Electroclash

Electroclash is a fashion term for a style of music that the late 1970s and early with modern production combines both electronic and rock elements of punk and New Wave 1980 in the field of electronic dance music.

Disambiguation

The neologism " Electroclash " was created in late 2001 in the U.S., as the New York organizer and DJ Larry Tee needed a name for a festival dedicated exclusively to this music. "Electro " is the style of electronic music which was established by bands like Kraftwerk. The second part of the name " Clash " is literally translate (' clash ' or ' clatter ').

While some were excited about the new classification, it has been variously referred to as superfluous marketing campaign, which is why many artists distanced themselves from the name. In France and the Netherlands, the term Euro Clash has become customary in part, perhaps because under the same site since 2001 euroclash.com the largest directory of artists this kind of music is stored.

Description

Electroclash is often equated with synth pop and electro punk. It is a combination between punk aesthetic and electronic dance music. Since there is no uniform definition for the term, and both the press as well as artists have largely distanced them, the bandwidth is very wide, ranging from electronic pop music with just a few rock influences to the trashy punk sound with guitar and synthesizers.

Frequently, but not always, if encountered style elements are:

• A continuous 4/4-time, to the neighborhoods is usually a bass drum, while on the second and fourth beat of a - often alienated - Snare Drum is, alternatively, partially also the funky rhythm is used, which is typical for the style electro.
• Electronically and mostly " hard" sounding, very simple built synth basslines, often with simple waveforms such as sawtooth, square, used alienated either pure or electronically. Most typically it is to repeat the bass note in alternating octaves.
• Simply constructed song without great complexity, often breathed by a singer, partly as a chant or. An impression of unprofessionalism is allowed, as many artists do not want to be taken seriously.
• Use of the German or French language by English singer to emphasize either the French language gentle vocals, or with the German language to create a hard " military" sound of the lyrics. Or are memories of the New Wave are aroused, in which it was already common.

Formation

Precursor to the music of the electroclash style was the Nu Electro or Neo- Electro- wave in the late 1990s, which was borne before by artists such as Computers, Anthony Rother, IF and the Electro- pioneers Doppler effect. Miss Kittin began in 1997 with her ​​partner The Hacker the electro sound to expand chant. This style was soon by ADULT. and Fischerspooner taken. The Canadian Peaches developed a similar style in the Berlin underground, but with more punk influence.

At the same time composed Stuart Price under the pseudonym Les Rhythmes Digital an influential album. From resounding importance for the movement was the worldwide success of Tiga & Zyntherius Sunglasses at Night, a cover version of a song by Canadian pop singer Corey Hart, in 2001. The English formation Ladytron is associated with this genre, and may with underground hits like Seventeen as shaping be considered.

Other variants of the Electroclash are stylistically closer to the rock music. This includes the music of bands like Phoenix and Zoot Woman and music with new wave influence as The Faint, BIS and The Rapture and the German MIA ..

The style was able to record numerous chart successes in Europe and the United States. Ten years before the term " Electroclash " there were hits such as " Exterminate " SNAP! from 1992, which can be associated with this style. The Munich-based DJ Tomcraft Loneliness landed with the first electroclash number 1 hit in the UK. It is also commercially successful there, the formation Goldfrapp who have advanced only with their second album Black Cherry and it contains songs Train and Strict Machine in this area. In Germany, inter alia as Kid Alex Young Love with (Topless ) and Fame chart success. Finally, the project Proper Filthy Naughty is in large part responsible for the spread of the electroclash sounds also to South America, where the track Fascination recorded an overwhelming success.