A drunk man wearing a plaid cardigan sweater is standing on a bar stool dancing to rhythmic electro beats, holding a beer and eyeing the crowd with a seductive, yet exasperated look with sweat trickling down the side of his face.
The lyrics of the song become apparently clear: "I want to fuck a mannequin/I want to suck a mannequin." No one flinches an eye or questions the lyrics. No one questions why the guy on the bar stool is dancing so fervently. This is "Electrolush," what some patrons are calling the next big scene in Arizona music, and it's happening every Wednesday night at My Favorite Lounge at 4809 N. 27th St. in Phoenix.
Electrolush showcases the music that is known as "electroclash" or simply "electro" music. Electro music can be instrumental, similar to some techno styles, but more minimalist and with a heavier dose of keyboards and repetition of beats. To use an analogy, think '80s New Wave music if they actually had computer technology instead of faux effects.
Deejay Nimh started the Electrolush themed night at My Favorite Lounge a few months ago, and it has been steadily growing in interest and attendance since. Nimh promotes the night and is the house deejay, spinning new wave music from the '80s, and current artists that are part of the new electro movement. Some of these artists include Fischerspooner, Peaches, Ladytron, Adult, Dirty Sanchez, and Miss Kitten. Many of the records that are spun at Electrolush are filled with sexual innuendos, some of which are obscure, and many that are blatantly graphic, like the one about accosting a mannequin.
It's also not surprising to find some classics remixed into an electro beat style. The Stooges',"I Wanna Be Your Dog," and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," were both remixed during last week's set, with Iggy Pop and Kurt Cobain's voices transformed into a sterile, monotone sound, while the music took on a heavier, more danceable beat.
"It took a few weeks to get going, but we're steadily getting more and more people each week," deejay Nimh says. "There are few other places that you can do something like this."
Electrolush nights begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, but it's not until about 10 p.m. that the place gets crowded. One-dollar beers and two-dollar drink specials entice people to show up early, and there is never a cover charge to enter.
The décor of My Favorite Lounge ideally fits with the music. Dark lighting adds atmosphere, as do video screens displaying quirky videos and photo stills with odd images, such as a stuffed animal photographed from different angles. The lounge itself is tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, and has an intimate feel because of its size.
There is a pool table in the back to relax, and plenty of space at the bar. There are a few other tables to kick back, but these are removed and placed out front when the crowd gets too large so that more people can dance.
The people that show up each week at My Favorite Lounge are a very mixed crowd. Some dress in the '80s style, while others give off a mod vibe, wearing vintage T-shirts and plastic rim sunglasses, and '70s British clothing, respectively. But the one thing in common is that most people seem to show up solely for the music.
"I come here for the music, the vibe, the atmosphere," says Electrolush patron William Reed. "It's a change of pace from the Scottsdale crowd. It's more laid back and different. I'm here mostly for the music, though."
The Web site www.electrolush.org is a place where many of the electroclash fans chat on message boards to discuss new bands and artists, and various other topics.
"Electroclash is the 'new disco,'" says Electrolush regular and ASU student Norma Ryan. "Disco music originally had sexual innuendos in the music, which took a while for people to accept it. Electroclash is the same."
Reach the reporter at steven.ganczaruk@asu.edu.
