Former Neo-Nazi Hate Group Chief Says He Was "Deradicalized" by Raves and Home Music

A former neo-Nazi who as soon as unfold hate by means of violent music has revealed an surprising path to redemption: rave tradition and digital dance music.

Arno Michaelis was as soon as the lead singer of a neo-Nazi metallic band and a outstanding member of Hammerskin Nation, some of the harmful white supremacist skinhead gangs within the US. Right now, he works as an anti-hate activist with organizations like Mother and father for Peace, serving to to deradicalize others caught in extremist actions.

Michaelis lately appeared on Enterprise Insider‘s “Licensed Account” collection, during which he opened up about how raves performed a vital function in his journey away from extremism.

“My deradicalization course of was the Midwest rave scene,” Michaelis stated. “Inside a yr and a half of leaving the hate group, I discovered myself on the South Aspect of Chicago, 4 within the morning on Sunday, shaking my ass to deal with music with 3,000 individuals of each doable ethnicity, socioeconomic background, gender identification, sexual orientation—and loving each minute of it.”

From 1987 to 1994, Michaelis was deeply embedded in white supremacist actions, along with his band Centurion promoting over 20,000 copies of its hateful albums in simply six months. His days, he recalled, had been marked by violence, paranoia, habit and crime.

Michaelis stated he severed ties along with his hate group after seven years of dwelling “in fixed concern” and located himself attending raves in Chicago, which is universally thought of the birthplace of home music. He famous that the scene “took over and crammed these wants of identification, objective and belonging” that had initially drawn him to extremism.

“Within the rave scene of the ’90s, their mantra was ‘peace, love, unity and respect,'” Michaelis stated, highlighting the stark distinction to his earlier worldview.

You may watch his interview on Enterprise Insider‘s “Licensed Account” collection under.