Electroclash

Electroclash is more than just a musical genre; as with punk rock in the mid-1970s, electroclash is as much about fashion, attitude and style as it is about music. It lacks, however, the political and philosophical underpinnings that made punk rock such an enduring force. Electroclash latches on to the minimalist synth beats of 1980s electropop bands like Kraftwerk, art and fashion icons such as Andy Warhol and Vivienne Westwood, and the caricatured alternative lifestyles of drag queens and other fringes of society.

Originally coined by DJ and promoter Larry Tee, electroclash took off in the late 1990s in major metropolises like New York, Berlin, Detroit, and Vienna. The major "chic factor" surrounding electroclash's popularity seems antithetical to the kind of music featured here at Darktronica.com, but a few major artists are included due to the crossover appeal of certain releases to synthpop fans and goths. For example, Fischerspooner's single "Emerge" and Ladytron's "Seventeen" were both hugely popular on the goth night club circuit.

As with many fads on the hipster scene, electroclash has been a short-lived fascination, as the elite's relationship with retro 80s culture has receded once again from love to hate. Some groups have managed to parlay their popularity into blossoming careers on the house scene, but most have quietly faded into obscurity; they'll be back again in another five years or so when it becomes cool again.

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