BERLIN, GERMANY- Growing up in the ’90s, I found myself captivated by magazines such as SPIN and Rolling Stone, which keenly observed how music and fashion were deeply intertwined, largely inspired by localized trends. Cities incubated their unique scenes: the ’60s saw the hippie movement bloom in San Francisco; post-punk thrived in Manchester, and glam was the beat of New York in the ’70s; while the ’80s were marked by SoCal’s skate punk and LA’s Metal scene. The ’90s fostered Seattle’s Grunge and Brixton’s Trip Hop, to name a few. In the 2000s, the indie hipster movement offered a potpourri of city-centric vibes ranging from Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Austin to New York and Portland, each city echoing its distinct sound and style deeply rooted in its community.
Today’s artists often leverage technology to make a name for themselves, rather than building a reputation within a local scene. Yet, post-Covid, there’s a discernible resurgence of place-specific genres like Austin Psych Rock, Parisian Rap, Los Angeles Darkwave, and London Emo.
Electronic music may not seem to have the grassroots beginnings intrinsic to live music, but its roots are no less potent. In an abandoned electrical power plant in Berlin, a unique strain of dark techno emerged, permeating the global underground. Berlin DJs, many of them recognized as resident artists from renowned venues like Berghain, Tresor, Watergate, and Kit Kat, now animate the LA after-hours warehouse circuit. As in past scenes, music inspires fashion, evident in the way Berlin’s techno parties intersect with the bondage movement.
BDSM became both popular and taboo in the late ’80s and early ’90s, with many industrial metal artists integrating its fashion into their shows and music videos. However, it was with the rise of Berlin’s most famous club, Berghain, that the style resurfaced. While donning latex and BDSM-associated mods might raise eyebrows in many cities, it seemed perfectly natural to the crowd lining two blocks to enter the Kit Kat pre-party for the German Fetish Ball.
Kit Kat was a unique club experience, with its poolside hangouts and labyrinthine dance rooms hosting sexual performances. The roster included German DJs such as Thenai_AF, Rudi Rachmann, Inverse Element, DJ Pandemonium & Evilyn13, Sebo Christopher Lawrenz, Andreas Barth, the figurehead, and Faray. The techno-themed sex dungeon offered an experience different from the dark, warehouse-style Berghain-inspired parties I had attended across Europe and the US.
The German Fetish Ball continued the next day at Spindler & Klatt, an erstwhile military complex. The runway show featured the work of Dallas, Texas latex fashion brand Dan Miga Designs, and Berlin’s own Jaded Jewall. Dark techno vibes by Hedo and DJane, prominent talents of the Berlin underground scene, accompanied the sado-masochistic latex vixens and studs parading down the runway.
I’ve been to several fetish-themed runway events across Europe and the States, yet none have been as unique in experience as the one at the German Fetish Ball. The sonic and visual artistic impression is unparalleled globally, and while elements of the Berlin scene have found their way into mainstream music videos, witnessing Berlin’s techno club scene firsthand is a dark, surreal fantasy.
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