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Krocha (or Kracher) was a short-lived youth subculture in Austria, primarily prevalent in Vienna during the late-2000s. The term, meaning "to crash into" (einkrochn) in the Viennese dialect, was coined by DJ Stefan Berndorfer (Stee Wee Bee). Although peaking in popularity in 2008, the term had already been circulating for some time prior.

This youth culture was notable for its musical taste involving genres like Schranz, Jumpstyle, and other subgenres of Techno. Another distinct element was their fashion style, characterized by Palestinian scarves, tanned skin, caps, and shaved hairstyles with patterns. They also made up their own words, drawing inspiration from Viennese slang and immigrant languages. This subculture was mainly popular among teenagers and focused on self-expression, consumerism, and fun, with no explicit values or beliefs held among members.

History[]

The Krocha subculture originated in the cities of Vienna, Linz, and Graz and surrounding areas around 2005, quickly gaining popularity and spreading throughout Austria by 2008. With most members of the subculture being really young teenagers, this trend was spread primarily through platforms like YouTube, Netlog, MyVideo, and internet forums. The videos were recorded with relatively cheap mediums, like phone cameras. Although its exact origins are unclear, the term itself was coined by Stefan Berndorfer (Stee Wee Bee). Some have drawn parallels to the earlier Gabber subculture in the Netherlands. However, unlike Gabber, Krocha was not associated with any particular political ideology, beliefs, values, or racist controversies. In fact, this trend attracted many young people from immigrant backgrounds. The subculture was primarily driven by teenagers, with very few members being over 18 years old.[1] This was attributed to the demands of work and adult responsibilities, which left less time for the social activities and fun central to the Krocha lifestyle.

Krocha_Party_@_Lugner_City

Krocha Party @ Lugner City

Krocha contest in Lugner City, Vienna.

Krocha reached its peak in 2008, becoming a recurring topic of discussion reported in Austrian media. During this year, entire Krocha contests were also hosted in the Lugner City mall in Vienna, which involved people, including adults, dressing up for the trend and dancing.[2] However, the intense media attention was accompanied by widespread mockery, similar to what other youth subcultures like Tecktonik experienced (a dance trend originating in France around the same year that also faced ridicule for its distinct style). As a product of its time, the trend began to decline in late 2008, with many young people moving on to other interests and identities. It should also be noted that some teenagers at the time could perfectly fit the look, but didn't inherently identify with the term.

The popularity of the subculture even led to the release of compilation albums like "Krocha Traxx Vol. 1" and "Krocha Hits Vol. 1" by Universal Music and EMI Group. In 2008, the Viennese hip-hop duo Die Vamummtn perfectly captured what was going on with Austrian youth culture at the time with their satirical song "Krocha Hymne". The song poked fun at and exaggerated the Krocha subculture's obsession with things like tight jeans, neon caps, Palestinian scarves, and solariums. The song gained over a million views on YouTube. Universal Music Austria saw how popular the song was and released it as a single just a few months after the Krocha trend surfaced. It was the first hip-hop song in over five years to make it onto the Austrian music charts.

Fashion[]

KrochaStyle

Anatomy of the Krocha style by Andrea Maria Dusl.

People could easily spot a Krocha by their clothes, even though some people made fun of their style for being too flashy. They liked to wear a mix of expensive brands and regular streetwear, as if they wanted to show off a bit but also fit in with their friends. Brands were really important to them, and they liked labels like D&G, De Puta Madre 69, Baxmen, Angel Devil, and above all, Ed Hardy.

They wore tight jeans, sometimes with their boxer shorts showing a little above their pants. They also liked white sneakers or boots. They wore lots of gold or silver jewelry and keychains hanging from their pants. They also often wore a Palestinian scarf around their neck, but just because they thought it looked cool, not for any political or cultural reasons. Krochas also wore neon-colored caps, especially ones from Ed Hardy. Their caps or t-shirts usually had words, phrases or logos on them.

Krocha guys usually had a "Vokuhila" (mullet) hairstyle with short hair on top and long hair in the back. They used a lot of gel to style it and sometimes even shaved patterns on the sides. Girls (Krocharinnen) straightened their hair or bleached it and dyed it black or blonde. Both guys and girls wanted to be tan, so they spent a lot of time in tanning salons to make their skin darker.

