Electroclash Music Guide: Explore the Origins of Electroclash

Electroclash, also known as synthcore, was a subgenre of electronic music, specifically indie electronic dance music (EDM), that simultaneously surfaced in America and Europe during the 1990s. Its sound—a lo-fi mix of synthpop, retro New Wave rock, and No Wave drone—was only part of the electroclash aesthetic. Electroclash artists and bands, such as Peaches, Miss Kittin, and Fischerspooner, drew upon a confrontational style of performance art in their lyrics and performances, which could be crass, archly comic, and defiantly decadent.

The disparate elements of electroclash drew attention from music critics in the early 2000s, briefly thrust several of its mainstays, like Peaches and Fischerspooner, into the mainstream spotlight. Most artists who fell under the electroclash label, like Ladytron and Goldfrapp, rejected the moniker as journalistic hype, and the scene largely faded from view by the end of the 2000s. However, its influence has been attributed to music by many artists who followed in their wake, including Lady Gaga, Scissor Sisters, and ADULT.

The origins of electroclash are rooted in Munich, Germany, where DJ Hell, a dance floor veteran since the late 1970s, founded International DeeJay Gigolo Records, which focused on house and techno recordings.

• Pioneering tracks: International DeeJay Gigolo Records released several early and significant electroclash tracks, including “Emerge” by the New York-based duo Fischerspooner, “Frank Sinatra” by French musicians producers Miss Kittin and The Hacker, and a cover of Corey Hart’s 1984 hit “Sunglasses at Night” by Canadian DJ Tiga. These hits and other tracks eventually made their way to other dance music capitals, including New York City, Detroit, and Berlin.
• Offshoots: Electroclash offshoot movements soon began to form across the globe. DJ/promoter/producer Larry Tee took note of the scrappy artists performing at raves and clubs in his home base of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and was credited with coining the term “electroclash” to describe their stripped-down sound. In 2001, he coordinated the first Electroclash Festival, which introduced many emerging electroclash artists, including Canadian performer Peaches, Fischerspooner, and New York’s Scissor Sisters.
• Mainstream attention: Subsequent festivals and national tours led to national attention from music and pop culture writers, who were drawn to the punk-influenced sound of electroclash and the defiantly brazen or disaffected lyrics of Peaches and newer acts like the UK’s Ladytron. Despite its rise in popularity, many acts sought to distance themselves from the electroclash label. Dutch DJ I-F, one of the earliest electroclash artists, signed an “Anti-Electroclash” manifesto, which railed against perceived industry influence on the scene. Electroclash’s popularity began to decline by the end of the aughts—many of its members either shifted focus to other genres or began other pursuits.

Several characteristics of electroclash music distinguish it from other forms of EDM, including:

1. 1. Image: The look of electroclash bands was often as important as their songs. The punk and club scenes in New York and Europe informed much of the visual aesthetic for performers like Peaches, who combined grit and sexuality in her appearance and music. Others simply dressed in street clothes, echoing the DIY sound of their recordings.
2. 2. Lyrics: The 1982 cult film Liquid Sky, which revolved around aliens infiltrating New York’s downtown scene, is often cited as an influence on electroclash. The film’s tone—retro camp mixed with hipster weariness and a frank take on taboo subjects— influenced the lyricism of many electroclash acts, which celebrated and bemoaned decadence with equal measure.
3. 3. Sound: Minimalism was an earmark of electroclash. Few electroclash artists employed instruments beyond inexpensive synthesizers and drum machines; vocals were delivered through vocoders or delivered in a bored monotone. The effect could be abrasive or hypnotic, or even funky in a lo-fi sense.

There are several popular electroclash bands, including:

1. 1. I-F: DJ/producer I-F is considered a seminal figure in electroclash history for recording “Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass.” The 1997 track, a hit in the underground dance scene, was among the first to earn the label “electroclash” and helped set the tone for recordings that followed.
2. 2. Felix da Housecat: Chicago house artist and producer Felix da Housecat has dabbled in electroclash through his long career. The genre’s influence is felt on tracks such as “Silver Screen Shower Scene” (featuring vocals by Miss Kittin) from his 2001 album Kittenz and Thee Glitz. In recent years, Felix has remixed tracks by Gwen Stefani, Madonna, and Kylie Minogue.
3. 3. Fischerspooner: New Yorkers Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner blended performance art and electroclash for the hit single “Emerge” in 2001. Critical praise led to Odyssey, their first album for a major label, in 2005, but it and subsequent albums sounded more like electropop than electroclash. Fischerspooner disbanded in 2019 after releasing their fourth album, Sir, in the previous year.
4. 4. Peaches: Canadian musician and performance artist Merrill Nisker created her unfiltered music persona, Peaches, in the early 1990s. As heard on albums like The Teaches of Peaches, her music and persona boldly addressed female sexuality in a non-exploitative manner that won critical praise and opportunities to record and tour with artists like Pink, Iggy Pop, and Christina Aguilera. She has also collaborated with many fellow electroclash artists, including Kathleen Hanna’s post-Bikini Kill band Le Tigre and the multinational art collective Chicks on Speed.

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