistakes have been made (Dax J has since taken to social media to apologise).

As a person not of Muslim faith I’m not qualified to delve into expressing how this incident should be treated by Tunisian officials. But I do wonder whether the people outraged at the illegality of Dax J “just playing music” would be so forgiving and understanding if a disrespectful offence was committed in their homeland by a foreigner whose own country considered the matter trivial. Calling the sacred Islamic call to prayer “just music” is a fallacy because when cultural meaning is prescribed to something it intrinsically changes it. It’s the same as calling a war memorial statue “just bronze”, or a flag “just fabric”, or a gravestone “just granite”. Once these common materials have been cast as symbols then any act desecrating them is considered scandalous (look at the outcry over Matt LeBlanc performing stunts near the Cenotaph war memorial while filming Top Gear, for instance). The same principle translates into music.

If you enter another country then you are agreeing to abide by its laws and should be respectful of that. There are some occasions where you could excuse this: countries where institutional racial, sexist or homophobic persecution takes place and a person is breaking the law simply by existing, for example. But the Dax J incident was an example of sacrilege that could have been totally avoided if he’d spared a minute to think about the possible consequences. He’s also not the only person affected by his action. The arrested officials and temporary closure of the El Guitone club means there’s been direct personal consequences for multiple other people and for the reputation of a business, so painting Dax J as the victim doesn’t really hold true. Regardless of conflicting personal feelings, something to take away from this controversy that everyone should agree on is that it would have been best if it had never happened. A greater level of consciousness around sensitive issues is all that’s needed to prevent such situations.

Further examples of cultural insensitivity are rife among the dance music community. There’s been labels using dangerous fascist imagery as an aesthetic choice, a DJ telling immigrant service workers to "fuck off" because their English language skills were lacking, a website publishing racist comments made by an artist as part of a festival review, clubs accused of racist door policies, fans referring to any music that strays from conventional Western arrangements with othering terms such as “tribal” or “world music”. The list goes on.

This kind of conduct is causing rifts in the scene beyond, and having upsetting repercussions for the people and groups it wrongs, and it needs to be extinguished. Everyone taking a little more care is not much to ask, especially with the overall benefit it will bring. And if a controversial incident occurs, think carefully before rising to defend it just because you don’t personally find it offensive. There’s a bigger picture to consider and a greater degree of empathy needed so we can all get along in unity. And that’s what dance music is all about, right?

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter

Patch Keyes is a freelance illustrator and regular contributor to Mixmag. Check his portfolio here