Dance[]

Krocha_Contest_Wien_3-7

Krocha Contest Wien 3-7

A participant of a Krocha dance contest at the Tagada in Vienna's Prater.

The dance style associated with Krocha is highly energetic. It involves a lot of jumping, kicking, and other fast movements, described as "wild" and even somewhat "epileptic" by the ATV.[3] It was influenced by Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, and also incorporated some elements of Charleston. At the height of the trend, some dance schools in Austria even offered classes specifically on Krocha dancing. This dance style also shared some similarities with French Tecktonik, which involved less leg movements in contrast, basically the yin to Krocha's yang.

Although Krocha never gained international popularity and largely remained as an Austrian cultural phenomenon, there are some communities in South Korea dedicated to its dance style.[4] Korean Krocha communities can usually be found under the tag "TK Krocha" online (possibly a local term for the scene).

Slang[]

One of the most influential aspects of the Krocha subculture, despite its brief popularity, was their slang. It is named "Austro-Pidgin" due to its inspiration from the Viennese dialect and languages spoken by immigrant communities in the city. There are some phrases associated with this cultural phenomenon that are still used in an ironic manner. On the internet and written language, they overused capitalization and distorted spellings.[5]

Some examples include:

  • Oida (meaning "dude" or "old man")
  • Fix (meaning "for sure")
  • Bam (meaning "wow")
  • Bam Oida (meaning "Wow, dude")
  • Fix Oida (meaning "For sure, dude")
  • So Fesch (roughly translating to "So Chic")
  • Kroch' ma' eine (meaning "let's crash in/have fun", referring to entering a discotheque)
  • Eini krochn (meaning "Let's go in")
  • Pock i ned (meaning "I can't do/believe it")
  • SĂŒĂŸe becomes "SĂŒZze"
  • Schnucki becomes "SchnuQQi"
  • Bussi becomes "BuccĂ€"
  • Schatz becomes "SaCc"
  • Lieb becomes "lĂŒPp"

Visuals[]

Krocha-themed graphic design was a minor aspect of the trend, primarily used in album cover arts. It is visually really similar to Frutiger Metro, frequently using black silhouettes (usually depicted striking a pose with some kind Krocha accessories, such as the Palestinian scarf or a cap), flourishes, and a color palette consisting of white, pink, yellow, and fluorescent green. However, it should be noted a majority of these albums were released by Universal Music Austria with the intent to capitalize on the trend.

Criticism[]

The Krocha subculture faced heavy criticism and mockery in the Austrian media, particularly from cultural commentators in daily newspapers. Their fashion choices and preferences for neon colors, mullet hairstyles (vokuhila), and Palestinian scarves, were often met with disapproval and considered to be "tasteless" and "superficial". Oliver Grimm described it as a revival of "the worst of the 80s" in Die Presse (2008).[6] The usage of their so-called Austro-Pidgin slang was also perceived as "irritating", "uneducated", or "anti-intellectual".

Philipp Ikrath, head of the Hamburg department of the Institute for Youth Culture Research in Vienna, characterized Krocha as a "pure fun culture" in Der Standard (2008), criticizing them for their focus on self-expression and consumerism. He also criticized the appropriation of symbols like the Palestinian scarf (keffiyeh, also known as PalÀstinensertuch in German), which held no political or cultural significance for the Krocha and was merely seen as a simple fashion accessory.[7] Ikrath predicted that the trend would be short-lived, arguing that Vienna was not typically a city where international trends originated.

Music[]

Genres[]

  • Schranz - A subgenre of techno characterized by its fast tempo (typically between 150 and 170 BPM), distorted and harsh sounds, and heavy use of repetitive loops. It originated in Germany and typically has a dark and industrial atmosphere.
  • Hardstyle - A high-energy electronic dance music genre with a fast tempo (150 BPM), heavy kicks, and intense bass. It often features distorted kicks.
  • Jumpstyle - A dance and electronic music genre characterized by its fast tempo (around 140-160 BPM). The dance involves jumping and kicking with synchronized leg movements, usually performed in groups.
  • Techno - A genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, and a tempo typically between 120 and 150 BPM.
  • Hands Up - A combination of Eurodance, Trance, and Techno, characterized by catchy melodies and singalong choruses. Was popular in European nightclubs during the 2000s.

Songs[]

Gallery[]

References[]

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