Algorave is a named live-coded dance music genre and social format that expanded live coding's audience beyond specialist contexts

Alex McLean and Nick Collins coined the term algorave drawing on Collins’ research into electronic music genre formation, recognizing that a named genre could become a rallying standard for live coding. The word is ironic (as was TOPLAP), but it caught the imagination of both older music writers who remembered the rave scene of the 1980s and younger clubbers. The algorave format positions live-coded music within club culture, with guidelines emphasizing visible code, diverse and inclusive lineups, accessible pricing, and a safer-space code of conduct. This moved live coding from art-school/academic contexts into nightclubs, dramatically widening its audience. Algoraves maintain live coding’s core ethos — code must be visible — while embedding it within dance music sociality.

Examples

The first algorave was held in London in 2012. The Algorave format spread globally, with guidelines translated into 9+ languages; local nodes including CLiC (Argentina) and TOPLAP MX organize regular algoraves.

Assessment

What distinguishes an algorave from (a) a generative music performance and (b) a regular DJ set? Name one structural feature of the algorave format (from the guidelines) that encodes live coding’s political values.