Boy Re-meets Rave ft. I Hate Models
How my first work 1-1 became a trip to Knockdown Center
I did something I never would have thought of doing before: I brought a raver out of retirement.
Around a month ago, I decided to shoot my shot (professionally speaking) and reach out to my friendās cousin, who happens to be a fashion designer. After negotiating a spot on his media team, we got to chatting about our creative journeys and stumbled upon the fact that we were both ravers. But there was only one problem: he was āretired.ā Now, if youāre like me, you would immediately give this man the ultimate stare of confusion. How are you āretiredā and under the age of 30?
Born in NYC, fashion designer Kurriizma1 moved down south at a young age, where he discovered his rave family2 at the ripe age of 12 from attending anime conventions mainly in Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. While he joined the scene at an incredibly young age, Kurriizma was essentially born into raving, so to speak: his father was an early raver in the house music scenes of Detroit and NYC. Combined with Kurriizmaās early exposure to DDR3, you have a recipe for a raver in the making. However, raving during his youth felt inexplicably tied to the tradition of attending anime events, and his eventual foray out of this scene later influenced his āretirement.ā
Kurriizma spent some years as a promoter, even going to the first ever Lost Lands4, before deciding to hang up his cape for multiple reasons. One of the foremost was to focus on college and his growing fashion brand, redefining himself outside of this sometimes draining scene. I had not gone to a function since Lost Lands, and as I sat thinking about how long a time that felt for me, I couldnāt imagine how my friend was feeling. Seven years is a whole lifetime to some, myself included.
Winter is a special time in NY, especially for ravers.
Unlike the spontaneous nature of summer shows, the crowds that come to winter sets are intentional. A different kind of energy enters a winter function: with it being so cold, you are not as inclined to go out, yet the rave calls as a perfect opportunity to release pent-up energy. Shows become intimate, not necessarily in size but in the energy from the crowd that attends . This marks what I like to call the techno season. Ravers scurry off to the warehouses like the rave rats we are, searching for energetic beats that keep us oh so warm.
When I saw this show was announced, I knew this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ā I Hate Models was the only artist that could convince Kurriizma to come out of retirement, with his diverse tracklist and fun stage presence. Thankfully, as soon as I texted the tickets to him, it was a quick and easy yes. Throughout the week leading up to the show, Kurriizma and I chatted back and forth, excitedly anticipating the āunleashedā behavior we were about to put forth on the dance floor.
I have talked about Knockdown Center before in my review of Noizu from earlier this year. Through my trials and tribulations with this venue (I still get nervous sometimes getting a drink at the bar, iykyk), I still have to rank it within the top 5 of NYC rave venues. Formerly a glass and door factory, this venue is well spaced out, previously used for assembling lamp bulbs and āknock-downā doors, but now dedicated to dancing and taking a smoke break or two. This particular show was sponsored by RUSH, a techno series exclusively at Knockdown Center, which recently celebrated its 2nd birthday. Over the past 2 years, they have hosted a litany of other major techno acts, including 999999999, Nico Moreno, Ćtta, and many more.
Kurriizma and I entered the venue roughly an hour and a half after the doors opened to see opener Saint Velez for a while. I naturally moved through the crowd, first finding a spot near the platform ledge. Was I tempted to stand on top of it? Absolutelyā¦but in that moment, it was more interesting to observe from the crowd as I saw people start to fill the space behind us.
As the night went on, Kurriizma kept receiving compliments on his dance moves, so much so that he was gifted multiple ātrinkets.ā He recalls when he received a light-up ring as the moment he knew he was back in full force! Velez was delivering some amazing hard beats, which prompted us to think critically. We had to conserve enough energy for the main act.
Hailing from France, the mysterious I Hate Models has been making waves on the techno scene for years. I had the pleasure of seeing him at EDCLV earlier this year, b2b with fellow techno giant Nico Moreno. Needless to say (and I said plenty on my EDC review), it was a magical time.
