Energy Flash. A Journey through Rave Music and Dance Culture

Simon Reynolds has an almost unique perspective as both a participant in rave culture and as an erudite music critic. In this book, he recounts the history of rave culture and dance music, the bewildering array of sub-genres, and the melting-pot of technology, people, social conditions, politics and drugs that fuelled rave and techno music from the mid-80s through to the noughties.

I picked this book up on a whim, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, not being a devotee of the music. It is a gigantic book though, weighing in at more than 700pp, and I felt my interest flag towards the end. A bit more judicious editing would have improved it.