The Virtual Underground: An Introduction to VRChat's Rave Scene

[@BubblezwithaZ]

Oh my goodness, Shelter trying to get the deaf community in on the rave scene??? This was my only thing against the VRChat music scene....my bf is deaf but enjoys irl raves cause he can feel the music and bass....they just blew that out of the water....this is so amazing 😭

[@rei8313]

Hey bubble, Easy solution: buy him a woojer vest, and he will literally feel the music in his body through vibrations

[@BubblezwithaZ]

@@rei8313 that’s what I was referring to, they’re trying to get the woojer vests to the deaf for free or at a discount….unfortunately I can’t afford the vest at this time :(

[@artofstorytelling9406]

@@rei8313 or even better, but a Subpac. It’s more expensive , but I’m a sound engineer that has tried both for my work and the Subpac let’s you feel the “shape of the sound” while the woojer just creates boominess

[@phxf]

I went to Helping Hands Festival a few months ago, hosted by deaf community, the music was really well visualised and the controllers vibrated with the bass, and there was a big captions screen under the stage with like karaoke lyrics going. It was incredible!

[@LAIDBACKMANNER]

@@artofstorytelling9406 That sounds amazing... Can you possibly describe in words what "Feeling the shape of the sound" feels like when you're using that vest?

[@Rogers1977]

As someone who's been raving for 8 years and has started to become frustrated with the scene, the VR rave scene captures the magic of the scene I started raving with.

[@andrewtaszarek]

What frustrates you about the scene?

[@jw2862]

@@andrewtaszarek I second this

[@steverempel8584]

@@andrewtaszarek Without knowing anything about the rave scene at all, I still feel pretty confided in saying that the problem with the Rave scene is that it has become too corporate and mainstream. Same problem happened with Burning Man, and Covid fixed it. Since Burning man was officially closed for Covid, those that did show up produced a much more low key, personal, and independent event. As a rule of thumb, as soon as corporate logos and sponsors make it into the promotion of the event or venue, its ruined. Those that prefer huge spectacles at all costs may be disappointed by these changes though, and not care about, or even prefer corporatization, its all about who you are.

[@CJBuzzy]

@@steverempel8584 It really depends on the event though. Some events are trying to be over the top and spectacular but don't have the budget to achieve that. Corporate sponsors give them the financial boost to reach their vision. Others however are better as smaller, low key events for a select few that are there and lend themselves fully to the experience. Corporate meddling often pulls out the very soul of these events and replaces it with a easily marketable product.

[@noiremusic7985]

I was here. Thank you so much for interviewing me. Here's to the VRChat Scene.

[@goglz8868]

AYE NOIR ❤️ 💪 I miss you bro I need to hop on more

[@bwawawa]

I smell a hardcore buddy owo

[@blueshiftmusic]

NOIRE!

[@lukesquire263]

I desperately want to jump in, but I don't know where to start. Any advice? I've been to a lot of irl raves

[@brvhtxxbxk]

@@lukesquire263 same😫

[@ArtoriasSamus]

Found this on a random Subreddit, was expecting this to have like millions of views. Super well put-together video with superb storytelling and a focus on an educational introduction to this world I didn't know existed, 10/10

[@gedasmazeika9677]

Same

[@louleopardi7170]

As someone who watched the actual IRL rave scene grow over the last, idk like ~8 years... I really feel this is EXACTLY the kind of breath of fresh air, new life, the rave scene needed. I was SO tired of all the major shuffling meetups with people I started with, just become essentially competitions, that I left the IRL scene because the reasons I got so into it in the first place, just the communal love of music and dancing, was just gone. REALLY glad to see that vibe is still alive and well in VRC.

[@frostdracohardstyle]

Shuffle scene died like 10 years ago. The people still making meets are people trying to show off online it seems. The rave scene that existed before 2014 was a different beast.

[@coscorrodrift]

28:57 LMAO saying "it feels real" while there's 2 BEPIS vending machines moving around was pretty funny

[@grgrgrgrgrgrgrgrgr]

bro xD

[@SmyleGames]

I called in sick just to go to ghost club for the first time. Such an amazing and emotional experience.

