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Underground > Radio & Music >

What the hell is electroclash?

23:53 / 10.12.02

Ok, so I went to the Electroclash tour about a month ago. Chicks on Speed were pretty wicked, though Peaches made me want to vomit. Still, I was unable to figure out what the genre "electroclash" was about. Have we reached a new emo?

Red Cross Iodized Salt

03:09 / 11.12.02

That depends - was 'emo' a term fabricated by music journalists who couldn't find anything to write about a barely existing 'scene' with little to support it?

You could read the Vice Magazine guide to electroclash, although they take it too seriously for my liking.

The Natural Way

08:14 / 11.12.02

And isn't it a dead duck now? The summer's over....

08:55 / 11.12.02

Isn't Electroclash what lazy.. erm slacker... erm idler.. ("hello? I seem to have forgotten my buzz words...") music journalists term anything that isn't guitar bands or dance music? Also, how else are you going to a) Make a compilation album without a convenient label? and b) Rack it at Tower?

Apparently, artists such as LADYTRON and MISS KITTIN kept being labelled Electroclash. This is nonsense (they're clearly Synth-Core. Or is it Electro-Plasm?)

10:08 / 11.12.02

Two things:

(1) Why is it that so many people have trouble with the label 'electroclash', where for instance 'synth-core' or 'electro' is absolutely fine. It's only a term for crissakes. A way of speaking about a multitude of band playing somewhat similar (electronical/alternative/80's-inspired/futuristic) music, in order not to confuse them with lofi electro experimental (like, say, Astrobotnia), or techno proper. And most of these bands really do sound alike, ey?

(2) Why is everybody so quick about whining (celebrating?) about electroclash being dead? Again, this doesn't happen to other terms (ie 'electro', 'techno', synth-core').

The Natural Way

12:17 / 11.12.02

Oh, that's just us trendy bastards telling you how COOL we are. You don't have a clue, mate.

But, seriously, there's loads of stuff I still really enjoy that falls under the Electroclash heading: Peaches and Crossover.....jus' great. I'm just a little bit bored of listening to it all right now, as I knew and said I would be (see some ancient old thread about the Clash years ago)... Twas a summer thing.

No star here laces

12:53 / 11.12.02

Rage - the basic point of this threat is that there is no cultural kudos to be had for you in getting into this stuff now. 'tis too late. You're better off waiting for the fuss to die down and seeing which bands actually show lasting talent rather than an ability to capitalise on an ephemeral trend.

Microhouse, tho. That's worth investigating.

13:19 / 11.12.02

Electro-Plasm! Now that's a fabricated genre name I like!

My favourite "electroclash" outfit is undoubtedly ADULT., who could easily be mistaken for another "grim bloke plays fairly pedestrian beats while a lady talks over the top in a robot voice" type effort..

..until you realise that the music is gloriously fucked up and unpredictable and noisy, and the vocals are absolutely terrifying..

Chicks on Speed continue to absolutely rock my world also, tho I've never really considered them "electro-clash" or whatever.. more like dadaist-grrl-disco-'tronica-glitchpunk or something..

Matthew Fluxington

13:38 / 11.12.02

A quick Soulseek-recommendations guided to "Electroclash":

Crossover "Extensive Care", "Lucida Obscura"
Peaches "Lovertits", "Fuck The Pain Away", "Set It Off"
Gonzales "Take Me To Broadway", "Futuristic Ain't Shit To Me"
Taylor Savvy "Share The Dream", "Everybody Party"
Circ "Destroy She Said"
Yellow Note Vs Pukka "Naked, Drunk And Horny"
Ladytron "He Took Her To A Movie", "Playgirl", "True Mathematics"
W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes) "Hold Me, Touch Me"
Avenue D "Do I Look Like A Slut?"
Scissor Sisters "Comfortably Numb", "Electrobix"
Chicks On Speed "Fashion Rules"
Mirwais and Craig Wedren "Miss You"
Bis "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
Gravy Train "Sippin' 40oz", "You Made Me Gay"
Har Mar Superstar "Power Lunch", "EZ Pass", "Baby, Do You Like My Clothes?", "Cry 4 Help"
Fischerspooner "Emerge", Kylie "Come Into My World (fischerspooner remix)"
Gold Chains "Rock The Parti"
Playgroup "Number One"
Sexual Harrassment "If I Gave You A Party"
Gater "Taboo"
Shakedown "At Night"
GusGus "Unnecessary"

The genre is kinda nebulous, I really just think of this as being great sexy pop that isn't quite popular the way that it should be. "Naked Drunk And Horny", "Lovertits", and "Extensive Care" should all be an international #1 singles, as far as I'm concerned.

I have no love for Adult, A.R.E. Weapons, Felix Da Housecat, or Miss Kittin and the Hacker, by the way.

14:10 / 11.12.02

Bis "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

I love Bis and all, but dear God this cover was a misguided idea. Bad, bad, bad.

17:21 / 11.12.02

Mirwais and CRAIG FUCKING WEDREN?!!

Craig 'yeah, I'm vocalist in the most underrated underground rock band ever, because we sound a bit gay' Wedren? That's Shudder to Think, people.

How could I not have known of this?

Excellent, Flux. Thank you.

Matthew Fluxington

23:15 / 11.12.02

Yes, Craig has been doing some electro-pop songs, primarily with his new group Baby. You can find more info and plenty of mp3s at Craig's website.

And I agree that Shudder To Think were and are criminally underrated. Pony Express Record and 50,000 BC are two of my favorite records, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for good 90s rock pop with bits of prog here and there. The First Love Last Rites record was damn great too...

23:34 / 11.12.02

But I wanted some cultural kudos dammit! Dude...

"Chicks on Speed continue to absolutely rock my world also, tho I've never really considered them "electro-clash" or whatever.. more like dadaist-grrl-disco-'tronica-glitchpunk or something.."

Have you seem them live yet? They're fucking amazing! And genre fabrications are grrrrreat!

I don't think I like very much electroclash, though I do have a better idea what it is now. Thanks.

13:47 / 12.12.02

I have no love for Adult, A.R.E. Weapons, Felix Da Housecat, or Miss Kittin and the Hacker, by the way.

You're mad. Adult. are as Rizla says probably best of all the lot. But the best record must be Felix da Housecat "Kitten and da glitz" (with miss kittin).

FC/Kahuna is also good.

The Natural Way

13:58 / 12.12.02

Yeah, I don't get the Kittin dissin at all. Or the adult. Or A.R.E. Weapons, come to think of it.

15:21 / 13.12.02

I have a single by A.R.E Weapons .. not exactly earthshattering, but I like the idea of a bunch of pretentious New York guys dressing and behaving like complete alcoholic bums and pretending to be a Warriors-esque street gang, whilst ripping off Suicide so shamelessy that Vega & Rev should go round their house and beat them up..

11:37 / 14.12.02

I like that Chicks on Speed one where she shouts 'everybody lie down and take off their clothes!' before seguing into pulverising gabba and heavy metal, whatever it's called