Electronic dance music artists typically dress casually in t-shirts and jeans, reflecting the relaxed nature of dance music. This casual style allows fans to relate to artists and feel comfortable at shows. While some artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry use extravagant costumes to promote their brands, dance artists prefer to let the music speak for itself. However, some exceptions like Deadmau5 and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs use memorable costumes relating to their stage names. For a magazine cover profile, the new dance artist will also dress casually in shorts, t-shirt and sunglasses to relate to fans and represent the relaxed Ibiza beach party theme of the issue.

1. Rusko Disclosure
Benga
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Deadmau5
Artists within the genre of electronic dance music tend to dress
very casually; their costume is generally made up ofrelaxed-wear
such as t-shirts and jeans and this reflects the kind of music they
like, as dance music tends to be liberal and free and captures the
spirit of release experienced in a club environment.

2. Artists within other genres often use costumes to reflect their
unique star image or to successfully sell records. Lady Gaga, for
example, dresses exuberantly and extravagantly to suggest a
crazy persona, whilst Katy Perry uses a type of costume that
enhances her sexual appeal and will encourage sales because of
this. Dance artists tend not to favour gimmicks like this, seeing
them as cheap and shallow. They know that the music can sell by
itself and speak for itself.
There is not as much pressure for dance artists to have a significant
and easily identifiable ‘look’ or visual personality to their star
image, as their identity is usually presented almost exclusively
through their music. In a club, you do not, for example, see the DJ
or artist playing the set. They almost hide behind their music, while
the focus of the listeners is exclusively on this too as they become
lost in it and entranced by it. Artists within other music genres,
meanwhile, are always at the forefront, the main focus, with
spotlights on them, along with the attention of their fans. However,
dance music is different, with listeners not as aware of the visual
identity of their favourite DJs, etc. This is another reason why
dance artists opt for a more casual and less extravagant
appearance.
However there are exceptions; artists such as Totally Enormous
Extinct Dinosaurs, and Deadmau5 (as pictured above) tend to
wear wacky, extravagant outfits such as a mouse head or
dinosaur costume, which relate to their names and so the
audience remember them by their strong star image. However,
again, they are remembered mostly for their costumes/music
rather than their faces/who they are as a person, again, their
identity/face/themselves not being the main focus.
The casual costume that is favoured by dance artists will usually
reflect or inspire the fashion choices of their audience of dance
music listeners. They too will wear t-shirts, jeans and other high
street fashion items. This is effective, as it allows the listeners of

3. dance to relate to the music more and to let loose in the
presence of them when they are playing a set; they will not feel
intimidated or inhibited.
The colours tend to be one of two choices; either muted colours
with grey tops (such as Benga and Rusko), and dark jeans or
bright/light coloured tops with jeans (like Disclosure). Generally it is
suited to their location, for example, if the picture was set in a
beach setting they would be wearing a tshirt and shorts.
I will be following the majority of artists within the genre, and
opting for a casual look for my cover artist, who will be wearing
shorts, a tshirt, and sunglasses. This is because my artist, as a new
artist he will want to be able to relate to the readers and also
because he is all about the music – gimmicks are not his thing,
and he prefers to let the music speak for itself. The fact he will be
wearing shorts and sunglasses will also be reflective of the fact my
magazine will be the ‘Ibiza Issue’ and it will talk about how he is
doing his first tour within Ibiza, therefore, the costume will
effectively signal setting and go with the Ibiza feel of my images.
His t-shirt will also link with the genre of his music – drum and bass –
as it will have ‘RUN DNB’ in the style of a ‘RUN DMC’ (famous
rap/hip hop group) t-shirt; the audience will recognise this clever
use of wording on the tshirt, and so it will help emphasis the
‘tongue-in-cheek’ feel of the images. The sunglasses will also be
colourful and funky to reflect the summer/party vibe the
magazine is trying to show.