[@RayRift]

I just subbed to you because you're probably an amazing human being.

[@LAIDBACKMANNER]

haha, Hell yeah. Sometimes in life you gotta spontaneously *live it* instead of merely existing inside of it. Sounds like it was definitely funkin' worth it... Can I ask you how would someone, like me, would go about finding out how to find Ghost Club. I'm literally brand new to VR so I'm ignorant as hell and need a li'l help, lol.

[@sugardoll5236]

@@LAIDBACKMANNER you have to be lucky enough to see the tweet from the club saying its open.

[@ghxtpxn]

I found what I was looking for. since I bought a headset in 2017 this is exactly what I was searching for. this might only just be a taste but this right here. this changes lives. I literally cant thank you enough for putting this out there. I used to go to concerts/shows at venues like this and its the main reason I got into making my own music.

[@Operator_Inquiries]

Thank god I finally have a video that might explain the scene to my non-VR friends. They think I just dance and drink alone in my room (which technically yes) but this sums it up so well. I had the fatest smile on my face watching this. What an amazing community and video!

[@imanijones10]

Holy fuck sup Operator! xD (its E-Munny) Deadass I see so many homies in this comment section, This is a fun time to be alive!

[@steverempel8584]

You aren't drinking and dancing alone, the people you are with are just there on a different plane of existence! Next time your friends bug you about that, get on their case for talking to themselves next time they are on their phones.

[@phaelinx]

Great video : ) As someone who first started raving in 1994, I can say without a doubt that even the small slice of the VRChat rave scene you captured reminds me of how things were in the "IRL" rave scene before ~1998. All I can say is soak it up, cherish it, and document it as it exists now as much as possible.

[@joshboss5962]

I'm in my 40s went lots of raves as a youth. Thought my time was done. I still love the music and this might be a nice alterative thanks for sharing.

[@badgereverglade6653]

It's a new club that plays really great hardcore techno for a really hip young crowd!

[@goglz8868]

First time going to SHELTER was a memory I'll never forget, so glad to be apart of this community

[@vestenvanis]

a-part i guess

[@AFellowDoktuh]

From what I understand in terms of "easy to get into" I think the Dance scene and club scene is a lot more welcoming then even the RP community in VRChat. Not trying to dis the RP community, there are a ton of amazing people in it, but the level a gatekeepers in the RP Community is much more then the VRC Club/Dance scene.

[@FeliGoesGrr]

It's things like this that make me wish I could afford a vr headset. I go into VR Chat pretty much daily now on my PC, but I feel like I'm truly missing out on a lot by not having the full immersion a headset would give me. Even being in VR chat on my pc makes me wanna cry from happiness because its everything I could want. I have social anxiety, and its super difficult for me to socialize irl, but its so much easier in Vrchat because even though it feels close to really being somewhere, even just on PC, it also gives me enough anonymity that the social anxiety doesnt quite kick in the same. I just feel like I'm severely missing out on a lot by not having a headset and that makes me so sad. I love going into the worlds where I can relax and watch movies. I had someone I met through twitter take me to one of those worlds and watch musicals with me that I hadnt seen, and even on PC it just felt like I was there just watching a movie with a friend. I also love the worlds that are literally made for relaxing/sleeping. I'll go in those worlds and just listen to the sound of rain, maybe some music, thunder, and just relax. It helps me to fall asleep, which I normally have trouble with as I have insomnia. I also have a friend who likes to take me to really cool worlds they know of, and even though we are both mutes within vrchat, we both have a really fun time together going to various really fun and interactive worlds. In short, even just being on pc, VRChat has given me a place where I feel comfy and at home, even when I feel like crud irl. It gives me a sense of ME that I just can't really explain, cuz that's the kinda thing you have to experience yourself. I know this video is old now, but it just made me feel things when I watched it, sorry for the essay lol

[@DracoTheBlack]

Things will inevitably change but at the same time it is so accessible that the small guys will always have a place here. Unlike physical venues that are limited by the finite nature of reality it takes nothing more than a single creator's will to set up a venue and drop some tracks in VR.

