A new documentary film covering San Francisco’s early 1990s rave scene is coming out next month.
The feature-length film, titled Between The Beats, explores the DIY ethos and psychedelic spirit that underpinned the Bay Area rave scene at the time, wherein marathon parties united diverse crowds and became creative catalysts for future power players in Silicon Valley, global dance music and activism, Variety reports.
Directed by Martin O’Brien and co-produced by O’Brien and Mike Koeppel, the film also features interviews with several seminal underground figures, including disco and UK Garage selector DJ Harvey, Pacific Northwest-hailing underground veteran DJ Dan, San Francisco-born DJ Doc Martin, and raver-turned-tech-mogul Brian Behlendorf, who helped put the Bay Area scene on the map in the 1990s by establishing online news boards dedicated to it.
“The film was made to take viewers on a journey back to an early ‘90s music scene that has since grown into the hugely popular EDM/electronica phenomenon across the globe,” O’Brien, who also played a role in its growth, told Variety. “I wanted to capture the magic of those early years and celebrate transformational music and the powerfully positive energy among its participants.”
O’Brien announced the completion of the Kickstarter-funded film, for which production costs totaled over $420,000, in 2022, following delays due to difficulties obtaining proper music licenses and tracking down key players from a music movement nearly 30 years old.
Indie film distributor Gravitas Ventures will release Between The Beats on digital platforms such as Apple TV, Google Play, and Amazon Prime on October 15, Variety reports.
Watch a trailer for the film here via Apple TV.
Last weekend, San Francisco’s Portola Music Festival championed the Bay Area’s dance music history with performances from RÜFÜS DU SOL, Justice, Gesaffelstein, Jamie xx, Four Tet, Peggy Gou, Soulwax, and more.
Featured image from Unsplash.com.
