Where creativity meets connection
“We were both on a pro-Palestine march, but didn't really know each other.” Sussex-based house music DJ and producer, Nick Hook, is talking about the origins of Dance For Peace – a benefit club night raising funds for disaster relief in Gaza. He started the initiative with Affy Go Bang, a resident DJ for local party-starters, Faith and a founding member of Brighton’s Ballroom Community.
“We started talking about how we should be doing something to raise money for medical aid.” From this grew a debut event at The Volks last year, which attracted over 300 people.
“That was brilliant. We had just about every DJ in Brighton play for us that day, in both rooms. There must have been about 30 DJs altogether, and we raised about £25k.” Building on this foundation, they’ve held a succession of similar nights at venues across the city, bringing together a community online and raising awareness around what’s happening in the tiny Middle Eastern state.
He says the Dance For Peace events have been really inspiring. They’ve seen artists like the legendary Mr C and Danny Howells performing, alongside a genuine who’s-who of local dance music talent. “There are more and more people coming on board and seeing what's going on now.”
”Even if they don't fully understand what is happening, they're against it.”
He says media outlets are finally beginning to show the full severity of the situation. “Even if they're not particularly political, on a basic humanitarian level, people want to support us. They see these awful scenes on TV, and even if they don't fully understand what is happening, they're against it.” He’s keen to point out that the situation in Ukraine is equally horrific, but there might be some hypocrisy in how the two wars are being covered in the media and reacted to by the British Government.
The events have been raising funds for Medical Aid For Palestinians. This organisation provides immediate medical aid to those in great need, while also developing local capacity and skills to bolster the region’s healthcare system. “They have become the main charity in terms of organizing relief.”
The next event is at the Brighton Electric studios on Sat 12 July. “It’s a great venue,” says Nick. “I think that's because a lot of young people hang out there, and it's a rehearsal studio for lots of cool bands. They've been really supportive as well.”
TECH-NOIR, his own club night, has been running since 2009. “We got a night at a place in Hove called the H-Bar. We've done most of the venues in the city since then. From places like The Arch and Coalition to The Volks. Some of the best times we've had were at the Volks, they've always been great to us.” He tells me he now prefers to do smaller-scale events which don’t rely so heavily on passing trade. “Then, you know that everybody who comes in is actually there for the event. They’re all friends, or friends of friends. All that kind of stuff. But that does create an atmosphere where everyone is friendlier.”
“Speeding up takes the groove away. “
Hook was championing tech house over 15 years ago, at a time when it had gone back underground. Now it seems to be the genre of choice for huge dance events across the world. He says tempos have recently started to creep up in studios and out on the dancefloor. “I don't like it, to be honest. I'm determined to stick to below 130 beats per minute. Speeding up takes the groove away. I used to play progressive house in the 90s, and we were all playing tracks at 135bpm. I can't believe it. Sometimes, I listen to tracks I made back then, and think: ‘Why is it so fast?’ I guess we were younger, so we could dance a bit faster!”
He says he’s now started on a new album of his own music, following on from his Asylum Earth collection. “It’s my second, so is going to be quite different. I'm learning to play acoustic guitar. I'm going to mix that with an electronic vibe.”
This summer has seen a fresh set of remixes for Hook’s track, Viva Palestina. He’d written this to be an exclusive tune to play at Dance For Peace. “I’d sampled a load of demonstrations and stuff on YouTube and people talking about Palestine, then made it into a track, which came out in March. Then I decided that I'd get a load of people in to do remixes who’d DJed for us.” These drop on Fri 11 July, offering different interpretations from Pete Bones, POok, Phil Able & Ali Wilson, Chema G, and Black Octopus. “I've done a new mix as well, and all the money coming in will be going to the Palestinians.”
“It’s all about raising consciousness and showing that there are people in the house music industry who want to talk about what's going on. We're not just into going out for a good time. We want to make a difference.”
The music is being released on his label Jeepers! which has platformed UK and international producers like Jason Chance, Hoxton Whores, Dolly Rockers and Oliver Lang.
He's just released an album by his friend Martin Sharp, which offers a multi-genre selection of electronic music. “We’ve also got a new track coming out by Tom Chubb, who's a well-known artist. We’re trying to put out about 10 releases a year of quality house.”
“People were fighting for liberation.“
He says that the Dance For Peace nights also serve to counter a worrying trend on the wider scene. “It’s intended to, generally, be an anti-war movement amongst DJs and dance music artists on the South Coast. I’d like it to be a force which counteracts the right-wing narratives that are becoming quite prevalent both amongst young people and within the dance music industry.”
He tells me there’s a concerning number of older DJs who have been expressing extreme views. It goes against house music roots as a form of rebellion. Repetitive beats form a common language between different marginalised communities. “People were fighting for liberation. Like the gay scene in America… In Britain, the scene was very anti-establishment when it started. There were freedom to dance marches, because the police used to attack raves. But it brought people together. We want to take house music back to what it was originally about.
Hook says the pandemic triggered a lot of attitude changes within the scene. “I think people got into these conspiracy theories, looking online and finding all this stuff. I was having arguments with people on Facebook, and they were sending me links. I'd look at these, and the websites they were coming from were all right-wing or quite religious.” He points out the growing number of celebrities who are pushing unfounded fringe views. Often, the rhetoric is portrayed as challenging the status quo, but even gentle examination exposes predispositions towards nationalism.
“I just want to make a stand.”
Keeping people arguing amongst themselves is an age-old, and inevitably effective, method of control. “You can see what's been happening in Northern Ireland. There’s riots and attacks on immigrants, because some people think they’re all rapists and stuff. It's absurd. I just want to make a stand. Not just for Palestine, but for all those values that we stood for when we first got into raving.”
Hook points out that the spirit of the early warehouse parties and their encouragement of collaborative effort were essentially socialism in action. “We'd be on the dance floor with all these people, not just working class, but middle class and sometimes quite rich people, all coming together to be as one. I know it sounds a bit hippyish and stuff, but it's something I really believe in.”
A selection of local DJs, including Nick Hook, Steve Mac, Evil Tom, Scott Diaz and Charlene From Neighbours, play Dance For Peace, when it comes to Brighton Electric on Sat 12 July 2025.
Stuart Rolt
Featured What's On
Stay in the loop
Keep up to date with latest news, guides and events with the SALT newsletter.
