| Electroclash | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | New Wave, synthpop, House, Electropop, electro, Post-punk |
| Cultural origins | Late 1990s, Detroit & New York City |
| Typical instruments | Synthesizer, drum machine |
| Mainstream popularity | Underground worldwide, small cult in Europe around 2000 (mainly festivals) |
| Derivative forms | Electrotech, Electro House |
| Other topics | |
| Dance-punk, alternative dance, dance-rock | |
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music.[1][2] It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner. It was popularised by the Electroclash Festival in 2001 and 2002 and subsequent European tours, but faded as a distinctive style in the early 2000s.
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The term electroclash was coined by New York DJ and promoter Larry Tee[1][2] to describe music that combined synthpop, techno, punk and performance art. The genre was a reaction to the rigid formulations of techno music, putting an emphasis on song writing, showmanship and a sense of humour,[3] described by The Guardian as one of "the two most significant upheavals in recent dance music history".[4] The visual aesthetic of electroclash has been associated with the 1982 cult film Liquid Sky.[5]
Electroclash emerged in New York at the end of the 1990s. It was pioneered by I-F with their track "Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass" (1998).[3] The style was pursued by artists including Felix da Housecat,[6] Peaches and Chicks on Speed.[7] During the early years, Ladytron were sometimes labeled as electroclash, but they rejected this tag.[8] Goldfrapp's albums Black Cherry (2003) and Supernature (2005) incorporated electroclash influences.[9][10]
It came to media attention in 2001, when the Electroclash Festival was held in New York.[11] The Electroclash Festival was held again in 2002 with subsequent live tours across the US and Europe in 2003 and then 2004. Other notable artists who performed at the festivals and subsequent tours include: Scissor Sisters, ADULT., Fischerspooner, Erol Alkan, Princess Superstar, Mignon, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Mount Sims, Tiga and Spalding Rockwell. The style spread to scenes in London and Berlin, but rapidly faded as a recognisable genre as acts began to experiment with a variety of forms of music.[12][13]
Successful records from electroclash movement include:
| Year | Song | Label | Artist | UK [14] |
UK Dance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Silver Screen Shower Scene" | City Rockers | Felix da Housecat featuring Miss Kittin | #39 | #2 |
| "Emerge" | Capitol | Fischerspooner | #25 | ― | |
| 2002 | "Set It Off" | Kitty-Yo | Peaches | #36 | ― |
| "Sunglasses at Night" | City Rockers | Tiga and Zyntherius | #25 | ― | |
| "Rippin Kittin" | Zomba Records | Golden Boy with Miss Kittin | #67 | #1 |
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