[@tetsuromusic_]

This video is so well made ! おめでとう！ I used to produce and DJ in Tokyo during the pre-covid era. Seeing this makes me want to explore and connect in the metaverse too 👊 I can't not subscribe to this kind of content !

[@TechnicFlow]

I work in the IRL rave/festival scene. Pre-covid I was a professional dancer. I dance on stages in Las Vegas/LA with fire or LED poi, dragon staff, or contact staff. I also do a lot of work with various promoters and organizers getting dancers and circus artists or setting up fire safety for fire dancers and a little coordinating with artists to have dancers come on stage for the song they want. Just before covid I started university for game art because I dream of bringing form of dancing to VR and also want to integrate circus performanceand dance with motion capture and stave visuals. Think dancer in rokoko suit on stage but the visuals show a 3D avatar like you might see in VRC. I've made some headway but unfortunately trackers aren't quite there yet because they often can't keep up with the rotation speeds. As far as comparing VRC raves to real raves I'd say there's a lot missing but it brings other things to the table. The main thing that's missing I'd say is just the scale of things. Like I can walk around a real rave, or especially a music festival and meet new people the whole time. The VR scene is a bit small and has a lot of cliques. VR has major advantages though. I don't have to worry about how I look, I don't have to worry about getting my party favors in, I don't have to worry about getting home, and the visuals can be just as amazing as what you experience in real life. I'm currently working on my own rave map based on the "underground" raves we have out in the deep deserts here in the Mojave. I'm even working on creating mocap fire dancers but it's a bit of a stretch for that to make it in. Can't wait to see where the rave scene in VR goes.

[@Soul.X0]

Finished it?

[@HipsterKhan]

Something about slinging poi in the desert can never be replaced

[@Slinkyyyy]

I've been playing vrchat semi-regularly for around a year now and had no idea all of this existed until now. It's definitely something I'd be interesting in checking out at least once, great video!

[@land3021]

Myself... a rando online who's responding to your comment for... some reason... have to say... that I ended up abandoning VR soon after using it given that I was too terrified to play VR chat for a time... But I'm kinda getting into it now I guess...

[@goglz8868]

@@land3021 do you by chance frequent healthy gamer?

[@PikaPetey]

bruh you gotta turn on dynamic bones for people your interviewing. But cool video! My computer can't handle the more intense club scene. I just bought one to hopefully handle it.

[@allied006]

Fucking getting 80 people in ZAU, UGH, but love it.

[@FruitBasketyay]

Your videos are just lovely. The deeper dives than expected, the empathy in every sentence, the introspection and the progressive messages. You are a valuable content creator with talent worth far more recognition than you have right now.

[@fishbutler6170]

ugh such a worthy comment, thanks for wording what i couldn’t

[@MommysGoodPuppy]

always had a dream to dj and play my own music live lol never really thought vr could be such an accessible avenue

[@Straszfilms]

Thanks for watching! I will be streaming on Twitch on Thursday 5/6 at 10PM EST to talk about the video. Come hang out: twitch.tv/straszgaming (Seriously, this took so much outta me... I got a lot to talk about, haha.)

[@petrashouse]

If you are looking for more VRC rave experiences, please come visit DDVR, Cannon Cove, and "I'm Bored and It's Tuesday" (DDVR/Cannon Cove associated event group). You'll love the music, the environment, and you'll definitely love the people. Alcoholics Unanimous and Valhalla are good clubs too. You'll also see a lot of familiar faces from the Rizumu crew there too.

[@petrashouse]

Oh! Don't forget MVP (Miami Vice Parties)!!

[@EXIT873]

how do i join the rave scene what are the server names

[@petrashouse]

@@EXIT873 discord.com/invite/ddvr Start there. Attend some of there events. Enjoy yourself. After a short time you will start to find a lot more.

[@EXIT873]

@@petrashouse thanks]

[@adzer0_0]

Dude, as someone who has been a long time rave / festival person, i only just recently got a VR headset and started exploring the world of VRChat clubs, this video was eye opening and very interesting/informative to me, thank you for taking the time to make it!