This show felt no different. As soon as he stepped on stage, the crowd erupted with cheer, ready to have the ultimate post-Thanksgiving workout. As we kicked the energy into high gear, I recall thinking that maybe an hour had passed by until I looked at my phone and realized that only 15 minutes had passed. His transitions felt seamless, making 4 hours feel like 10 in the best way possible. Talk about losing yourself to the music.
The show was high octane: hot, sweaty, emotional, and full of surprises. No stranger to NYC, I Hate Models knew his audience well, playing reggaeton samples and even sampling ASAP Ferg at one point. His energy was nonstop; if he was not mixing, he was most certainly dancing with us, blurring the line between stage and crowd.
Speaking of the crowd, one of the biggest surprises of the night was the fight that Kurriizma and I witnessed during the first hour. In a split second, the crowd parted like the Red Sea as two very large men attempted to tackle one another. What were they fighting about, you may ask? Who knows, honestly, but thankfully they were able to get off the dance floor. Thinking back to the fights I had seen at raves over the years, I wondered: with the rave community being such an open and accepting environment, what is there to fight about exactly, when we could just release that aggression on the dance floor?
Other than that incident, the crowd came CORRECT! Everyone around us was dancing, with my friend especially bringing the energy. Seven years of pent-up energy was unleashed, as Kurriizma and I muzzed erratically to hardcore-inspired beats and headbanged to some badass dubstep samples.
I Hate Models was completely sold out for the two days that he was playing, and armed with that knowledge, I was surprised to see how much room there still was throughout the night. When I hear the words āSold Outā, I typically think of overpacked rooms, with not much room left for actual dancing. Having space is by design, in this case, by the team at RUSH, who more than likely took time to strategize the perfect evening and ideal attendee count for techno fans.
After we left the dance floor, Kurriizma and I knew we had one thing left to do: take fit pics for the gram, of course. As a fashion designer, Kurriizma is the type of raver who custom-makes all of his rave looks. This show was no exception, and to him, this fit was particularly special. November 30th was not only his first outing in seven years, but also the five-year anniversary of his fashion brand Kurriizmatic. His outfit was an ode to his raver upbringing and the shufflers that inspired him: sewing bags layered onto his JNCO-esque jorts, complete with neon-green lining and a black fitted long-sleeve top for peak performance. I was inspired by the intentionality of his garment and am excited to see what other rave fits he has up his sleeve.
Overall, this I Hate Models set stands out to me for a variety of reasons: not only did the crowd bring a great energy, but IHM also undoubtedly supported and enhanced the vibe, projecting a stage presence that motivated us all to keep on dancing, no matter what. But by far my favorite part of this experience was that I was able to introduce an NY native into the NYC scene. Yes, you read that correctly. This was Kurriizmaās first time on the scene in his home city, and I know for him it is one that he will probably never forget. Hell, he is already asking me when the next show is!
Bringing a raver out of retirement was not something that I had on my 2025 bingo card, let alone with my client; but I am incredibly grateful to have been the one to do it. Nothing says professional bonding like going to the rave.
For āelder raversā5 like both Kurriizma and I, it will always be Rave 2 the Grave; it just has to be the right time, right place, no matter how old we get. After all, we did spot a 70-year-old man dancing his heart out on the floor that night. Once a raver, always a raver, am I right?
The Oracleās Final Rating: āāāā
Appendix
Rave Auntie Oracleās PRO-techno tips:
You should always bring sunglasses and earplugs.
Make sure you drink plenty of water before going on to the dance floor.
Black may be the unofficial uniform of techno, but DONāT BE AFRAID to have fun with your fits (Kurriizma being a prime example).
If you like this set, you may also like:
Sara Landry @ Knockdown Center, NYC
This show actually has some lore for me. Read more about it here.
Iām glad Iām not the only one with an alias in these streets.
DDR = Dance Dance Revolution; a popular 2000ās dance arcade game.
Not to be confused with your biological family, rave families are chosen families one has within the rave community.
I say elder loosely here. It is generally understood that 25+ ravers are considered a bit elder, considering that the culture is skewed to younger 20-somethings. For the record: I will always be proud to be an elder. :)
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