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Electric Daisy Carnival Fights Back Against LA Times Vendetta

 

 

US dance music pioneer Pasquale Rotella has responded robustly to an innuendo-packed report in the LA Times, which totted up drug-related deaths at California dance music festivals and implied Pasquale and his company Insomniac bear responsibility.

 

The article cited 14 fatalities at music festivals since 2006 and was the latest in a stream of similarly negative features linking EDM with ecstasy deaths. Posting on Instagram, Pasquale urged music fans to challenge the newspaper’s ‘biased opinion’.

 

“At Insomniac, we aim to create inspiring environments where you don’t need drugs to have a wonderful, spiritual experience. Behind the scenes’ we work long hours with the brightest security, health and safety experts in the business to create safe environments for you,” he pointed out. (http://bit.ly/T6S7nB )

 

“Even with all of our precautions, every single person who comes to our events is responsible for their choices. We ask each of you to do your part with safe, responsible behavior, and by obeying all of our event policies and the law – that is why we search everyone entering our events, maintain a strict 18 and over requirement, prohibit drugs and have extensive security staffing. Sadly, it appears that today’s front-page story in the Los Angeles Times ignored all of these facts and more in their story about us,” said Pasquale.

 

“As part of their mission to twist facts to suit their sensational story, the LA Times treated the opinions of a few people as gospel, turned everyone who enjoys electronic music events into villains, and ignored anyone that did not agree with their biased opinion.

 

Rather than addressing the real issue, rampant drug use in the United States, Rong-Gong “Ron” Lin II and his team preferred to attack our company, our events, our music and Pasquale instead of doing any credible research on health and safety issues facing large music festivals across the world,” he said.

 

We ask that all of you, our invaluable Headliners, voice your perspective to these reporters, email them at: ron.lin@latimes.com; paul.pringle@latimes.com; andrew.blankstein@latimes.com,” he added.

 

EDM champion Tommie Sunshine heeded the call.

 

“Every person who loves this music & loves these parties better start getting off their asses & start speaking up,” he tweeted. “It’s a shame that the L.A. Times calls itself news when in reality it’s just one step shy of the National Enquirer and Star (magazine).”

 

US superstar DJ Kaskade, who as well as being one of America’s most popular DJs is well known for being a teetotal, non drug using Mormon, also spoke out, accusing the Times of writing ‘uninformed bigotry’.

 

“This past Sunday, the LA Times ran an article which was essentially an inflammatory pummeling of the EDM scene. It painted a picture of “Ecstasy-fueled underground” raves, bumped up into the mainstream, leaving a trail of dead, drug-addled kids being picked up by the “…coroner’s wagon rolling down desert roads,” he said.

 

“Massive events are being held on terms that have been scrutinized by engineers, civil servants, fire chiefs, policemen, and all manner of bureaucratic safety hoops. As EDM’s numbers have become larger, we’ve become more accountable. No longer hiding in an abandoned warehouse, we’re paying taxes, paying dues, and stimulating the hell out of each cities’ economy that hosts an event.

 

“Before the doors ever open, there is a string of green lights that have to be run through by people whose business it is to keep these events safe. The same codes put into place for every other genre of music applies to EDM. To say otherwise is untruthful and adheres to dangerous stereotyping.”

 

“But know this: as far as a music culture goes, EDM is the one who will accept the kids on the outliers, the ones who get bullied, the ones who feel like they may not quite fit in,” Kaskade continued.

 

“This community is exceptional in its ability to bond all types together, and I am not exaggerating when I say it saves lives. Our audience is intelligent and kind, discriminating only in regards to which sound they like best. Our audience is unprecedented in their drive to proactively support each other.”

 

“There’s your story, LA Times. Do the world a favor and dig into that for a change, punks,” he concluded. (http://bit.ly/12oh3OW )

 

 

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff

 

 

 

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