[@artofstorytelling9406]

How does it feel to go clubbing in VR? I’m a DJ and love electronic music and dancing to it but for some reason I’ve never really enjoyed the club scene but I think this might be different , I just need to get a Quest 2

[@szabolcsmolnar2542]

Come on, going to a club in virtual reality is hardly compareable with going to an actual club. Not to talk about festivals

[@jangxx]

Oh man, finding DDVR in June of last year was such a game changer for me. Not only have I met so many cool people, I've also found so many (too many) clubs in VRC, that there is never a dull weekend. I can't wait to go to IRL clubs and festivals again, but these VRC clubs scratch exactly the same itch for me and they make the wait 100% more bearable.

[@Kytseo]

Glad we all could help.

[@jangxx]

@@Kytseo Oh hi Kyo, didn't now you watched strasz :D

[@Kytseo]

@@jangxx Not regularly, but I saw the video, and digged it.

[@SmokingGNU]

Just stumbled across this, certainly didn't expect to recognise a name in the comments XD

[@munico6055]

Regular PC players are balling their eyes out, me included. I gotta experience these things before it’s too late

[@angelbaby3872]

@wolf harrington does it feel real?

[@bigbalticbox]

@@angelbaby3872 If I can play TWD: Saints & Sinners and feel afraid of a fake stylized zombie, I'm sure VRChat feels just as real if not more

[@angelbaby3872]

@@bigbalticbox I just got my headset, yeah, it real

[@bigbalticbox]

@@angelbaby3872 I envy first-timers. Those first 3 hours after you put the headset down are the most surreal of my life; being unable to tell apart life from VR. Realities melding and not knowing what you can stick your arm through or not

[@w1ck3dz0d1ac]

I'm in reverse. I'm thinking of buying a gaming PC for enhanced VR to take part in this. Standalone isn't quite ready for VR chat yet

[@lolkirbythemesong]

Keep killing it with these videos, man. I’m always watching, ever since your very first VRChat video. Love ya, headbang homie!

[@MaidenMacabre]

Is that the 7th shmeat? 👀

[@lolkirbythemesong]

@@MaidenMacabre THAT IS CORRECT, IT IS I, the SHMEAT

[@Straszfilms]

The OG

[@Wangan_W]

Loved this insight into the underground club scene in VRchat. Liberation really does sum it up. Going to these clubs is such a freeing experience. ❤️

[@simonghoul3602]

I was struggling to find any raves (or places where people dance) on vrchat other than void, so I am glad this exists and it even shows footage of people dancing. It's perfect Now I'll just wait until I can upgrade my computer just so it can handle it lol It's hard to find this on KZbin too

[@SwaMusic]

Straszzzz!!!!! What an excellent display and representation of the beautiful art we are all creating and sharing with one another! Thank you sooooo much! 💜💜💜

[@HadeanUK]

Long live the VR Underground \o/

[@realeques]

honestly i probably would've never bought VR without the pandemic but i haven't been going out clubbing since i was in my mid 20s so it was a very much appreciated coincidence because i love VRChat and im playing it probably every weekend

[@Wangan_W]

Same here!

[@steenie]

So stoked to finally have something to show people to explain what's going on with the scene and everything involved. Hit every question I would have wanted in the interviews, really well thought out. Appreciate what you do! 🙇‍♀️

[@celeph]

Thanks! This was absolutely brilliant. The cool venues and people, the energy and creativity, everything was so inspiring to me. So many details, even the inline skates on one of the avatars - just awesome. I think I need to step out of Beatsaber et al and explore vrc instead :) I find it so amazing I feel a little intimidated, afraid I may not fit in at all, but I can't wait to try it. There's so much I want to do and make now. This really brought back memories of my early days. I know I'm late to the party - this video is a few years old - but I hope it's not too late. Great video and introduction - you sold vrc better than any other video I've seen before :)

[@Shin.1958]

Love the VRC Raving community

[@LAIDBACKMANNER]

Dude... this was absolutely an amazing video/mini documentary. I had no idea of the depth and scope of the dj/"rave" community and the awesome/creative things these people are doing and creating. This was really inspiring... Thank you for making this. Jam on.

