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We Spoke to the San Francisco Crew Throwing a 'Fuck Burning Man' Party

"What bothers us is the faux enlightenment that people attach to it. That, and the horrible fashion and steampunk. Vom."

Burning Man culture has reached a tipping point. Last week, organizers had to clarify that they've asked themed camps not to release DJ lineups, because "Burning Man doesn't have 'headliners,'" and "Burners don't follow anyone else to Black Rock City, they go for themselves." (HQ also had to dispute rumors that Burning Man is banning electronic music entirely.)

While the music and arts festival is still a radical social experiment, the influx of new crowds—such as Silicon Valley tycoons, rich kids looking for their yearly peyote fix, and superstar DJs—has led to friction between those upholding the event's core ethos, those with different motives, and outsiders who just spit on what Burning Man has become.

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Lights Down Low's Corey Sleazemore and Richie Panic

Lights Down Low, a San Francisco-based party crew, are among the opposers. They're debuting a party this weekend called "Fuck Burning Man," with Total Freedom, Vin Sol, and Joaquin Bartra presumably DJing with their middle fingers up.

While I have to cock an eyebrow at generalizing a polymorphous festival of 66,000 people as "rich hippies prancing around in hula hoops and swinging flame sticks," I do think Lights Down Low's effort to bring dance music back to clubs and the underground is an important one. Here's what party founders and resident DJs Corey Sleazemore and Richie Panic have to say.

THUMP: Do you guys really hate Burning Man this much?
Lights Down Low: There has always been a complex and uneasy relationship in San Francisco's club scene between people who enjoy dance music, and rich hippies prancing around in hula hoops and swinging flame sticks or whatever the fuck. We all appreciate this time of year as a moment of peace and clarity where the real dance music fans can come together without having to talk about their "sacred playa experiences" and "the sense of magic and community," blah blah blah.

Disguising going to the desert for a week to get completely loaded as some weird-quasi spiritual thing is bullshit. We don't care about people going out to party. As matter of fact we love that, and we love DIY culture and art. What bothers us is the faux-enlightenment that people attach to it. That, and the horrible fashion and steampunk. Vom.

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Mykki Blanco at a Lights Down Low party

What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the party's theme?
Lots of LOLs and tons of support all around. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief in San Francisco when fur-covered rich [people] leave the scene. We are stoked to bring in an artist that we really enjoy and know that everyone left in San Francisco is looking for something awesome to do.

Read: "For $2,199, Your Enlightened Ass Can Fly to Burning Man in a Private Plane"

Is there a growing anti-Burning Man sentiment within San Francisco's dance music scene at large? Why?
Perhaps the original intent of Burning Man was more connected with the dance music scene (much to our chagrin), but now it's just a big dusty playground for rich dicks to get high and "connect on a higher plane" while hoping to grope some boobs. All the while wearing the worst in playa wear. I think the anti-Burning Man sentiment comes from within San Francisco itself. People are sick of hearing about it, of people preparing for it, of people dressing like pure shit.

How has Burning Man culture spread beyond the playa and into California's dance music and festival culture? What do you think of boutique Burner festivals like Further Future?
Bring clubbing back to the clubs. Bring what is underground back underground. If you want to dance in a pile of dirt while getting a sunburn, that's your business. We believe in nocturnal clubbing inside of a basement. We believe in nocturnal lifestyles and not having your mom pick you up at 10 PM after you candy raved with 1000000000 watts of light blowing your mind. Let the music kick. Have a drink. Dance till the sun comes up, then head to bed.

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Read: "Further Future's Debut Proves You Can't Buy Instant Vibes"

How does Silicon Valley culture play into the anti-Burner sentiment?
The latest tech boom has decimated San Francisco's music, art, and queer culture. These tech assholes think going out to to the desert and doing K for a weekend makes them cultured, but then they come back and contribute zero to these communities within San Francisco. These are the same people driving artists out of [the city].

Read: "Did David Guetta and Nicki Minaj Steal From Burning Man for Their Billboard Music Awards Performance?"

Outside of this specific party, what is Lights Down Low about and why should anyone give up the comforts of their beds, Cheetos, and Netflix to head down there?
Lights Down Low is jack music for jacked-up times. It is a moment in time filled with music, lights, friends and intoxicants. It is a way to spend life in nightclubs—a life of pure sonic bliss. We are a party that spends most of its time in California. We are good for you health, bad for your education. Most importantly, Lights Down Low is responsible for over 90% of people calling in sick to work.

Sick. Thanks guys!

Lights Down Low's "Fuck Burning Man" party is happening on September 4, 2015 at Monarch. Get tickets here.

Michelle Lhooq often reaches a higher plane when groping her friends' boobs. Follow her on Twitter.