Monthly Archive for February, 2007

What was/is electroclash? Wikipedia offers some suggestions, including a rather Sydney-centric discussion of the Australian manifestation of the movement [cue, please, Victorian editors setting the record straight asap]. Many would no doubt balk at the use of such a laboured and perhaps slightly meaningless term. Just as ‘New Rave’ seems to have come to mean “Klaxons, Klaxons remixes, and bands a bit like them”, ‘Electroclash’ seemed only ever to be readily applicable to Fischerspooner – and perhaps, bands a bit like them.

But for ‘electro’, or ‘electrohouse’, or whatever the rest was, is, or should have been called, there was no shortage of creative output or enthusiasm from punters in the first half of the 2000s. The nexus (though by no means the limit) of activity in Melbourne was indisputably Meccanoid, which, still going strong to this day, characterised in feel everything one might have expected electroclash to represent – glam, dress ups, interpretive dancing and of course (contra the ‘all style no substance’ press line), great music.

The praises of Fischerspooner sung far and wide, the real success story of this era, at least one the pop side, was arguably one Miss Kittin (with no small part of assistance from The Hacker, as well as Felix da Housecat – being argubly the producer who gave the scene its original break into semi-mainstream consciousness with the classic “Kittenz and thee Glitz’ LP). It’s difficult to put together any kind of survey or representation of this era (even one as subjective as this) without including several that carry a Miss Kittin vocal; hence the five tracks here.

Where to from here? The nights keep rolling and the releases keep coming. Some of the producers featured here have moved on a little – notably, the Hacker and Carretta into increasingly EBM flavoured productions, whilst Miss Kittin has since dabbled in breaks and various other forms of electronica. It remains to be seen to what extent the new wave of indie electro will represent a genuine split in musical trajectories (and/or scenes) or will alternately contribute as simply one facet of the continuing electro sound. The mixes of more recent material that have appeared are I would hope at least partially suggestive. Regardless, and despite the intense commercialisation of some aspects of electrohouse, electro, of both -house and other varities, still feels convincingly vital.

Every reason then to hope for, and anticipate, interesting times ahead.

Nothing to Fear Depeche Mode 119 4:18 A Broken Frame 1982 http://www.discogs.com/release/859045 Happy Hour Felix Da Housecat 119.2 5:02 Kittenz and Thee Glitz 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/557113 Frank Sinatra Miss Kittin and the Hacker 124.9 3:54 First Album 2001 http://www.discogs.com/release/20345 They All Come Sven Andersson 125.1 6:12 Hem Ljuua Hem 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/334177 Space Invaders Are Smoing Grass I-F 132.2 4:50 Abe Duque Present Disko B. 1999 http://www.discogs.com/release/51088 Sex With The Machines Anthony Rother 120 5:49 Sex With The Machines 1997 http://www.discogs.com/release/30815 Plastiphilia Dopplereffekt 128.1 4:18 Gesamtkunstwerk 1999 http://www.discogs.com/release/43671 Prototyp Rex the Dog 125.3 5:25 Eskimo Recordings Presents Headman – Dance Modern 2004 http://www.discogs.com/release/230080 Rocker Alter Ego 130 4:48 Transphormer 2004 http://www.discogs.com/release/366268 Cycle Sluts Rok 127.9 4:46 Mayday CD1 2000 http://www.discogs.com/release/17917 Vicious Game David Carretta 134.1 6:03 Futurism (Disc 2) 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/53842 Love Explosion Alden Tyrell 134.1 2:56 The Hacker : The Next Step of New Wave 2000 http://www.discogs.com/release/55963 Disco Rout Legowelt 135.9 5:43 Tangent 2002: Disco Nouveau 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/43650 Dance Like A Machine Vitalic 136.2 5:43 Various – American Gigolo 2001 http://www.discogs.com/release/23559 La Rock 01 Vitalic 136.8 5:33 International Deejay Gigolos 6 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/657237 B-Inside Out Kiko Remix David Carretta 130.1 10:33 Inside Out Vinyl 2004 http://www.discogs.com/release/236805 Sunglasses At Night Tiga & Zyntherius 128 6:43 Futurism (Disc 1) 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/53842 Price of Dub Client 125 3:41 Price of Dub 2004 http://www.discogs.com/release/238698 I Can Complete You Luke Slater 130 5:18 Alright On Top (japan) 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/439637 Emerge Fischerspooner 148 4:46 #1 2001 http://www.discogs.com/release/31542 Kernkraft 400 (Kitten And The Hacker Mix) Zombie Nation 129.2 5:20 Futurism (Disc 2) 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/53842 Silver Screen – Shower Scene Felix Da Housecat 121 4:40 Kittenz And Thee Glitz 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/557113 Airplanes Vostok 134.2 4:35 The Electroclash Mix CD 2 / Plastique 2003 http://www.discogs.com/release/189716 Fuck the Pain Away Peaches 131.5 4:08 The Teaches of Peaches 2000 http://www.discogs.com/release/148381 Madame Hollywood Felix Da Housecat 134.2 2:51 Kittenz and Thee Glitz 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/557113 Rippin Kittin Golden Boy With Miss Kitten 128.9 4:20 Futurism (Disc 1) 2002 http://www.discogs.com/release/53842 Computer Love Kraftwerk 125 7:18 Computer World 1981 http://www.discogs.com/release/665886

Clashhouse Electro [ 1:29:29 ] Download