Published on
November 28, 2014
Category
Features
Christopher Just
‘I’m a Disco Dancer’
(1997)
Lots of people reckon electroclash started with I-F’s ‘Space Invaders are Smoking Grass’, but amazing as it is, I’d call this tune just as important, not least because it marked the turning point for DJ Hell’s International Deejay Gigolos from serious techno label into THE home of electroclash.
Chris Korda
‘Save the Planet, Kill Yourself’
(1997)
Founder of The Church of Euthenasia. Brilliant early injection of the rude, wrong, nasty humour delivered fully deadpan that was a trademark of the period.
Cobra Killer
‘Revue’
(1998)
Over on the fringes, Alec Empire’s Digital Hardcore empire took the electro-punk thing to every extreme possible. Patric C made the most obviously electro tunes with his chip tune lunacy, Atari Teenage Riot and particularly Lolita Storm went down really well to electroclash dancefloors once they’d really got going, but I took even greater pleasure in playing the no-fi lunacy of Cobra Killer to brain-bent people.
Zombie Nation
‘Kernkraft 400′
(1999)
Probably electroclash’s commercial high point, and still a stone cold banger.
Dakar & Grinser
‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’
(1999)
Stooges cover by rude Austrians. Slow and dirty. Didn’t leave my record bag for the next five years.
Adult.
‘Nausea’
(2000)
The apotheosis of electroclash deadpanning, Adult.’s biggest track was ‘Hand to Phone’ but they had a bunch of others that still sound super crisp.
Sonovac
‘Human Fly’
(2000)
Weirdly funky, as you’d probably expect from a protegé of Trevor Jackson.
Girls On Top
‘Being Scrubbed’
(2001)
Richard X’s bootlegs of modern tunes over electro and new wave were hammered by every electroclash and related DJ, and of course led to Sugababes brilliantly taking on his Numanised ‘Freak Like Me’. “Mashups” quickly and deservedly got a very bad name, but this still sounds very fine.
I-f Featuring Nancy Fortune
‘Holographic Voice’
(2002)
Really high end electroclash… all of Ghostly International’s Disco Nouveau series of 12”s were packed with decadent, spooky Italo-influenced gems but this was the best of all.
Linda Lamb
‘Hot Room (Tiga Mix)’
(2002)
The one odd thing about electroclash was that for a style that specialised in vocals, it rarely threw up really amazing songs as such. This is the exception.
Gina X Performance
‘No G.D.M. (Psychonauts Remix)’
(2003)
Another of electroclash’s great benefits to music was its putting back into circulation of a ton of post-punk / new wave gems: Cabaret Voltaire, ‘White Horse’, and this tribute to Quentin Crisp (no Sting, thank Christ), which was also released again a year earlier re-edited by Joakim for his Tigersushi label, which is probably the best new version but sadly not on YouTube. However, the 2003 Gigolo 12″ is damned good too.
Larry Tee
‘Supermodel Inc.’
(2003)
All the nasty attitude you could want, and a little bit more.
LFO
‘Snot’
(2003)
‘Freak’ was the track that got hammered at electroclashy nights, but large chunks of the incredible ‘Sheath’ album showed Mark Bell re-invigorated by the “there’s a drum machine, there’s a riff, now form a band” punkiness of the period. This bangs.
Atomizer
‘Touch me I’m Sick’
(2003?)
Trash-rock turned trash-techno. Made by the Nag Nag Nag DJs, and as far as I can tell only ever released on a giveaway compilation CD, this Mudhoney song is the perfect song to cover to get over electroclash attitude.
Freaks
‘The Creeps (You’re Giving Me The)’
(2007)
Even house heads weren’t immune. Does what it says on the tin.
Readers Wifes
‘Nostalgia’
(2004)
The DJs from Duckie, still one of London’s very best gay club nights, formed a band too. Two fearsome drag queens, two burly skinheads and some extremely aggro pop. This also came in an even tougher Atomizer mix, sadly not on YouTube.
Avenue D
‘Do I Look Like a Slut’
(2004)
Good and rude.
Mu
‘Paris Hilton’
(2004)
Produced by the demigod that is Maurice Fulton for his wife Mu, this is very obviously the best madwoman having meltdown over a drum machine and chicken noises of the 21st century so far.
Jamie Summers
‘Sex Fiend’
(2004)
A highlight of Larry Tee’s Electroclash compilations, this is kind of electroclash in its purest form, and the 80s picture is amazing right?
Ellen Allien
‘Washing Machine is Speaking’
(2005)
That’ll probably be the drugs.
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