A bit of feng shui - changing the setting

Because I am so studious, I decided that I'd spend my Saturday night conducting primary ethnographic research... by going to a party. Okay okay, so that wasn't my motivation, but I found some relevance to Trance subculture in any case.

At the 21st birthday party we had some CDJs (like decks, but for CDs instead of vinyls) set up, and had two fine local DJs (one who regularly plays at the Family nightclub) mixing up some House and Trance for us. It was interesting to observe the music away from a club/rave setting. No lasers, visuals or drugfucked individuals. And I guess most partygoers were there for drinks and chats with the birthday girl rather than for the music. Nevertheless many appreciated the music as some sat and listened, while many others danced the night away. I observed a slightly different ambience in a house party setting, in that the rollercoaster of emotions expressed in Trance music weren't as prominent, because they are usually emphasised by lasers and visuals. The style of dancing was also more communal and interactive, compared to in a nightclub where everyone seems to be very much in their individual mind frames, I guess because everyone was familiar with one another and concerned with each others' company more than the music itself.

Anyway those are my observations (then again I wasn't in the most observant state), yet to make any inferences based on them - I guess it's even debatable whether the party was really a subcultural activity - but maybe it'll all be relevant to my essay somehow...