Theoretically Speaking, S6:E8:

What Makes Electroclash, Electroclash?

You might remember from last week’s episode that Bubblegum lasted a few years, but it still influences the music we make today.

The same is true of Electroclash, the electronic dance music made from roughly 1997 to 2004.

It wasn’t as mainstream as Bubblegum, but its descendants are.

Electroclash started in several big cities all at once. Berlin and New York City, particularly its Williamsburg section, are cited as the two most important but Detroit, Amsterdam, and London were among the other contributors.

Techno and House and the other Electronic Dance Music (EDM) of the mid-90s had been influenced by 1980s New Wave and Synthpop artists like Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and Depeche Mode.

As equipment became more affordable and recording software got better, EDM got people dancing with bleeps, beeps, and whooshes over steady beats. It sounded futuristic.

Until it didn’t. After a few years, many clubgoers felt the music was static. Not only did the music loop the same samples or phrases over and over, it wasn’t progressing anymore. Something was missing.

And that something was humanity.

They injected it with Rock & Roll attitude and grit and sex appeal. It got downright dirty, both sonically and lyrically. The most important thing was that it was new and innovative. 

Starting with the Disco of the 1970s, dance music was an important part of urban gay culture.

When it came time in the late 90s to give dance music a much needed renovation, artists took this freedom of self-expression to new heights by exaggerating their personas and sexuality. A lot of it was camp.

Some of it was shock for shock’s sake, to shake listeners awake. Here’s your NSFW alert that some of the lyrics in the Suggested Listening below are pretty explicit.

And remember, it takes a lot to shock nightclub audiences who are already surrounded by drink, drugs, and debauchery. These new lyrics were designed to shock the unshockable. Listen at your own risk.

Some songs that might now be considered as early Electroclash influences include a 1985 cover of The Four Seasons’ “Walk Like A Man” by Divine and 1993’s “Save The Planet, Kill Yourself” by Chris Korda & The Church Of Euthanasia.

To say these artists are outsiders is a bit of an understatement.

Such people weren’t going to make much headway into the mainstream, but the template of Electroclash is almost fully formed in their music. The beats are danceable, the subjects are unconventional, and their images are outré.

“Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass” by I-F, a DJ from The Netherlands, is considered the first true Electroclash song.

A common sound among most Electoclash artists is a drum machine combined with a distorted bass line, usually played on a keyboard. Both could sound cheap, which is fine because the equipment was usually purchased on the used market. Professional studios could afford state-of-the-art gear, but EDM kids got by with what they could get their hands on. No one seemed to mind as long as the beat was good. This is the sound you hear on “Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass.”

It was part dance music, part performance art cabaret, and part minority empowerment. Tee took his ideas and records to Berlin, and began DJ-ing. He was the first connection between the two cities.

Meanwhile, when you’re a disk jockey and your first name is Helmut, of course you’re going to call yourself DJ Hell.

The label released music by anyone making unusual EDM and put out a series of compilations that let people stay on top of the latest Electroclash in the years before streaming and social media.

In 1998, Gigolo released some songs recorded by French DJs Miss Kittin and The Hacker. One called “Frank Sinatra” isn’t really about Frank Sinatra. It only mentions him because Miss Kittin thought “Sinatra” rhymed with “area,” and in her French accent it almost does. She ad libbed the line about Sinatra being dead and laughed because it was so out of the blue, and they kept that part in the song.

Regardless, it was an important early Electroclash success in the clubs.

Canadian artist Peaches, known for her provocative lyrics and raw DIY approach to music production, rose to prominence with her debut album, The Teaches of Peaches, released in 2000.

Her live performances were stripped down, meaning both that there was nothing on the stage other than her and her microphone, and that she didn’t wear much clothing.

New York Punk started in the Bowery because it was a seedy area with cheap rents. Artists and musicians could afford to live there.

Electoclash was closely associated with underground club nights and DIY venues, like Luxx in Williamsburg, where artists and musicians could experiment freely and push the boundaries of electronic music. Events like Electroclash Festival in New York City and Trash Electrocuted in Berlin provided platforms for emerging artists to showcase their work and connect with like-minded creatives.

He also put together the first Electroclash Festival, however the 9-11 terrorist attack happened just a month before it was scheduled and people didn’t feel like dancing. It was poorly attended. The second festival, however, was a success. 

A New York band called Fischerspooner, led by Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner, was one of the defining acts of the Electoclash movement.

Their first album, “#1,” released in 2001, combined catchy pop melodies with glitchy electronic production and avant-garde songwriting. Tracks like “Emerge” and “The 15th” became club anthems and established Fischerspooner as pioneers of the genre.

In addition to its musical innovations, Electoclash embraced fashion, visual art, and performance as integral components of the movement.

Artists like Peaches, Fischerspooner, and the German trio Chicks On Speed incorporated avant-garde fashion and theatrical elements into their live performances, blurring the lines between fashion, music, and art.

Electoclash became more than just a genre of music. It was a cultural movement that challenged conventions, celebrated diversity, and embraced the intersection of music, art, and technology. Coming from the underground music scenes of New York, Berlin, and beyond, it weaved EDM danceability, New Wave aesthetics, Punk attitude, and avant-garde experimentation into a new, bold, provocative, and influential sonic tapestry. 

Though Madonna, a superstar who readily embraces upcoming genres, incorporated Electroclash on 2000’s Music and 2003’s American Life, they weren’t big sellers in her catalog and the genre remained largely underground.

Still, Electoclash left an indelible mark on music, influencing mainstream pop culture and inspiring artists like Scissor Sisters, Kesha, Lady Gaga, and Grimes to explore new creative possibilities. 

Suggested Listening – Full YouTube Playlist

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