Certain styles of music match
the effects of certain drugs.
Amphetamine, for example,
is often matched with fast,
repetitive music, as it provides
stimulation, enabling people
to dance quickly. MDMA’s
(ecstasy) tendency to produce
repetitive movement and
feelings of pleasure through
movement and dance is also
well known.
An ecstasy user describes the
experience of being at a rave:
I understood why the stage
lights were bright and flash-
ing, and why trance music is
repetitive; the music and the
drug perfectly complemented
one another. It was as if a veil
had been lifted from my eyes
and I could finally see what
everyone else was seeing. It
was wonderful.
There is a rich representation
of drugs in popular music, and
although studies have shown
iconz
higher levels of drug use in
listeners of some genres
of music, the relationship is
complex. Drug representations
may serve to normalise use
for some listeners, but drugs
and music are powerful ways
of strengthening social bonds.
They both provide an identity
and a sense of connection
between people. Music and
drugs can bring together
people in a political way, too,
as the response to attempts
to close down illegal raves
showed.
People tend to form peer
groups with those who share
their own cultural preferences,
which may be symbolised
through interlinked musi-
cal and substance choices.
Although there are some obvi-
ous synergies between some
music and specific drugs, such
as electronic dance music and
ecstasy, other links have de-
veloped in less obvious ways.
Drugs are one, often minor,
component of a broader identi-
ty and an important means of
distinguishing the group
from others.
Although it is important not to
assume causality and over-
state the links between some
musical genres and different
types of drug use, information
about preferences is useful
in targeting and tailoring
interventions, such as harm
reduction initiatives, at music
festivals.
& MUSIC
iconz magazine