[@lillian8063]

I love your content. So much. It brightens my day, and helps to remind me why I love VRchat so much. It's wonderful to see you post again, welcome back. 💕

[@DeepVirtualSelf]

This is amazing!Please keep up your passion in these videos, its going to be big soon! I've been waiting for someone like you to come out and represent our real " open source metaverse" ! This is what a real vr world is like and whenever I will need to explain what real vr looks like , I WILL SEND THEM THIS VIDEO!

[@erinlear8423]

This was a cool window into a scene I've only heard bits and pieces of, I'm interested in jumping in this weekend!

[@wolfgangjr74]

Never thought I would I be DJ'ing but VRChat got me started with TribeXR and haven't stopped yet. Too much fun! Hope to get a chance to see you all there!

[@VREmirate]

Super impressed. Don't know how long it took you to put it all together but it had to take a while! Keep making them VRchat videos.

[@Flourish38]

54:02 hey Strasz, just feel like I should let you know that this made me burst straight into tears. This whole video is so hopeful, and that was such a great summary… I was expecting it to be one of those segments that’s normally at the end of this type of video where they ask the same question to all the people they interviewed, but this punched me right in the face and I couldn’t be happier. The effort you put into this video really shows, and at least for me, it really, really paid off… 💕

[@Velatix]

Fantastic video Strasz thanks for taking the time to put this together!

[@trixient]

Amazing video, I've never actually felt so interested in something I know nothing about, Underated as hell. Subscribed & Liked :)

[@user-fh8ik1ij6v]

これは偉大なドキュメンタリー番組だ。確実に歴史的な価値を持つはず。

[@BurstupTV]

Hi Strazfilmns. Thank you for this great documentary. I've been recommending it to dozens of people in the past months, sending and posting links in all my social media and messenger apps whenever topics such as VR, AR, the metaverse etc. come up. I've been deejaying for many years both in RL and VR worlds. It's hard to explain what clubs and festivals in VR mean to me and everyone involved. But this film helps.

[@PMakerYT]

Really great video, I am always in awe of the little (or big) subcultures that people form at every opportunity they get - wonderful documentary too, love the style and editing! Keep it up!

[@digital4ddict]

Used to go to dinky clubs or ones out in the middle of the forest in the middle of nowhere. Totally gives me those kinda vibes.

[@glenwong6195]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!! For real the VRC music/art scene is definitly something that will expand and I wanna thank for putting the work in to let the world know!

[@NatalieVFX]

first of all this video is incredible. I love the interviews with the depth of field and the full body tracking. The footage from in the clubs the people dancing. The pacing and editing is perfect. It feels like a real documentary and It really shows you just how legit this underground scene really is. Secondly it makes me wish I had debuted the Electric Sands Festival and Electric PVP in 2020 instead of 2018. unfortunately because of updates to VRC it's completely dark and doesn't really work like it used to. Maybe it's worth a reupload 🙂 I'd like to get back into the scene and see if there's a desire for it. On the other hand these clubs are so amazing maybe there's no need. Maybe like irl festivals it was just a thing that happened in 2018 and you just had to be there. -Smooth_Octopus

[@sung4ji3]

Ghostclub seems by far to have the best lighting and rendering of avatars. Many avatars and floating emotes I notice have different lighting from the environment, something that breaks immersion I feel from this video. Social vr spaces need realtime rendering on thr level of raytracing to really take off. But what I’m seeing right now on recroom and altspace is flat boring lighting.

[@vr4ever645]

Amazing interviews! I am totally smashed by this video! Thanks y‘all!🔥🙏

[@Ruuubick]

No one talks in Ghost Club because they can't, right ? Been to Loner and Shelter before and holy fuck are people talking constantly during sets, having full on conversations. Very different vibe if you don't turn voices down completely.

[@UnholyEquinox]

in the past, it was forced silence; now it's a cultural thing.

[@Straszfilms]

It's mostly cultural now. It's the same way in a few other JPN clubs -- tends to just be more of a focus on the music.

