Description:

Christchurch, a quaint neo-Gothic cathedral city, presents a quiet, conservative image. Yet in the early 1990s, restless Canterbrian youth sparked their own interpretation of a bold and unique counterculture: raving. Inspired by snippets of overseas material such as magazines and mixtapes, a local movement emerged. These ravers expressed themselves within large-scale dance parties driven by never-before-heard electronic music. A vibrant design culture grew alongside it, with distinctive ephemera created to promote and define these events.

As an integral part of Generation X’s journey growing up, this special movement is held dear by many. While the scene is lovingly recounted by those who lived it, no accessible visual records existed. Christchurch’s ongoing affinity for electronic music and underground culture is still rooted in the ’90s sound, a legacy that continues to echo today, yet the visual history remains largely invisible to newer generations.

When I reached out to RDU station director, flyer designer and collector James Meharry, he showed me his extensive archive of local rave ephemera that revealed a whole side of Christchurch’s history I’d only ever heard stories about. I began collecting and curating this material alongside interviews with key event promoters and designers James Meharry, Damon Mangos, and Daniel Feary, paired with photography by Marc Rosewarne, into a single, centralised format. The aim was to create something that would allow others to relive, rediscover, or understand this pivotal cultural moment for the city. From the outset, it was clear the format needed to be a coffee table book. I developed R.A.V.E (Relive A Visual Experience): Christchurch Rave Ephemera 1993–1999, a 448-page publication that traces the evolution of the city’s pre-millennial rave scene from its inception through to the close of the decade.

The book is split into two parts. Part 1 shares a written narrative supported by selected ephemera and photography, built around interviews with three key figures from the scene. Part 2 forms a chronologically structured archive of hundreds of flyers, posters, and visual material. This allows readers to track the cultural and graphic evolution of the scene, from early DIY photocopies to professionally printed material.

The design invites slow browsing, where images speak first but thoughtful written context is there to deepen the experience. The purpose was for the material to remain the focal point, with a layout that centralises visual content and employs minimal, contextual typography. A pairing of sans-serif and monospaced typefaces creates a subtle yet responsive system, allowing the ephemera and photography to take centre stage, while intentionally reinforcing the visual language of the rave aesthetic.

This is the first archival design project to visually document Christchurch’s rave scene with such depth. Community response has been overwhelmingly positive, showing a strong desire to see this history recognised, especially given the city’s dramatic transformation after the earthquakes destroyed many key venues and community spaces central to the scene. This book preserves a vibrant, creative legacy that shaped a generation and celebrates Christchurch’s contribution to underground electronic music and rave design culture.