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A Burner Lexicon: Oontz Oontz

Posted in A Burner Lexicon, and Burning Man

Oontz Oontz music in the wild. Original 'rave' image by Daisy Romwall.

Oontz Oontz, –adjective, There is a great deal of musical variety at Burns, but it’s clear that the vast majority of it is of the electronic variety; most of it features highly repetitive dance beats. Oontz Oontz is an onomatapoeic representation of the sound of this music.

Oontz oontz music is commonly found at noise camps and other venues frequented by ravers and hippies. Among other subgenres, Techno, trance, dubstep, and hardcore might be considered oontz oontz; it should be noted that the sound of dubstep is also sometimes referred to as Womp-Womp.

A word with a similar origin is the Australian ‘doof.’

An interesting, interactive beginner’s guide to the world of electronic music subgenres is Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music.

For many Burners, the constant repetitive beat becomes such a comforting part of the aural background that it’s absence is deeply disorienting during re-entry. Last year when we returned from Burning Flipside, my Pet and I had to play oontz oontz music in order to fall asleep during our first few nights back in the default world.

Other entries in A Burner Lexicon can be found at https://kitoconnell.com/lexicon/

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