[@duneydan7993]

And still my family when I try to explain it: "Yes but... It's not real." "Sooo you're still just dancing alone in your room?" "Ok, you can speak, interact, spend times with your friends. But they aren't really there. They're just in the game aren't they?"

[@Kytseo]

As a representative of DDVR, one of the big three of the western half of the scene alongside Rizumu and MVP, I applaud this video, and give many kudos to you.

[@TheKadeemTeam]

Hey could I ask you a few questions?

[@Kytseo]

@@TheKadeemTeam What sort of questions?

[@Joseph-Tapper]

The VRChat rave scene changed my life. Some of the most incredible, genuine, and loving people in the entire world with some the most talented world builders, DJs, and musicians in the world. Great documentary!

[@goglz8868]

The scene loves u 2 Taps ❤️ ur goated

[@Joseph-Tapper]

@@goglz8868 THAT MEANS SO MUCH OMG

[@m0fr001]

Yo! This is super cool! Thanks for making it! Got me curious about exploring this scene now! Thanks!

[@HoshPak]

I've seen this video many months ago but I felt I should be coming back to confirm everything that's being said here. The club scene is filled with so many talented people and they inspired me to become more creative as well. From 3D printing, soldering, programming and home-labbing back to former hobbies like Photoshop and audio mixing. There is a general appreciation for the craft and it's so much fun conversing with creative minds. Never have I felt understood on this level, before... not even with my closest of friends.

[@dasveit]

Well, I am into VRC now. Your documentary had me stay up until 4am to go see shelter yesterday and I ordered my index today. x)

[@FANGaus]

Man this looks so fun... I can't wait to get a VR setup going so I can attend these events.

[@amberow9892]

Same

[@shadyyyyVR]

This looked like such a fun interview. Thanks for sharing, it’s really entertaining! I’ll stop by your twitch stream tomorrow evening.

[@vianvolaeus]

There really are *that* many clubs now, and a whole host of hardworking people behind the scenes working bloody hard...because they want to, pure passion. It can get tough and personally taxing, but the communities always go on for that common love of music, dance, and just simply having a great time. Thanks for shining a light of those people, they deserve it 😄

[@geoffreyprecht2410]

I bought my headset just in time to make it to a specific NYE VRC rave I had heard about. I was instantly addicted. I'll never forget what it was like the first time, it's actually beyond words!

[@Phrakshun]

On my 4th time in VRC, I was told the legends of GhostClub. My journeys have brought me here. ThankYou, Strasz.

[@JoeGreeneFilmsOslo]

Very well done! A fair review of the VRC music scene as it has matured.

[@manglebird]

You have done an amazing job of capturing this wonderful culture.

[@CirrowProductions]

This is not wonderful. All people who engage in virtual reality will go to hell.

[@cheshirecatproductions]

You made an incredibly engaging documentary.

[@yesyesyoar6034]

This is awesome, thanks for the video. I really miss dnb partys right now and I am happy to visit the party next saturday. Some years ago Teddy Killerz was performing in my city and it was awesome, so being able to see them play again will be awesome.

[@SyrinoxNight]

This actually got me back into VR after a year of not touching it.

[@pauldavison7858]

A really GREAT job!! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful efforts!

[@JewelWildmoon]

I've been getting more videos about VRChat these days and the more I see, the more I badly want to experience these amazing things in VR myself. I've only played 3 times so far in mostly empty lobbies since my laptop just crashes a lot in the game. But I want to save up for a good PC and a VR Headset to try it out further and in a more immersive way. I've never been to a rave, nor a concert and it would be a good first experience to try something like that for the first time in VRChat. I knew that you can create a lot of cool things in the game, but I never knew that what you can create goes this deep. We really are getting closer to making Ready Player One a reality.

[@Lod531]

Love the interview setup and the effect of a of a lens focusing on a subject, super neat

[@brvhtxxbxk]

As someone who goes to raves IRL alot, im always bombarded with tiktok people making tiktoks or reels about how Techno became their live, i saw how they actually dint really enjoy their nights as they only cared for their outfits and cloud. Real raves are about enjoying yourselves without caring what others think, having respect for all the people who attend to the party no matter what background they have. Now its all about being photographed for the Raves Instagram page and the phone flashes on their face. In Vr chat, this aint the case and i hope it stays that way, i also see how so many diverse people get accepted in all ways and it brings back my underground raves in Berlin.

