The Way Electroclash Brought Back Glamour, Filth and Excitement to 00s Music
Jonny Slut knew his party Nag had reached a tipping point when he saw Cilla Black on the dancefloor. “In my opinion that’s the only time I got truly thrilled,” he chuckles. “My selection included the reworked version of Khia’s My Neck, My Back – as Cilla grooved.”
The Global Movement of Electroclash
An emerging trend of digital production surfaced globally in the early 2000s. Germany introduced group Chicks on Speed and groundbreaking an influential DJ. France brought forth Miss Kittin, The Hacker, and notable performers. Britain gave rise to Ladytron and Add N To (X). Canada showcased Tiga and Peaches who reinvented her style with a production tool.
New York had Fischerspooner and a DJ-producer who popularized the term electro-clash. The lyrics were witty, sometimes foul-mouthed, and very camp. The sound fused house with a punk-inspired edge.
“Production wasn’t as easy,” says an originator. “You could record finished tracks in your apartment.”
A Reaction to the Mainstream Music Scene
Electroclash felt like a response to slick superclubs. As one artist stated, it was music by “marginalised artists … fed up with a system” that limited what electronic was expected to be.
Electroclash quickly found an crowd. The club night featured not only the genre but also R&B music. It became an immediate success, bringing in well-known personalities like a model, Alexander McQueen, and Boy George.
Legacy and Revival
Even though media attention, the movement failed to yield a mainstream superstar. Several performers struggled on traditional gigs. Yet its influence spread mainstream sounds through artists like Sugababes, Goldfrapp, and even the pop icon.
In America, though, the genre faced a backlash. Larry Tee suggests it was because the establishment ignored “girls, gays and theys.”
Lately, however, electroclash has seen a revival. Young musicians and club nights are using the genre. An original artist toured her first record to enthusiastic crowds, including new listeners.
“I think the modern listeners understand it,” comments an insider. “That moment was like the counterculture.”
The sounds of electroclash feel fresh today. The ideas – queer expression and independent spirit – seem more current than ever.
