ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the increasingly blurred divisions between work and play bring to light new situations which people seek to resolve within the new economy by means of new approaches to work, namely the quest for unalienated labour – for many it is indeed the 'sea change' one has while still working. In many ways, what people are seeing is the reinscription of old, romantic ideas of the struggling artist into new and/or previously industrialized sectors of the economy; subcultural entrepreneurs and other creative industry workers are becoming actors starving for their art, but being willing to discount their labour to do what they love: Kriedler's 'cultural discount'. Subcultural studies' renaissance around electronic dance music culture has revived debates around the question of the relationship between subcultures, class and consumption. In the nineties Raves, clubbing and electronic music, the drug ecstasy and 'techno' music generally became synonymous with cutting edge youth style.