[@daphne-blue]

still trying to get into ghostclub to this day 🌀

[@silvercat18]

Tracking down this hidden discord thing seems a challenge - we need to find some members and offer them headpats and donuts.

[@girlchicken2625]

Oh... it's exclusive? That sucks.

[@x3z8]

@@girlchicken2625 There’s just a limit to how many can attend because of VRC limitations. So it’s first come first served and fills fast

[@f4p0_]

I love the part where you mention westerners at GC and camera zones out on me, caught me 😂

[@WTSnacks]

I still can't get over how the first 10 seconds of VRC clubbing shown is me next to you with a sad expression tweakin' about at Ghost Club 😂

[@Casavo]

The scene is pretty cool , alot of my vrc friends take part in it and love it. I'm far more a metal head, so electronic music isn't for me but a few times I've went with friends I did have some real fun.

[@jadehambaro9860]

Great video! I knew that there were rave clubs in VRChat but never been to an event before. Excited to join now, thank you for sharing this

[@KTheBoi]

Regarding that the "scene might change" from big labels: tl;dr: Your scene is probably safe. From the top-down, big labels and corporate sees 0 money in VRC. They're more likely to make their own platform/experience separately. I am someone actively working on virtual experiences and metaverses on an industry level with government agencies and/or international companies (metaverse in it's original sense, not necessarily requiring blockchain, mind you; although that is the common impression from suits). From what I've seen, you have 0 reason to fear big labels and major industry players sanitizing your VRChat space; maybe some minor and temporary sanitation from new folk coming in from the cultural overlap, but that's just new guys like in any other scene, IRL or not, who could be your most ardent supporters later on. They are more likely to develop their own platform or standalone experience than use VRChat. (Note that my perspective is based on big companies spending big money, which are the kind of projects I tend to work on, it's less applicable the smaller the budget and closer to the scene the client's project gets) "Reach" is a very important aspect to them. From my experience, most cannot accept anything more than a URL; don't expect the audience to have a headset or the patience to install anything; this is a shared sentiment among all the clients I've interacted with that target the mainstream audience, from a variety of fields. This is why a good chunk of these experiences run off a browser at a base minimum (Decentraland, Porter Robinson's thing, literally any corporate virtual experience during lockdown, etc) because their target might not be as tech savvy; let alone be the small % of VR headset users in the market right now (some experiences may have a VR option, but being browser accessible is a requirement in comparison). But there can always be exceptions if the numbers exist; Travis Scott's experience in Fortnite is in Fortnite because the intent was to reach the large existing playerbase on a familiar platform with a proven population within it, while also being accessible enough for their target demo that aren't on it to get on relatively easily; I'm sure someone involved crunched the numbers on the cross-promotion and it probably equaled to 'money'. Suffice to say, VRC doesn't exactly match up in terms of numbers in when put next to Fortnite or Google Chrome. The bigger players definitely have defined the mainstream and colloquial expectations of a 'virtual concert', 'virtual music experience', or what have you, but they're primarily using it for audience reach rather than making it their go-to or modus operandi moving forward; even if they did, using VRC is a questionable choice since you can make a similar experience out of Unity for example, with more control bottoms-up, without VRC's limitations and trappings. It keeps the underground VRC scene completely separate since corpos sees absolutely 0 money in VRC; I don't think they're stepping on anyone's toes here, the VRC scene appears completely different in terms of expectation, context, and culture. Basically, at this level of money involved with big labels, they're more likely to create another VRChat, rather than put that money into a VRChat world, you feel me? And yes I'm aware of Jean-Michel Jarre's Notre Dame VRC thing running contrary to my last statement, but I attribute it more to the timing of the 2020 lockdown, rather than a potential trend of relatively larger musicians setting up shop in VRC. Think of it this way, general impression from the corpos are that they see it as an alternative to a music video, or a concert with less overhead; with virtual experiences/metaverse being at the forefront of the public consciousness, it's a relevant gimmick to get some eyes on the product . A genuine scene with clear intent and culture isn't going to be overrun by a marketing gimmick; no matter how much money is involved. (Not to say any and all virtual projects by larger entities are gimmicks, I thought Second Sky was pretty cool and it definitely doesn't fit into my impression that they're "a concert with less overhead," but I stand by that it doesn't threaten your scene in any way because they exist in parallel on a completely separate target audience even if we're looking at genre alone)

[@HikariSakai]

great video Strasz, was very well put together and informative.

