The Way Electro-Clash Brought Back Glamour, Filth and Fun to Early 21st Century Music
Johnny Slut knew his event Nag Nag Nag had reached a tipping point when he spotted Cilla Black on the dancefloor. “I think that’s the one occasion I got extremely pumped,” he chuckles. “My selection included the reimagined edit of the song My Neck, My Back – with Cilla present.”
An International Wave of Electroclash
A fresh wave of digital production appeared globally in the millennium era. Germany featured group Chicks on Speed and innovative an influential DJ. France brought forth Miss Kittin, The Hacker, and additional performers. The UK gave rise to an electro-pop quartet and Add N To (X). Canadian musicians introduced a producer and Peaches who transformed her music with a Roland groovebox.
NYC had Fischerspooner and a DJ-producer who popularized the term electro-clash. The lyrics were clever, sometimes foul-mouthed, and very camp. Music blended synth-pop with a DIY vibe.
“Production wasn’t as easy,” notes Larry Tee. “You could record releasable songs in your bedroom.”
An Answer to the Mainstream Music Scene
Electroclash felt like a reaction to polished superclubs. As one artist stated, it was music by “outsider artists … fed up with a industry” that restricted what electronic had to be.
The scene soon built an audience. The club night featured not only electroclash but also R&B music. It turned out to be an instant hit, bringing in celebrities like Kate Moss, Alexander McQueen, and Boy George.
Impact and Renewed Interest
Even though hype, the movement didn’t create a huge commercial act. Several artists struggled on traditional tours. Yet its influence reached pop music through artists like a girl group, Goldfrapp, and even Madonna.
In America, though, electroclash provoked a criticism. Larry Tee argues it was because the establishment didn’t invest “girls, gays and theys.”
Recently, but, electroclash has seen a comeback. Young musicians and club nights are embracing the name. An original artist performed her first album to excited fans, including young followers.
“In my view the new audience connect with it,” says Larry Tee. “It was like the resistance.”
The sounds of electroclash still sound fresh today. Its themes – gender fluidity and DIY ethos – are more timely than ever.
