For the past five months, the Electronic Dance Music Club at Western Washington University has seen rapid success by hosting events across Bellingham and shows no signs of stopping.
On Jan. 27, 2024, they held their largest event to date in Western’s Viking Union, titled “Viking Voltage.” The elaborate event boasted a variety of EDM genres – dubstep, house, bass, techno and more – from seven artists accompanied by a laser light show.
Viking Voltage went from 6 to 11 p.m., featuring artists such as Fulminate, Given Peace, Rich Joon, Yamads, Huncho and Leftside. While most artists are based in Bellingham, Given Peace and Rich Joon traveled from Portland and Colorado, respectively, to contribute to the event.
The club's philosophy could be summarized by one acronym: P.L.U.R., which stands for peace, love, unity and respect, a phrase used by all members of the club. These principles take precedence over all aspects of the rave and EDM scene.
“At the heart and soul of our club, it's a space for people who like to listen to [EDM], a space for people who like to dance, a space for people who like to produce, a space for people who like to DJ — just all-encompassing.” said Caleb Howerton, the vice president of the EDM Club and a Western third-year biochemistry student.
The club was established in September 2023 as an EDM study group, Howerton said. As time went on, the club's membership rapidly grew to include audio technicians, photographers, music producers and enthusiasts alike.
“We put on DJ sets using the classroom sound system while studying, so we had this idea that we could turn it into something,” said Paul Kim, the EDM Club president and Western fourth-year psychology student.
Kim said the club's goal is to diversify Bellingham's music scene in response to a growing demand for electronic music spaces and an oversaturation of alternative rock.
“We want to be an example that we can have more [musical genres] and people can be more vibrant with whatever music they listen to,” Kim said.
Viking Voltage was their first show on campus, but they have been hosting events downtown for months, said Kim. Their very first event, Bounce House, was at the music venue Wild Buffalo in downtown Bellingham on Nov. 9, 2023.
“We had four days in advance, out of nowhere,” said Ezra Gonzalez, an EDM club officer and Western fourth-year business administration student. With only a couple of days to prepare, they managed a crowd of 170 people.
In the new year, they hosted their next show, Bass Quake, at The Blue Room downtown on Jan. 10, 2024.
Sky Meraki, an EDM club officer and local hip-hop artist, handles artists and repertoire for the club by scouting out venues and artists. He’s responsible for co-directing the events at Blue Room and on Western’s campus with Paul Kim.
“One of the biggest things within the music industry is always having to know somebody or having people gatekeep certain connections or information,” Meraki said about his vision for the club. “We have a space where everybody's sharing information, sharing connections and trying to help each other grow. … It’s very fulfilling.”
In comparison to the spontaneity of their shows in downtown Bellingham, they had months to prepare for Viking Voltage. They spent that time refining their craft, upgrading their equipment and spreading their passion to others. However, that didn’t make it any easier for them.
Kim said arranging this event brought new challenges to fuel their ambition. Working with event services was costly and time-consuming, which is part of why it took them so long to host an event on Western’s campus.
Despite the difficulties of setting up the event, Viking Voltage was a success. Hundreds of students came to dance and get lost in the music.
Given Peace is a house music producer and Western alumnus who headlined Viking Voltage. He’s been creating music since 2011 and is well-known in the Bellingham music community, most recently for organizing “For The Love of House” at Wild Buffalo.
“I strongly believe that the curated social interactions surrounding electronic music can be life-changing,” Given Peace said. “It can change people's personalities and change people's views of others and [help to gain] empathy and understanding for people who are not like you.”
The club meets every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and has yet to reveal their plans following the success of Viking Voltage.
You can check out the EDM Club on Instagram.
Ayden Sweat (he/him) is a campus news reporter for The Front this quarter. He is a third-year student and a Visual Journalism pre-major with an interest in photojournalism and layout design. In his free time, he frequents the outdoors, hosts a radio show at KUGS-FM, and collects a variety of physical media. Ayden can be reached at aydensweat.thefront@gmail.com.
