When the DJs of Arizona Hardcore started blasting high-octane beats in 1996, the Phoenix rave landscape was a far different place.
Warehouses, desert spaces, psychedelic flyers, infolines and whispered directions fueled a ’90s EDM underground where raves thrived. David Sankey, AZHC’s co-founder, says the local rave promoter and collective was just one part of a vibrant party scene.
“Those were the epic years. You had like Swell Records as an epicenter and a lot of crews back then throwing raves every weekend,” Sankey says. “Looking back, those were the greatest times, in my opinion, for the Phoenix rave scene.”…