Chandler Shortlidge wrote more about this phenomenon in his article on Pulse Radio, and here are some interesting stuff.
It’s an eye-opening window into what clubbers looked like back then—even perennially black-clad techno titan Richie Hawtin wore white in the DJ booth. The crowd, too, are similarly unrecognisable, dressed in all manner of colourful regalia and styles, a far cry from the VIP wannabes who grace today’s Ibiza dance floors, copies of a copy of the DJ and their hangers on. More than their 2017 replacements, these 2006 clubbers look “normal,” for lack of a better word, like they’re trying much less hard to fit in, appear rich or have an “image.” Put simply, they look like they’re there to have fun instead of be seen looking cool to the “right” kind of music.
Black is a statement. It gives you a “look,” and fairly uncomplicatedly. It says you’re damn serious about life, and have neither the time nor the inclination to faff about with silly colour combinations and patterns. Nobody should ever mistake you as the type of person to listen to anything but dark music played in dark rooms with unsmiling people who want their clothes to be the physical extension of the abstract ideas that techno brings to the dance floor. And for the most part, it works. Nobody sees a monochrome press shot of two dudes dressed in tight black tee shirts and skinny jeans staring forlornly away from the camera and thinks, “maybe those guys play lots of disco!”
But most importantly, wearing black tells people you’re “in the know.” And in a subculture like dance music, where superior knowledge is traded like cultural capital, being in the know is basically everything. Showing up to an after party as the only dickhead dressed in yellow screams “I’m new here,” which won’t exactly earn you a surprise invitation into the green room for a cheeky one with the cool kids.
So why stand out when you can fit it? Why do colour when you can do black and white so everyone easily understands your message and branding without actually having to listen to your music? Why risk alienating hoards of punters who want more of the same images, sounds and ideas? It’s just not worth the risk. Or maybe you actually can still play and dance to great thundering techno without looking like an undertaker’s hip young apprentice, and there’s just too few people willing to try. Which seems pretty damn silly when you stop and remember that we’re talking about a scene that was born celebrating diversity, individualism, and creativity.
In the end, your fashion choices are yours and yours alone. And if you still want to wear back all the time, by all means, do what makes you happy. But nobody said you have to, and the party will still be just as fun if you decide to show up looking a little different than everyone else.
Read the full article here and let us know your thoughts.
