Bakala

Bakalas, also known as Makineros, were a music-based subculture that originated in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain, which formed around the musical genres of Mákina or Bakalao. It was rooted in Spain's clubbing culture during the Spanish transition to democracy and the Movida Valenciana and mainly flourished during the 1980s, 1990s and to a lesser extent the 2000sBakala | Todas Las Tribus Urbanas (Blogspot) | Source Language: Spanish. One of these clubbing movements was the Ruta Destroy or Ruta del Bakalao, which was the first one in Spain and the largest one ever. People from various corners of Europe would drive over to the city of Valencia to experience its nightlife.
Stereotypically, Bakalas were described as low-middle class people who were interested in Electronic Dance Music (and most notably Mákina/ Bakalao). It was also a type of nightlife in the city of Valencia, where thousands of young people would host Hard Techno parties, stay up for several days and consume drugs, although that also brought really bad medical and legal consequences for the sceneWhat Does Bakala Mean? | QSignifica | Source Language: Spanish. Nowadays, the Bakala movement has evidently fallen out of popularity, although it's remembered by many nostalgic adults in the country.
==History==
The origins of the Bakala subculture can be traced back to the 80s, when Electronic Dance Music-based scenes and movements first appeared in Germany and the Netherlands and later spreadeded all over Europe.
Valencia played a significant role in the development of Spain's clubbing culture during the 1980s. Following the death of dictator and caudillo Francisco Franco in 1975, the country entered the era known as the "Spanish transition to democracy", which supossed heavy cultural and societal changes in Spanish society. However, that also implied that the laws of the newly-estabilished Spanish democratic kingdom weren't completely fully estabilished. Such countercultural movements that appeared in many Spanish cities were Las Movidas, and among them, the Movida Valenciana which coincided with the growing interest in nightlife and Electronic Dance Music in the Valencian Community. It's safe to say that it was the predecessor of the Bakala subculture.
Because of the heavy censorship of the media in the Spanish state during Francoist rule, the society of the time was largely unaware of certain themes such as nightlife, drugs or freedom of sexuality, since they didn't align with fascist political values. Consequently, these activities became something "new" and "exciting" for the youngest generations. Spanish contemporary historians still don't have a general consensus on when the Ruta Destroy officially started, but it at least started to emerge in the 1980s along with the other socio-cultural movements in Spain. The town of Cullera in the Valencian Community is often cited as a starting point for these early clubbing experiences.
This new cultural phenomenon attracted international music acts, particularly from England and Germany, fostering a unique musical scene that resonated across Spain and other zones of western Europe. Throughout the 1980s, Valencia became a main destination of cultural and musical interest for those who wanted to experience this new emerging nightlife and music. Although the Ruta Destroy movement was pretty much "underground" during its early years, it was later brought to the attention of the media due to the increase of drug use and HIV/AIDS cases. Since 1992 the movement's reputation was heavily harmed by the media and police intervention became more common in the nightclubs, leading to a quick decline of the scene.
===Resurgence===
Nowadays, the Bakala movement is almost fully gone except for the many nostalgic adults in Spain that remember it. Such examples are communities like Makineros 90's, which sell merch inspired by the original subculture and promote Mákina revival events and musicmakineros.com | Source Language: Spanish. The subculture used to be somewhat stigmatized in Valencia at some point because of the former controversies, although nowadays its making a small comeback"Valencia ya no se sonroja con la Ruta del Bakalao: la reivindicación del entusiasmo y el miedo" | El Confidencial | Source Language: Spanish. The comeback of Mákina is often called "Remember" in Spain, and some examples of Remember groups are La Resistencia, Megapanic, Remember paradise, Makineros XXL, Makina Legends, Vulkan, Barcelona Remember Festival or Love the 90's¿Qué es el Remember? | wololosound.com | Source Language: Spanish. In relation to modern participation in the subculture, the term "Neo-Bakala" is sometimes also used in Madrid"La escena nostálgica neo-bakala: transformación y ritualización musical de la cultura juvenil Bakala"| OpenEdition | Source Language: Spanish. The definition isn't completely solidified, since some Spanish trios like VVV [Trippin’you], who are from Madrid, are cited as examples of "Neo-Bakala", although their music is obviously very different from the original movement and rather leans towards Post-Punk or New Wave.
==Visuals==
The visuals associated with Bakalas can be noted in album cover arts, flyers, posters and nightclub logos, and sometimes in musical videos; however many of them got lost or became rare.
Some common characteristics seen in Mákina are:
*Y2K technology
*Bats (a traditional symbol of the Valencian Community)
*Color changes
*Bakala and Cybergoth fashion
*Converted cars (referencing the Ruta Destroy)
*Logos from Valencian/Spanish nightclubs
==Fashion==
Common characteristics of Bakala fashion are:
*Sportswear and tracksuits
*Asymmetrical clothing
*Unstructered shirts/dresses
*Shirts featuring band logos (such as Boy London or Destroy)
*Bomber jackets
*Blunt sneakers
*Feathers (most commonly seen in jackets)
*Sports caps
*Tight clothing
*Odd hair accessories such as hair brushes
==Activities==
*Attending Raves and nightclubs
*Listening to most genres of Electronic Dance Music
*Staying up for several days
*Taking long and fast road trips, mainly to the city of Valencia
*Blasting music in cars
*Consuming stimulating drugs, typically cocaine and amphetamine
*Engaging in excessive sexual activity
==Music==
Mákina, sometimes also called Bakalao, is an electronic musical genre that developed in Spain during the 1990s, along with the Raver subculture and the Movida Valenciana. With the rise of clubbing culture in Valencia, the Mákina movement became successful all over Spain, and even in North East England, and to a lesser extent, Japan and France. The songs are characterized by their bouncy and catchy electronic rhythm and they are usually fast paced and usually have a tempo ranging from 150 to 180 BPM. Mákina music was also heavily influenced by Acid House, Industrial Dance Music, New Beat, Hardcore Techno and Happy Hardcore. A lot of Mákina songs that were popular during the Ruta Destroy are now collected in various albums and compilations.
