Who remembers simpler times, when “electro” was a brand of hip-hip infused electronic-funk (if I’ve lost you, think Kraftwerk meets Frankie Smith meets Melle Mel). All that together produced a brilliant and cutting edge sound unique sound that helped define the late 1980s.
Of course today’s “electro” is a different animal. The nature of language is to be lazy and things get truncated—so most of what ends up on this blog tagged as “electro” is more accurately “electro house”, hard “synthpop”, so-called “electroclash” (a term that’s always had a messy ambiguity and stigma), and the place where rock and rap meet good old fashion techno (and sometimes even straight up techno with a PR makeover—because the word “techno” is out and “electro” is marketable).
So, what’s in a name? Getting back to the purest form, this post is “electro” as many of us came to it—how I came to it as a kid and how I understood it for nearly two decades. A deep nod to Afrika Bambaataa, Hashim, Cybotron, Newcleus, Twilight 22 & Freestyle (a.k.a. Pretty Tony) for helping throwdown the pavement for our generation of electronic music. Musical roads get paved and repaved—a little wider and a little thicker each decade:
MP3: Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock (1982)
MP3: Hashim - Al Naafiysh (The Soul) (1983)
MP3: Cybotron - Clear (1983)
MP3: Newcleus - Jam On It (1984)
MP3: Twilight 22 - Siberian Nights (1984)
MP3: Freestyle - Don’t Stop The Rock (1985)
For further study on some west coast flavored electro (a bit different), you can extract some Egyptian Lover and Chris “The Glove” Taylor & Ice T from the archives (here & there).
If you want to build your old school electro library, look into the ‘Street Sounds: Electric Funk‘ compilations on Amazon (or if you’re feeling rich and advernterous, try the ‘Streetsounds: Electro’ compilations on Gemm. There’s like two dozen of ‘em to keep you boogalooin’ all damn day, everyday).
If you didn’t know, now you know, sucka.
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thanks so much for putting that newcleus song up.
THATS THE REAL STUFF. THE SHIT NOW-A-DAYS IS JUST NOISE!!!
OH YEAH AND I THINK ITS CALLED STREET JAMZ ELECTRIC FUNK
“Electro-Hop”! Sweet,
I just spent the day frozen (-30 Celsius -22 f) listening to “Straight Outta Compton” and researching the roots of N.W.A. Did you read my mind?
Not only did I just recently post about the Tr-808 being the baddest ass sound ever, but I literally spent the entire day figuring out what “Electro Hop” is.
In short? You guys fucking rock. Keep it up.
Thanks for the link to the previous post of “Tibetan Jam.” I don’t think I’ve heard it since ‘85 or ‘86. This was actually used in the film Breakin’, but didn’t make the sountrack. I don’t know where I got it. Prolly a b-side on a 45.
Now all I need to do is track down The Glove & Ice-T’s “Reckless.”
Ahhh Yes! Now Yer Fucking with My Shite. The OG Players That I use to Rock the House Parties 2, Back then it was known as Techno Hop. Maybe You New Cats can start bustin some Ol Traxxx, Here some titles to look for:
Audio Tech - Phase Two
Breakdown - Unknown DJ
Sugery, House Calls - The World Class Wrecking Crew (Aka Dr. Dre)
Bose - Don’t Knock It Till You Try It
Have Fun Mates!
DON’T STOP THE ROCK IS THE JAM! ULTIMATE QUINCENERA JAM…..
wow
a big peace of history
thanks a lot for all u doin here
excelent web one of my fav
Nice post. Man does this take me back. I have all these classics and more on vinyl. Makes me want to skip work go home and spin up a set of memories.
Had completely forgotten about that Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force song! Thanks for the download.
That whole resurgance of Electro brings to mind a new artist like Adam Tensta. Don’t think I have seen the TOOF post anythign on him yet.
It’s funny how back then, groups would make their follow-up single sound just like the one before. Like “Siberian Nights” and “Electric Kingdom”, “Planet Rock” and “Play At Your Own Risk”.
Interesting fact: A lot of Tony Butler’s (aka Freestyle and Pretty Tony, for those that don’t know) hits are based around the same notes as “Planet Rock”, or “Trans-Europe Express”, if you wanna go deeper. Real (nerd) talk.
@ Cutso:
On that note, it’s interesting that ‘Jam On It’ is a sequel to 1983’s ‘Jam On Revenge’… Seems like it would be the other way around, doesn’t it? Anyway the sequel became Newcleus’ biggest hit.
And a grip of electro (and hip hop) tracks ripped off from each other (sampling took off in both genres close to the same time). For those who didn’t know, the foundation of “Planet Rock” is lifted from “Trans-Europe Express” by Kraftwerk. …similar to the first major hip hop record, ” Sugarhill Gang’s 1979 jam ‘Rappers Delight’ which lifted from Chic’s ‘Good Times’.
With the exception of a tiny tiny handful of artists, music is one big pillage of the past.
@bumpsdick
Bite bite bite
It’s how the world goes round.
damn straight!
we drop this kinda shit at every one of our monthlies.
most of the kids coming up right now have no idea who influenced the shit they’re listening to/djing right now, or who influenced them.
this shit is the past AND the future…
Don’t forget the weird-ass Jonzun Crew! Space Is The Place and Pac Jam!!
You hear these beats at Poppin battles all the time… Egyptian lover for days!
Freestyle’s ‘fly freestyle’ is the best electro track you’ve never heard….been looping it all day after this quality post…
god i love this shit !!! don’t forget about some arabian prince/ professor x?
@ lies:
This post could have been a mile long, it’s a big genre. I have lots of tunes, maybe I’ll put up some more soon. Thanks for the reminder.
@ pretty tony’s bitch:
This post was aiming for that “Oh, that’s familiar!” response since it is just blanketing the original electro genre. Also, I was sure to not put any tracks that were more freestyle than electro… no ‘Fly Freestyle’, no Debbie Deb ‘Look Out Weekend’… not even any west-coast electro like World Class Wrecking Cru or Egyptian Lover, nor Miami-bass electro like 2 Live Crew or Maggotron.
Too much out there. Hopefully we reminded the old fans to dust off their tapes while encouraging some younger fans to look a little deeper.