PRESERVE THE BEAT

I’m alexd, the publisher and photographer of TRIBE MAGAZINE, the monthly about DJ Culture, Electronic Music and Rave Culture in Canada.

Between 1993-2005 I shot between 10,000 – 12,000 slides and negatives for TRIBE, in raves, warehouse parties, nightclubs, music festivals, concerts, events like Fashion Cares. It’s a rare collection of photographs with cultural significance. There are thousands of stories in these photographs. They are our rave family pictures, and the container for our memories.

This film needs to be digitized and saved on archival media  and Blu-rays to preserve it. Once that’s done, and as we digitize it, I can make images available for the web, documentary films and books. I’ve already been approached by 2 documentary film makers since the pre-launch video dropped. There is great interest in this collection.

I expect the digitization process will take two years to complete.

This collection shows the last Canadian generation before smartphones and social media. Experience legendary events from the 90’s that people are still talking about today. These photographs take you deep inside raves, warehouse parties and into the famous nightclubs that are now buried under condo developments.

There is nothing like this collection in the world.

• Let’s protect our history and culture.
• Let’s preserve it for future Canadians to enjoy and learn from.
• Let’s digitize it so we can see these photographs again.

What we need to do the job right

Digitizing a big collection like this is expensive, and that’s why I need your help:

• I need $50,000 to complete this project. The budget chart shows how it will be spent. Ninety percent of the budget will be going directly into the gear, ten percent is for platform fees and taxes my accountant says I will have to pay on this money.
• Between the ravers, the house cats, the TRIBE readers, the Canadian & International DJs, and Canadian record labels, we should be able to crowdsource this funding. We can do it. We can!

Great perks for donations

I can offer some interesting perks for donations to PRESERVE THE BEAT:

• I’m a jeweler now, so I can offer some awesome jewelry perks like tribe 14K Gold rings. See the rendering of my design on this page. Well make it to your size. Comfort fit.
• There’s Sterling Silver shoe jewelry from tribe’s limited edition DJ collection.
• All donations above $100 get your name in the front pages of my first coffee table book as a donor and supporter of PRESERVE THE BEAT.
• Our deluxe bomber jackets are made in Canada and embroidered with gold thread. They’re excellent quality. They’re insulated and perfect for Spring, Fall, or backstage when the headliner is on.
   

Let’s make history together

History is made from the images people leave behind:

• Let’s leave the very best quality digital images and the metadata describing them to the Canadians of the future. It will tell them about our scene and our history.
• As I look back at the Art Deco period for my own design inspiration, a hundred years from now, people will be getting music and fashion inspiration from you in these photographs.
• I intend to leave this collection and associated archival drives to 3 Canadian Art entities in my will. Splitting it across three galleries will ensure its longevity. This is the plan to send it into the future.
  

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can’t afford to donate anything you can still help:

• Contact 4 people you went to raves with and share the campaign URL preservethebeat.com and encourage them to donate.
• Reach out to 4 people you went to INDUSTRY nightclub with and share the URL.
• Text 4 people who you went to a TRIBE MAGAZINE party with and share the URL
• If you’re a Canadian DJ or International DJ who played in Canada 1993-2005, you are likely in these photographs. Please share the URL with 4 other DJs like you who love Canada.
• If you are a music magazine publisher or online music site, share the news about this campaign.
• Use the Indiegogo share tools!