Chloe MooreIreland’s underground music scene has been steadily growing, and at its heart is Injector—a collective making waves with its immersive events and custom-built sound system.
Inspired by the raw energy of European raves, they set out to create something unique, transforming unexpected spaces into unforgettable dance experiences.
In this interview, we dive into the story behind Injector, exploring their passion for sound system culture, the challenges of running large-scale independent events, and the creative vision that drives them. From building one of the country’s most powerful rigs to redefining nightlife in Ireland, Injector shares what fuels their movement and what’s next for the collective.
Can you tell us about the origins of Injector? What inspired you to start the collective?
After Covid, we visited many raves across central Europe and experienced an energy that we had not felt in Ireland before. We admired the culture and creativity of turning an ordinary place—such as underneath a bridge or an empty building—into a dance space. We were inspired to deliver a similar experience back home and create a community of our own.
How would you describe your atmosphere and the kind of experience you aim to create with your events?
Injector events always have an electric atmosphere created by the sound quality, immersive art, and communal feel. We aim to create an experience like nowhere else in Ireland. Each event has its own unique theme based on the location. From following glow sticks through a dark forest to entering a building designed like a pirate shipwreck, we want people to leave feeling like they just went on an adventure that they will look back on in twenty years—similar to how people discuss the iconic raves from the ’90s and early ’00s.
What does your sound system represent to you beyond just the technical aspects? Is it a cultural statement, a personal passion, or something more?
The sound system is the heart of the party for us. People come from all over the country to listen to it and feel the vibrations pumping through their bodies. Currently, it is made of fourteen bass bins and eight tops, including four 21” Paraflex subwoofers that we are building at this time. There is something symbolic about having an immense wall of sound and being able to sell out events without releasing a lineup, showing the influence that a sound system has. It is our biggest passion in what we do, but also a cultural statement for sure.
What makes a great sound system in your eyes?
Firstly, in regards to the technicalities—ensuring everything is tuned and EQ’d to create the perfect resonance, while also phase-aligning the system accordingly to gain the fullest sound. We run a five-way system, which reaches 20Hz to 20kHz to create a high-quality listening experience for our attendees.
On the flip side, the backstory behind each speaker can make a great sound system. Our 18” bins are all the way from Las Vegas, while some of our tops were used in long-gone nightclubs from the early 2000s in Ireland and have now been revived. Our kicks/subs are hand-built specifically for Injector’s style of sound.
Do you think Dublin’s music scene has enough appreciation for sound system culture? Are you trying to fill a gap or push it further?
Over the past two years, sound system culture has been on the rise in Ireland for sure. We see that people are becoming more interested in nightlife events where a local sound system is involved. But we really want to put Ireland on the map in terms of sound system culture. When you look at club events in Bristol, for instance, nearly every event has a sound system announcement on the poster. They have just as many fans as the acts themselves and can be a bigger drive for people to attend events. Often, only the sound system is announced with no lineup, and it’s a sellout. We are seeing this enthusiasm developing in Ireland, as the crews running custom rigs are growing. People are beginning to recognize that sound quality affects the atmosphere.
What’s the biggest challenge in running a custom sound system at parties, and how do you work around it?
As our sound system grows in scale, our distance from houses also needs to grow. We used to be able to run an event under 300m from a house, but now our minimum distance is over a kilometre. The biggest challenge outside of that is definitely transporting everything. Bringing all the equipment into forests where it has to be carried by hand is tough work. Collectively, our gear is well over a thousand kilograms. It gets quite intense when people forget their head torches and go flying over a tree root while walking backwards, with the event starting in less than two hours.
Regarding technicalities, power consumption is a massive factor. We have a highly efficient rig; however, with our new upgrades, even a 15kVA generator can be put to the test. This doesn’t help when you get a DJ who loves to see a solid red line when they play (redliners get the boot).
Do you see your work as purely about music and parties, or is there a deeper cultural or even political statement behind what you do?
When we decided to throw our first event, it was simply about putting together a good party, but Injector quickly developed into more than just an experience. This was influenced by the more we learned about sound system culture and grew to appreciate the parties that came before us, which paved the way—such as Tír Na gCasta, Creation, and Keep Her Lit. When we find ourselves exploring a forest and come across a perfect amphitheatre, bounded by trees, where a party with hundreds of attendees happened 10, 20, or even 30 years ago, there is something magical about knowing we are dancing in their footprints.
Rave culture inherently holds political statements when you look at its history, such as in the UK, where partygoers mobilized opposition to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Today, the underground scene in Ireland has exploded again in reaction to a combination of issues—the cost of living, the lack of infrastructure and restrictive hours for legal events, and the closure of spaces due to the Covid pandemic. While we are not politically motivated, our culture and values are tied to politics.
