Electroclash is a musical genre that was most popular from 1999 to 2005 and is described as being a 50/50 mixture of electronic and rock music with an ‘80s bent. Unlike prior electronic genres, live singing, dancing, and stage performance were deployed by electroclash musicians who wanted to channel the theatricality and sex appeal of 1980s rock stars. To help explore the genre Joseph and Nathan are joined by Maya, also known as Mayalabae, a Chicago native who is now a DJ in Montreal. They begin by playing four of the biggest hits to come out of Electroclash and then identify common characteristics across the genre. Amongst other things they discuss Nathan’s favorite song as a child, Fischerspooner’s lecture at SAIC, the normie lows of the mid-2000s, the documentary Clash of Cultures: The Rise of the New Electro Scene, Liquid Sky (1982), and Lady Gaga’s accidental actualization of the electroclash agenda. 

Links:

Maya’s Electroclash Playlist

Nathan’s Electroclash Playlist

Clash of Cultures: The Rise of the New Electro Scene (2002)

Liquid Sky (1982)

Party Monster (2003)

Get Happy by Happy Thought Hall

Electroclash: A Brief Cultural History

Artwork:

Screenshot of Miss Kittin from Clash of Cultures: The Rise of the New Electro Scene

All song clips used in this episode are claimed as fair use

Recorded on 3/30/2024