Holly Dicker Journeys to Rotterdam, Berlin, Manchester and Madness in Pursuit of Hardcore
From Rave to the Grave by Vivian Host
May 7, 2026 · 1h 42m · Season 3 · Episode 41
About this episode
Holly Dicker discusses her journey and experiences in the hardcore music scene with host Vivian Host.
This episode kicks off our collaborative mini-series with Dance or Die on hardcore and what better way to start the whole thing than by talking to Holly Dicker aka Holly Dee. Holly is a music journalist and raver who has devoted over a decade to covering the history of hardcore while working for places like Resident Advisor, Boiler Room, Tresor and PRSPCT Records. Then she spent four years of blood, sweat and tears writing Dance or Die, a book that traces the history and evolution of hardcore electronic music. Holly and I talk about her formative experiences from renegade UK drum 'n' bass bunker raves to free tekno parties, breakcore squats and Dutch gabber mega-raves. We also discuss the cornerstones of hardcore, compare notes as rave journalists, discuss changing visual and surveillance culture and explore current women-led, queer and inclusive hardcore movements. Hosted by Vivian Host (aka DJ Star Eyes). For more info and extras, visit Ravetothegrave.org or Instagram @ravetothe.grave.
People in this episode
Host: Vivian Host
Guest: Holly Dicker
Topics covered
- hardcore music
- music journalism
- rave culture
- women in music
- queer movements
- electronic music history
Keywords
- hardcore
- music journalist
- rave
- Dance or Die
- electronic music
- UK drum 'n' bass
- queer hardcore
- rave culture
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Resident Advisor, Boiler Room, Tresor, PRSPCT Records
Books & works: Dance or Die
Places: Rotterdam, Berlin, Manchester
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