Alternative electronic is an umbrella term used to describe a range of lesser-known electronic music genres which are related in some fashion to industrial (and sometimes noise) music.
Although the term has a fairly wide acceptance within the scene that surrounds the music it relates to, there is some contention as to whether the use of the word alternative in this sense is correct, given there are other "lesser-known" or underground electronic music genres that have emerged in response to more mainstream dance music (house, techno, or trance)