Digital Assault

Digital Assault, like it's sister organization 8degrees.org, works on a not-for-profit basis. Digital Assault (formerly The Upstate Party Squad) was founded as a production company in upstate New York during the Summer of 2004. We have expanded our mission past simply producing events and we are now dedicated to cultivating a positive societal identity for purveyors of electronic music and building bridges between the supporters of the electronic music community and the general public.

The philosophical objective is to strengthen a culturally diverse expression of electronic music based on tolerance and cultural harmony. Through free and open communication, we focus on fostering an environment in which artists, supporters, enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts can thrive within a pluralistic society without compromising their essential values and beliefs.

AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH

Participants and members are drawn from two large and diverse groups of individuals:

1. Artists and their supporters seeking to improve their own understanding of electronic music and to practice their skills in the company of individuals committed to understanding the basic principles of a worldwide electronic music community, free of cultural biases;
2. Enthusiasts and other members of the community seeking to understand the electronic movement and to overcome negative perceptions of the electronic music scene.

OBJECTIVES

We intend to meet six key objectives over the next five years:

1. IDENTITY: To forge a positive identity that combines the best aspects of being both an individual and a member of a worldwide community.
2. EMPOWERMENT OF SUPPORTERS: To empower supporters to become spokespeople for a tolerant and harmonious electronic music community by encouraging them to identify with the essentials of the (human) musical experience that cuts across cultural boundaries.
3. BUILDING BRIDGES: To aid non-enthusiasts to overcome biases and negative perceptions by dismantling the common stereotypes and myths surrounding electronic music. Conversely, to work toward dismantling myths regarding non-enthusiasts held in parts of the electronic music community.
4. CULTURAL EXPRESSION: To explore and celebrate the role that various expressions of electronic music have played in contributing to world civilizations and to promote contemporary artists and their inclusion into the artistic fabric of our world.
5. EVOLUTION: Encouraging musical evolution in electronic and traditional media by engaging with other musical traditions that penetrate beyond different languages, practices and genres to the common substrate of the (human) musical experience.
6. POLITICS: To amplify arguments demonstrating that the electronic music community supports the principles of human rights, justice, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.

STRATEGIES

Our mission manifests itself through volunteer work; mentoring, peer development, cultural exchange, art programs, coalition building, community dialogue, educational workshops, movements (both physical, philosophical and social) as well as other special events.

1. DANCE: To advertise, display, use and combine the best aspects of dance as it can be interpreted, applied, remixed and analogized with music. To expound on the deep and rich human history that music has with dance, and how dance can be used to enhance, produce and engage with music. To free ourselves from various and all too common limiting factors found throughout daily life. Chief among them stress; boredom, apparently the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, possibly depression.
2. INFORMATION EXCHANGE: To spread ideas, thoughts, visions and information in all of its forms for the common good. To make information a global commodity based on human ingenuity and human spirit, rather than financial capital.
3. PEER DEVELOPMENT: To educate one another and share enriching experiences through academic, artistic, dramatic, and musical channels. Using unconventional talents and skills to face a changing society.
4. COMMUNICATION: To understand the importance of debate, discussion, weighing the pro's and con's. To welcome the voice of another as a third option, fourth or even fifth point of view. Taking suggestions or having a dialog even if it means breaking the norm. Some of the best ideas come from those of us that are rarely herd.
5. PROGRAMS: Sponsoring, producing, or otherwise encouraging music production via acoustic, electronic and non-traditional means. Engaging with other people by crossing into other genres and styles. Sincerely looking to include as many different faces and voices as possible in our actions. Sharing the joy that a common (musical) experience can bring.

We would like to thank all of our close friends, family members, co-workers and volunteer staff for their continued support.

We would also like to thank:

• Our hosting providers PenguinWebHosting.com and 8degrees.org for providing us with low-cost hosting and management services.
• Our domain name registrar Joker.com for prodiving us with free domain name services (DNS).
• And last, but certainly not least, our business sponsors who contribute in one way or another to our success...
  • Flores del Yunque - www.floresdelyunque.com
  • Energia Verde - www.energiaverdepr.com
  • The Law Offices of Marder & Gonzalez, L.L.C. - www.yourdisability.com
  • Facebook - www.facebook.com
  • MySpace (yes, them too) - www.myspace.com

The entirety of this website is published and distributed internationally* under the following Creative Commons Licenses. We highly encourage others, especially artists, to do the same.

Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States

Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Puerto Rico

Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 France

Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Italy

Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales

*Where appropriate, this publication may also be distributed under equivalent licensing models in jurisdictions that lack Creative Commons licensing statutes.