December 2022

For Club Culture to be predominantly dominated by profit-making, abusive, extrapolative entities, individuals and ideas was clearly illustrated within a series of pieces that we have previously written (read here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here). It goes without saying that when information showing that Dominick Fernow aka Vatican Shadow, Prurient, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement, and his label Hospital Productions is affiliated with white supremacists surfaced, we were not surprised at all.

Neither were we surprised by the fact that publications covering his work over the years or by the agencies and labels that have released his music did not do much about it. This is something that we are unfortunately witnessed numerous times. From attributes paid for the passing of a sexual abuser, to scams made during the pandemic involving wealthy individuals, corporates producing alcoholic drinks, and entertainers, to plague raves and acts, and much more.

This is the current state of Club Culture. One that does not reflect our ethics and values, hence why we moved away from collaborating with specific people and organisations, working on establishing an internationally recognised body (the World Club Culture Organization), based on a series of fundamental pillars that do not involve profit-making, abuse, exploitation, and other despicable factors.

Of course, we won’t be able to change things alone, as this requires a collective effort in which promoters, artists, labels, clubs, radios, digital platforms, music journalists, fans, listeners, and many others join forces. This is one of the reasons why we have signed this letter. Yet, unfortunately, we believe that this won’t be enough, as the issues go way beyond the individuals that are indicated in the message, thus requiring an ever greater effort in underlining issues and addressing them collectively, as one, continuously.

A never-ending critical analysis that dismantles, piece by piece, the pandora glass that has been created in the last 20 years or so.

This is what the World Club Culture Organization seeks to do, and this is what (we believe) is urgently needed!