02 April 2003
Disco Punk - the new dance? | |
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Disco punk will change the face of dance |
| | Pete Keane BBC Lancashire's clubbing reporter looks at the rise of Disco Punk in New York and examines whether it can rejuvenate the current dance scene... |
| | |  Something rather strange has been happening on the New York club scene, and it's about to be unleashed here in the UK.
Called Disco Punk, it is supposedly putting the energy, funk and attitude back into dance music.
What is Disco Punk, and more importantly is it any good?
The genre developed a couple of years ago, inspired by a series of all night parties held by two record producers called Death from Above (DFA) at their Lower East Side studio in New York.
They have become renowned for their almost perverse ability to cross-pollinate Punk with Disco. The scene has gained the respect of Punks, Rockers and Hip Hop Heads alike.
As the parties gained momentum and popularity DFA began to ask searching questions about themselves and the current state of Dance music.
Would it be possible to create a new sound that ignored the sterile predictability typical of today's music?
Judging by the current level of interest in Disco Punk the answer would have to be yes. Disco Punk is not purely driven by DFA.
There is now a burgeoning wave of bands eager to tap into the vibe. Radio 4 are one such band. Hailing from New York, they are keen to promote the idea of dancing to groups of people who would otherwise choose not to.
Their most famous release to date is called 'Dance To The Underground.' Another outfit gaining popularity on the Punk Disco scene are called Out Hood.
Death disco
They describe their sound as 'totally wired, complex death disco.' Out Hood cite Daft Punk, The Neptunes and Wu Tang Clan as major influences.
The best example of their 'death disco' sound would have to be 'S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.'
I approached music journalist Simon Nolan to ask him what he thought of it all.
Simon said:"The important thing to recognise with DP is that it is completely different to anything else around at the moment.
I think it's totally fresh and has potential to revolutionize the oh-so tired face of the current Dance scene."
Facelift
Encouraging words indeed. But whether it has the potential to give Dance music that much needed facelift (tummy tuck, boob job, liposuction, the list goes on) only time will tell. 
Pete Keane
ove Indiwill disco punk revolutionize dance music? | |
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