East London party collective Colors have been making substantial waves over the past 18 months, throwing some of the most talked about nights in the East end. Whilst they have had the likes of Boo Williams, Move D and Dan Ghenacia making appearances behind the decks, it’s been the spectacle in front of them that’s really set the night apart from the rest.

Tropical themes, fancy dress, gaudy colours; It’s not hard to imagine why they have gained such notoriety in such a short space of time. In an age of hefty fees for star-studded line-ups to man the mixer; this ‘word-of-mouth’ party has stripped things back to their original and bare essentials – a brilliant atmosphere; great music; and a lot of fun. Such a simple premise, which seems altogether lost and forgotten when you look at some other events across the capital.

With their success they have been able to fly the Colors banner abroad, holding events as far afield as Istanbul, Berlin and most recently (closer to home) taking over room 3 at Fabric. But that’s not to say they’re diluting their style. Be sure to don your patterned shirt; shimmy into your spandex; and draw for the feather boa! If you want to go into a Colors party you have to GO IN for a Colors party!

Upon their return to the UK, Colors launched their own label, primarily showcasing one of their resident DJs, Remi Mazet. The 4 track EP is a wonderful disco jaunt, with a beautiful blend of cosmic electronica and house-ier elements, complimented by a nice remix by Ivan Smagghe on the B.

In between all the parties, the decorating, the dressing up…we managed to grab a few moments with the Colors crew to rack their brains about the night’s genesis, upcoming output for the label from Stephane Ghenacia and Boo Williams, and so much more..

From club night to record label, it’s a well-trodden yet understandable route. Was launching a label always part of the plan, or something borne out of the success of the parties?

We started the night because we wanted to share our passion for music, we are a crew of music lovers. Nothing has been really planned, everything has grown organically from the night. Since we have been making music,  this was something natural and organically the label was born. We’re not starting a label because of the success of the parties, Colors is not just a party, it’s a community ; it’s a social gathering; it’s a celebration; and also a promotion the genre of music we love. All of us wanted Colors to give back something creative in terms of music and enjoyment.

Colors regular Remi Mazét offers up the first 12”. Can we expect output from the usual suspects in the early stages?

Yes, you can expect more stuff coming out from artists that has been involved in the parties and remixes from guests. Guilhem is following the line with a remix from Boo Williams and then Stephane is coming up next. Regarding the future stay tuned and watch this space!

It seems partly what has made the parties so successful is the decision to embrace the role of the resident DJ. In a time when booking big name DJs to fill arenas seems the overriding trend, it’s a decision that’s set you apart. What inspired it?

It’s not just a party it’s also a spirit. We started the party with resident DJs and secret line-ups, because for us was it was a way of building a crowd and a vibe that would attract a particular music lover and friend, not randoms. We decided since the beginning to not use big names for the promotion of the night to try to focus more on our crowd. To basically to build the vibe from the first flame. We wanted to create a place where people can interact, and have a special connection with each other’s. It was a word of mouth party…people come for the fun not for the DJ.

For anyone yet to discover the party, how would you describe a typical Colors shindig?

Colourful! Friendly! Welcoming! Uplifting! And Cosmic!

We obviously can’t not talk about the dress code. A calculated marketing decision, or just a bit of fun?

We created the colour theme to unite a crowd and it’s a great way to interact with each other’s. It has nothing to do with marketing. Colors is not a fancy dress party, wearing something in a particular colour is a very simple and everyone can do that. And looking at a crowd wearing the same thing its visually engaging ! It is just great !

You’re just back from a European tour, sharing the love from Berlin to Istanbul. Has the Colors ethos been embraced wherever you’ve gone?

Yes, we are trying our best to bring the whole concept wherever we go.

When Colors were invited to host room 3 at Fabric earlier this month, you transformed the space with your very distinctive touch. But how do you enforce the dress code?

We try our best, word of mouth. We cannot oblige the people, but we always hope that people will make the effort. You don’t need to be dressed up, but people feel better because they are part of it. It’s like when you are in a festival: when you are not dressed up, you don’t feel part of it, so the next time you come, you want to be part of it.

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