| Dance-punk | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Disco-punk (early),punk-funk (early) |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1970s, United States (Los Angeles,New York City,San Francisco) and England (Leeds) |
| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
Dance-punk is asubgenre ofpost-punk that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with thedisco,post-disco andnew wave movements.[2] The genre, which began originally asdisco-punk orpunk funk, is characterized by the incorporation of the angularity and syncopation offunk and the upbeat, danceable rhythms ofdisco into post-punk,art punk and more generalpunk rock. Its development is closely related toavant-funk, originally known as mutant disco. It was most prominent in punk inNew York City, overlapping into theno wave movement.
Many groups in thepost-punk era adopted a more danceable style, with dance-punk emerging as a compromised genre originally referred to as "disco-punk" or "punk funk". Its first wave emerged from a communal and alternative scene as a critique of social standards.New York City bands who were core to this wave wereESG,Liquid Liquid,James Chance and the Contortions,[2]Cristina Monet,Bush Tetras,[3]Defunkt,Lizzy Mercier Descloux andMaterial.[4][5] In addition,the Slits contributed to the genre in Britain, emphasizing the influence of reggae. These bands were influenced strongly byfunk,avant-funk trends,disco,dub reggae,ska,new wave, and otherdance music forms popular at the time.
More culturally prominent acts from the late 1970s into the 1980s includedTalking Heads,Public Image Ltd.,[6][7]New Order[8] andGang of Four.[2][7][9] Emerging from the convergence of disco and punk influences, dance-punk exhibits a strong affiliation withurban environments, particularly in the way they are romanticized and portrayed. These spaces, whether they exist in the realm of imagination or reality, conjure up a sense of cosmopolitanism, artistic liberation, and a spirit of defiance against the confines of conventionalmainstream culture.[5]
The dance-punk genre, spanning both its first and second waves, varies rather than being a plain stylistic fusion of dance music and punk rock.[10] As a subgenre emerging from the broader post-punk movement, dance-punk shares several common features. These features include "dour (male) vocals with erudite or self-conscious lyrics, accompanied by metallic-sounding,distortedelectric guitars playing texturally, not melodically; an accelerated discobeat or dance groove; a melodicbass line; and echoing sound effects borrowed from dub-reggae."[5]
One of the most notable features of dance-punk is a deliberate emphasis on the effective use of space andsilence. This approach involves creatingminimalist rhythms, and avoiding extendedguitar solos. Within dance punk, minimalism signifies directness and systematic order, often drawing parallels with the purity associated with the clean lines and abstractions ofmodernist art.[5] The guitar sound in dance punk takes on a unique quality characterized by angularity, having a clean and brittle quality that departs from traditional riffing orbluesy chords. This sonic approach aligns the guitar sound withabstract shapes andarchitectural elements reminiscent ofConstructivism,Suprematism and theBauhaus movement.[5]
Prominentgroove andsyncopation are integral to therhythm of dance punk. The genre strives to create a groove that is fluid, smooth and trance-like, offering an escape from the metrical constraints of capitalism. The groove, with its syncopations, introduces elements of human flexibility and unpredictability, giving the music an affective dimension that is felt rather than intellectually grasped. Syncopation, a key component, involves shifting and eliminating predictable accents, aligning rhythms more with speech and orality, emphasizing the human element over mechanistic precision.[5] Thelyrical aspect of dance punk sets it apart from many otherdance genres, often adhering toverse-chorus or narrative structures more common inrock music. At its most dance-influenced, however, dance-punk acts use repetitive phrases, derived from hooks in disco where the repetition of phrases serves to empty language and open the self to divine inspiration through heightened emotional expression, especially on thedancefloor.[5]
In the 70s, when dance punk emerged, punk bands tried to rebel against society. In the punk scene, rebellion was often expressed through violent dance styles such asthrashing, characterized by head bobbing, flailing arms and exaggeratedly aggressive and energetic movements, andpogo dancing, characterized by jumping in a crowd by throwing oneself against other people. Punk dancing was an amalgamation of these two styles.[11]
Although dance-punk faded with the rise ofnew pop in the early 1980s, it made a comeback in the late 1990s and early 2000s as part of thepost-punk revival. Dance-punk bands emerged from thepop-punk andgarage rock revivals of the late 1990s.[12] New York acts such asLCD Soundsystem,Liars,[13] andthe Rapture would be described as "Brooklyn dance-punk".[14][15][16][17] Other notable acts includedClinic,Death from Above 1979,!!!,Hockey,Franz Ferdinand,Hot Hot Heat,Foals,Yeah Yeah Yeahs,Le Tigre,Bloc Party,Kasabian,You Say Party,Electric Six,the Faint,Shout Out Out Out Out, andRadio 4, joined by dance-oriented acts who adopted rock sounds such asOut Hud.[18]
In the early 2000sWashington, D.C. had a popular and notable punk-funk scene, inspired byFugazi,post-punk, andgo-go acts likeTrouble Funk andRare Essence, including bands likeQ and Not U,Black Eyes, and Baltimore'sOxes,Double Dagger, andDope Body. In Britain the combination of indie with dance-punk was dubbednew rave in publicity forKlaxons and the term was picked up and applied by theNME to bands[19] includingTrash Fashion,[20]New Young Pony Club,[21]Hadouken!,Late of the Pier,Test Icicles,[22] andShitdisco[19] forming a scene with a similar visual aesthetic to earlierraves.[19][23]
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