Alternative music, said Steve Kass, 23, of Brooklyn,is the anthem of a generation that is disillusioned with society. Mr. Kass is a disk jockey at WDRE and is also the announcer at Siberia.

The message is at times political, at times social, and always anti-establishment, he said. The statement is made not only through the music, but also the fashion. Black is the color of choice, he said, and the more outrageous the outfit, the better.

Donna Valenzano, 23, of Queens, a regular at Siberia, wears a black skintight jump suit and black leather jacket. "We are saying be who you want to be," she said. "You don't have to conform if you do not want to."

"We are worried about the environment," Mr. Kass said. "We are worried about AIDS. We are worried about war." 'We Are Not Going to Sell Out'

He drew a parallel between the 1960's and the 1990's countercultures. "We have similar ideals," he added. "But they let them go when they hit 30. We learned from their mistakes. We are not going to sell out."

Steve Katsur, 19, of Westbury, noted another difference. He glanced at the dance floor and said, "Most of us here do not do drugs."

On a recent Saturday night at Spize, the dancing was more mainstream, but the music was not. Situated across Route 110 from Republic Airport, Spize says it was the first alternative club on the Island.