Interestingly, Mákina has stayed strong as a subculture and music genre in North East England and Scotland, although it remains as a movement very distinct from the original Valencian scene"Makina: the UK subculture you've probably never heard of" | BBC. The genre has also gained its place in the Japanese Dōjin scene (independent music circles)Mákina | Rate Your Music, sometimes getting mixed with J-core.
===Musical Artists===
*Chasis
*Chimo Bayo
*Dany Bpm
*Dj Ruboy
*Dj Skudero
*Gerard Requena
*Julio Posadas
*Kike Boy
*Megabeat
*Paco Pil
*Pont Aeri
*X-que
*Xavi Metralla
===Songs===
*Apology 2000 by Maskara
*Arrivarriva by Z 100
*Asi me gusta a mi by Chimo Bayo
*Back to Roots by Analogic
*Boom Chaka by Dagon
*Broken Dreams by Emphassis
*C'est si bon by B.P.M System
*Clarity by PJ Makina
*Controla by Nacho Division
*Ecuador by Sash!
*El Bosque de Colores by Nau B-3
*Fly Attack by Pont Aeri
*Flying Free by Pont Aeri
*Forever by Trinity-X
*It's A Dream by Fraktal 1
*Jump 4 Joy by Silent
*My Rubber Ducky by Tommy M
*No Cambies by ASAP
*La Linea de la Vida by X-que
*L'Estaca by Dj Richard & Johnny Bass
*Snartz by Antonio & Cristiano
*Take A Trip by Pont Aeri
*The First Rebirth by Jones & Stephenson
*This is your Dream by Pont Aeri
*Viva La Fiesta by Paco Pil
*Y Venga by Vengadores
===Albums===
*Bit Music Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
*Bit Music Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
*Bit Music Greatest Hits, Vol. 3
*Bit Music Greatest Hits, Vol. 4
*Bit Music Greatest Hits, Vol. 5
*Bit Music Selection, Vol. 1
*Makinator IV
*La Ruta Destroy (Valencia) Vol. 2
*Sonido De Valencia - 1990 - 1999
*Techno Valencia - El Mejor Techno de Los 90s
*Techno Valencia Mix (The History) Back to the 90's Vol. 3
*Techno Valencia Vol.1 (Sonido de Valencia)
==Media==
===Nightclubs===
*ACTV (1986-1996)
*Arabesco (1990-2007)
*Barraca (1965-Present)
*Chocolate (1980-2004)Historia del Club | discotecachocolate.com | Source Language: Spanish
*Distrito 10 (1982-1994)
*Espiral (Late 70s-1995)
*Pont Aeri (1991-2012)
*Puzzle (1986-2011)
*Scorpia Central del Sonido (1993-2003)
*Spook (1984-Present)
*The Face (1981-2004)
===TV Shows===
*La Ruta/The Route (2022)
==Trivia==
*The winner song for Eurovision 2023 (Tattoo by Loreen) sampled Flying Free by Pont Aeri, one of the most iconic songs of the Bakala movement.
==External Links==
External resources can help you get a better understanding of this movement.
*makineros.com
*larutadelbacalao.com
*generacionmakina.com
*makinamania.net - A forum about Mákina music.
*MDT Radio - A radio based in Valencia that focuses on 80s-90s Techno music.
*Spektra FM - Same as above.
*scorpia.net - The official website of Scorpia Central del Sonido.
*discotecachocolate.com The official website of the Chocolate nightclub.
==Gallery==
chimobayo.jpg|Chimo Bayo
MariaKeFisherman.png|Maria Ke Fisherman's collection based on Bakala fashion
Makina3.png|The actors from "La Ruta", a TV show inspired by Ruta Destroy
220308 Secuencias-La-ruta-grafica 32-1024x536.jpg|A Ruta Destroy exhibition in the IVAM museum, Valencia. (2022)
Makinaaa.jpg
makina2.jpg
LaRuta.png
TheStoneRoses.png|The Stone Roses at Barraca, Valencia (1989)
===Flyers===
bakala1.jpg
bakala7.jpeg
bakala4.jpg
bakala3.jpg
6e9a32d66063a0eca2c21e85e124900d.jpg
bakala5.jpg
bakala6.jpg
bakala2.jpg
===Cover Arts===
Artworks-qJIByutP4SATFETr-esqDzQ-t500x500.jpg
scorpia.png
nightpower.png
technovalencia.jpg
ChimoBayoAsi.png
PonteLaMarcha.png
MaquinaTotal.png
KaosTheory.png
TechnoTrax.png
vivalafiesta.png
==References==
Category:Subcultures and Stereotypes
Category:Spanish
Category:Catalan
Category:1990s
Category:Music
Category:Music Genre
Category:Movement
Category:Fashion
Category:Fashion Styles
Category:Nostalgia/Nostalgic
Category:Raver
Category:1980s
Category:2000s
Category:Youthful
Category:Colorful
Category:Rainbow
Category:Black
Category:White