Plunging Necklines By The Ghost of Techno's Past: A New Niche Music Initiative

Mumbai nightlife got to witness a brand new music event this past week dedicated to post-punk, industrial, new wave and electronic body music (EBM). ‘Plunging Necklines’ started by city boy Abhi Meer under the name The Ghost of Techno’s Past defies current trends in electronic dance music and instead takes attendees on a tour through important genres of music that directly influenced modern dance music. The initiative name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to how homogeneity in techno music has even spread to some of the subculture's sartorial choices.

Abhi Meer came up with a mission to start Plunging Necklines after realising how under-served fans of the above-mentioned genres were in the city of Mumbai. What started as a Facebook group to unify listeners of EBM/industrial/dark wave/electro/new beat/post-punk music grew on to become a gathering for avid listeners.

The curiosity for ‘Plunging Necklines’ grew with each passing day as like-minded listeners kept sharing music they liked on the event's private Facebook group. Finally, a venue was locked down and the event went public. The Little Easy in Bandra West hosted the first edition of Plunging Necklines and the event was marketed altogether differently from regular club music events and listening sessions, bringing together people with common music tastes in an informal setting where the focus was shifted away from the DJ and onto social interaction and music sharing instead.

Musically, the first edition featured EBM, new-wave and new beat, electro, italo-disco and lots of post-punk. Songs by Drab Majesty, Front 242, Alien Sex Fiend, Nitzer Ebb, Cabaret Voltaire, The Cure, Roxy Music, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and more blared through the speakers leaving audiences in a very satisfied tizzy.

The first gathering of Plunging Necklines had about 75 people in attendance which was far more than I had expected there to be. I thought it was only appropriate to gather feedback from those who were there and from what I was told, people got along well, drank a bunch and had a good time listening to everything from Front 242 to Einsturzende Neubaten to Roxy Music and The Cure. We have another party scheduled for mid-August and when the time is right, I hope to take the gathering to other cities as well. - Abhi Meer