Portraying the genre-bending, internationally underground sounds of today, Colors Berlin is reshaping the way we see music. Their unbelievably satisfying aesthetic is infiltrating the industry and exposing many artists who would be overlooked by the rapidly developing technological age and the short attention spanned youth of today; myself included. From hip-hop hotshots like J.I.D, to Afro trap almighties like Not3s, and indie icons like Mac Demarco, the sheer variety Colors studios offers is enough to capture the hearts of the next generation of music lovers. The craving of the modern human to find the next best big band, or upcoming individual, has brought about success for many multimedia platforms and allowed them to showcase their most favourite talents. Quite frankly though, there is no one quite doing it like Colors.
What I love about Berlin-based music platform, is the sheer simplicity of their set up, meaning it really is the music that matters. Oddly enough, the blocked Colors chosen for the individual artists, are a true representation of the music they make, and the personality they possess. Expressing the musician’s different character’s creates a more personal, intimate connection between their audiences and themselves.
In an age of music without any real scenes, and the internet subconsciously blurring all genres into one, it is platforms like Colors that keeps communities of fans together and makes them feel part of a movement. Historically, genres like punk rock and hip-hop have been invigorated by unique styles and fashion. However, Berlin Colors certainly champions artists who fit in with the streetwear lifestyle and break down boundaries between male and female fashion. One minute you have Flohio, a Nigerian born rapper who lives in London, wearing her 97s and a French striped top. Then, you have Rome Fortune waltzing in with a Cruella De vil-esque animal fur hat and hoodie, looking like your Granny if she was given a fiver to go an pick out some garms in Oxfam. But this mastering of self-expression is what makes Colors so interesting, and the artists who are apart of it too.
Brands in the calibre of Adidas are starting to collab with the platform now as well, dressing up the likes of French MC ‘Lefa’ in iconic football shirts. This connection to popular culture is satisfying for fans like myself and makes the programme that little more intriguing. Does Not3s support Man Utd? Does J.I.D really support Real Madrid? I highly doubt it, but it raises a few questions.
For many musicians, being asked to perform on Colors could be a career-defining moment, enlightening a newfound following to their music. The international status it withholds is very appealing to the likes of Yellow Days, who is starting to gain as much of an American fan base as he is British. His style fits perfectly with the LA indie scene, but if it wasn’t for Colors, he may never have got the opportunity to build on his crowd. Some of my favourite episodes have come from people I’d never heard of prior to watching their video; Serious Kleins’ performance of ‘91 Flex’ is so sick, a real gem jammed between Jorja Smith and Daniel Caesar, who played before and after him respectively.
The avant-garde masterpiece that is Colors has exposed me to so many new artists from all over the world, if I am ever stuck for new talents I can count on the show to rekindle my love for music. Colors is simply a show for the curious, anyone who’s obsessed with finding originality and new forms of musical self-expression. Get on it. One video will have you hooked.