The history of Kandi Kids: PLUR, rave culture, and the code of the bracelet
Kandi kids, also known as Kandi Ravers, are vibrant members of American rave culture. Known for their bright neon attire and joyful spirit, they create, wear, and trade colourful handmade bracelets. They foster friendship and positive vibes revolving around the PLUR belief.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- A Kandi kid is part of a wholesome subculture within the American EDM scenes, known for creating, wearing, and trading colourful, handmade beaded bracelets.
- Kandi bracelets originated in the early 1990s rave scene, initially worn by drug dealers to signal their presence, but they evolved to become a symbol of friendship.
- Kandi ravers typically wear bright, neon, and rainbow-coloured attire.
- The PLUR code was coined by DJ Frankie Bones in 1993 during a NYC rave.
Exploring the Kandi kids' meaning
A Kandi kid is a member of a wholesome subculture within American rave and electronic dance music (EDM) scenes. They are known for creating, wearing, and trading handmade beaded bracelets called Kandi. Some of the typical characteristics of Kandi ravers include:
- Wear stacks of colourful, handmade beaded Kandi bracelets.
- Dress in bright neon, rainbow colours, sparkles, feathers, chains, and outlandish (cartoon-themed children's clothes) festival outfits.
- They are outgoing, friendly, quick to make friends, and talk to everyone at raves.
- Prefer techno and happy hardcore EDM genres.
- Use dedicated rave names or aliases.
- Carry stuffed animals, glow sticks, and playful accessories like cartoon motifs.
Source: Getty Images
Evolution of Kandi
Kandi bracelets originated in the early 1990s among drug dealers attending electronic dance music (EDM) scenes, possibly linked to "candy" slang for drugs. Drug dealers adorned Kandi bracelets so that customers would easily spot them, as most people attending these raves would lift their arms.
By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kandi ravers shifted to a more wholesome expression, with makers using colourful pony beads in intricate patterns. Today, at Kandi raves and festivals, these bracelets signify belonging, with some venues once banning them due to myths, but now fully embracing them.
A look at PLUR: Code of the Kandi bracelets
In July 1993, while performing at a rave party in the Bronx, New York City, DJ Frankie Bones broke up a fight that had emerged from his audience, prompting him to pick up the microphone. He angrily announced,
You better start showing some peace, love, and unity or I will break your faces!
Unknowingly, he created a code for the kandi rave culture, PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect), which has been used decades later. Eventually, a handshake was formed to ritualise the exchange of Kandi. Participants form peace signs (Peace), hearts (Love), flat palms (Unity), and interlocked fingers (Respect), then exchange bracelets and hug.
Source: UGC
The iconic Kandi trade
The iconic Kandi trade is a special ritual among Kandi kids, where one gifts an individual whose vibe and good energy they really appreciate. In a March 3, 2017, interview with LA Weekly, Andreas George, a renowned DJ based in the San Fernando Valley, explained what a Kandi trade symbolises. He said,
Each kandi trade represents a memory of the person who traded it to you. In a sense, when a raver wears kandi on their arm, they are wearing their past memories and experiences with their fellow ravers.
This trade is performed using the PLUR handshake, as explained below:
- Peace: Form a peace sign with your index and middle fingers and touch your fingertips to the other person's.
- Love: Make half of a heart shape with your fingers and meet the other person's half to complete the heart.
- Unity: Interlock your fingers by clasping hands, similar to a high five.
- Respect: Transfer the Kandi bracelet one at a time through your interlocked hands to the other person.
- A hug often follows this exchange ritual.
Source: Instagram
Trivia
- The Kandi movement emphasises drug-free high experiences fueled by music, especially EDM.
- The bright coloured accessories associated with the Kandi culture have led some to mistakenly associate it with the love of anime and the Harajuku district of Japan.
Final word
Kandi kids excel in crafting and exchanging bead bracelets while celebrating connection, positivity, and the joy of music. Their exchanges use the unique PLUR handshake ritual and are dressed in playful outfits with neon and cartoon themes, which make them stand out.
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