The term electroclash was coined in 2001 by New York DJ/svengali Larry Tee, to describe a synergy of synth pop, techno, punk and performance art embodied at that time by fashion set darlings Fischerspooner. While the original New York electroclash scene rapidly withered as the fashionistas moved on, electro-influenced techno was always more of a constant in Northern Europe, where influential labels such as DJ Hell's Munich-based International Deejay Gigolos or Clone from Holland were mainlining post-punk and Italo-disco influences from the late '90s onwards. Electro (though we'll continue to add the '-clash' to avoid confusion with old-skool breakdance electro) is now the prominent sound in discerning clubs from Berlin to Barcelona, characterized as much by its eclecticism as its acid basslines, robotic vocals and debt to New Order's "Blue Monday." Electroclash is the ultimate retro-futuristic dance movement, and a welcome source of credible glamour; it's techno with a personality injection.
