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EAST RUTHERFORD Computer beats are eclipsing rock riffs on the concert scene, as electronic music has become the soundtrack for teen rebellion.

"Rave" parties, debaucherous techno dance gatherings, are crossing over from the underground to the mainstream, and stirring up controversy in the process. The rebirth of rave culture is coupled with a comeback of the club drug Ecstasy, or MDMA.

The Electric Daisy Carnival, the countrys largest remix mega-fest, is making its Garden State debut at MetLife Stadium in May. Tickets were sold out within three hours of going on sale earlier this month.

"Were witnessing an explosion of electronic dance music in America," says Kerri Mason, a Billboard magazine columnist. "Young people arent going to see big rock bands in this cultural moment. Right now, with the recession, things are kind of marginal and bordering on crappy and all kids want to do is bounce around to happy dance music.

"Its communal. Its energetic," he says.

Its also alarming to parents and public health advocates. Electric Daisy Carnival was banished from its hometown, Los Angeles, after a 15-year-old girl died of an Ecstasy overdose two years ago. It relocated to Las Vegas last summer and drew an audience of 230,000 with no fatalities. Two drug-related deaths were reported, however, at an EDC spinoff in Dallas the same month.

Unprecedented safety measures are being mapped out for the MetLife tour stop on May 19-20. It will be the first Meadowlands concert with an 18-plus age restriction.

"We encourage adult responsibility among our fans," says Erika Raney, spokeswoman for Electric Daisy organizer, Insomniac Events, via e-mail. "MetLife Stadium has well-planned security procedures in place. Insomniac works closely with local and regional law enforcement at all events."

Thousands of glowstick-twirling fans are expected to sway around four stages as the sports complexs parking lot is transformed into a psychedelic theme park with rides and a vendor village. The lineup includes U.K. remix pioneers Fatboy Slim and John Digweed.

"Making the show 18 and older is a way for the promoters to protect themselves," says Jersey-based concert promoter John Scher, whose credits span from the Grateful Dead and Bruce Springsteen to the problem-plagued Woodstock 99.

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Electronic music mega-festival getting slapped with Meadowlands' first concert age restriction