[@BearsAudioEmporium]

BABE WAKE UP NEW STRASZFILMS VIDEO

[@w1ck3dz0d1ac]

This is one of the coolest little documentaries. I love how fresh this is. Something new and positive is so fucking rare these days. A dystopian oasis.

[@Dragons1359]

Going to GHOSTCLUB since September 2020 enjoying every moment there

[@girlchicken2625]

Is it an exclusive scene?

[@b2unit2]

Dude, I find this video VERY inspirational. It is a pity that i was pointed to this video just a short while back. I try to hang out in VR clubs almost every evening before I go to sleep. It will be the 5th of may in 2 weeks or so. I am SO hoping that you will do an anniversary follow up video on the state of VR clubs at the moment. Perhaps a lot has changed, hopefully not. Greets, Rob

[@KeizerSinbad]

The stage is a gigantic mirror and everyone is just sitting in the audience.

[@spikkle2627]

Hey dude, just want to drop a comment here to say that I saw you on People Make Games and I've now been on a massive binge of your videos. I never really 'got' VRChat before and kinda shrugged it off as something really not worth the effort for little discernable gain, and definitely 'not for me', just like Second Life. Social anxiety probably played a big part there as well to be honest. But your videos have really helped me see a side of this platform that I wasn't before. The thought of experiencing some of the things you've covered is really exciting. On this topic in particular, I've never even been to a club IRL but you've made me want to dust off my old Gen 1 Oculus and give VRChat another shot. Maybe you'll see me in Shelter or something, haha.

[@TheCobCAP]

this video got me into the scene and now im djing and dancing live again after years...

[@frannavarro-efejota-5018]

Just the idea of being able to turn down the volume makes this more interesting to me than a real concert, tbh.

[@thewakinghat]

This chanel is slowly convincing me to get a vr headset to experience vr chat even if I'm currently too shy to talk in voice chats 👀

[@Methrael]

VR Chat rave scene? As someone who very rarely got a chance to go to a rave and sees this as an evolution of what communities are capable of long-distance, you have my attention

[@AvishaiGreenstein]

It all goes in Cycles. My uncle went to desert parties in the 90s to listen to D&B and GOA Trance. I went in the mid 00 to Warehouse raves and Forest parties. The reason everyone is so amazing is because you are all open minded pioneers leading the way into a new future. You expectations are pure joy, not some pre promised experience. Treasure this moment and hold onto it dearly. Also, Can anyone recommend a primer on how one approaches this? Equipment? Avatars?

[@LampDX]

❤️❤️❤️

[@averagejoe5904]

Yooooo the dude himself!

[@Gravitron89]

My vr headset has been sat in a cupboard for most years. This is what I want to come back for.

[@jasonste4lth614]

I am really elated to know that this underground exists and I've been a dj for 22 years. I'd like to get acquainted with Zenith and others. 2ToneDisco was spot on @33:34. Getting on agencies is as difficult as they are corporate. From the response from artists to sponsoring. Im really impressed with all of this. Just registered with VRChat.

[@Stephanie0420]

There are so many DJ's in VRC and the raves are just so awesome! I hope you enjoyed it!

[@2Pish]

ahhh, I love videos like these man, they're so educational

[@discorabbit]

What mic are you using breh? Any recommendation?

[@SorenBagley]

Amazing documentary. Thanks for making this

[@ribriddler8114]

Always love seeing these vida come out!

[@jacksales9342]

I think I'm going to give VRC raves. Seems like such a cool scene. I'm not much of a party person usually, but this looks kinda awesome.