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Read our exclusive interview with Larry Tee and explore the origins and resurgence of the Electroclash genre. Delve into Larry's unforgettable moments DJing in New York, collaborations with iconic artists, and his transformative impact on music, fashion, art, and nightlife...
Q. YOU ARE WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED FOR CREATING THE ELECTROCLASH GENRE AND COINING THE TERM. COULD YOU TAKE US BACK TO THE ORIGINS OF ELECTROCLASH?
A. I am credited for mostly naming the ‘electroclash’ movement by naming my festivals electroclash. The artists were out there but were pretty much having a go of it on their own.
Things exploded when they were brought together as an international group of unique but somehow like-minded artists. I certainly didn’t invent the sound.
Q. FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DRIVES THE ESSENCE OF ELECTROCLASH, AND HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE THE CURRENT RESURGENCE OF THE GENRE?
A. What drives the sound, reemergence? Electroclash was always very political noises DIY music and featured lots of female voices and queer imagery and attitudes.
Of course, the sound bank came from 80s electro but it def had the oomph of contemporary electronic music.
Late 90s trance and mainstream house had gotten so formulaic, that I think music needed an alternative voice, sort of a stick in the eye so to speak.
Q. REFLECTING ON YOUR TIME DJING IN NEW YORK, COULD YOU SHARE SOME OF THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS YOU'VE EXPERIENCED?
A. I have gotten to work with so many of my heroes whether dressing Missy and the B-52s, or doing tours with Peaches, Chicks on Speed etc.
My favorites are usually my new obsessions like queer, trans non-binary performers like Star Amerasu, Love Bailey, Ted Rogers, Mimi Zima, Michael Love Michael, and Dornika. Let’s look to the future.
Q. YOUR CREATIVE VENTURES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED THE REALMS OF MUSIC, FASHION, ART, AND NIGHTLIFE. AMONG ALL THE INDIVIDUALS YOU'VE COLLABORATED WITH AND THE PROJECTS YOU'VE UNDERTAKEN, DO ANY STAND OUT AS PERSONAL FAVORITES?
A. Music is what brought me to fashion. Great music artists also tend to represent the moment and that includes the look of the moment.
I always loved David Bowie, Elton John, Missy, Gaga, Pharrell, and Beyoncé that put together a good look.
Ultimately it’s all show business electroclash included. No?
Q. COULD YOU ELABORATE ON HOW YOU SEE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND FASHION, AND HOW IT CONTINUES TO INFLUENCE CULTURE?
A. Ok I have thrown parties for club kids in the early 90s like those Party Monster events at Limelite, mega clubs like Palladium and Roxy, and more intimate alternative clubs like my electro berliniamsburg parties in Brooklyn and my super electro party machine parties in London.
Moving to LA excited me because I’m feeling creatives assembling out there for an explosion of music and fashion and media that is where the new excitement is.
Clubs are not breaking wild new sounds these days, but they do create a backdrop for people to get together and exchange ideas. The wreckless clubs of the 90s don’t really make sense in a decade that is more aware of self-care.
Q. YOU'VE PLAYED A TRANSFORMATIVE ROLE IN SHAPING NIGHTLIFE. COULD YOU PAINT A PICTURE OF THE NEW YORK CITY NIGHTLIFE DURING THE ERA WHEN YOU WERE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN PROMOTING AND THROWING PARTIES?
HOW DO YOU VIEW THE EVOLUTION OF PROMOTING AND THROWING PARTIES SINCEÂ THEN?
A. Scissor sisters uses to play regularly at my berliniamsburg party in Williamsburg and I’m not surprised they did so we’ll because they had nicely crafted pop tunes and a strong vocalist. They were like the gay pride of electro.
Honestly, I was more fascinated with the twisted modern dance of Fischerspooner, the in-your-face politics of the chicks in speed, and the modern queer sexuality of peaches. I don’t really think that there is a resurgence of ‘electroclash’ so much as there is an embrace of the political stances and experimentation that was inherent in the genre to begin with.
The world has caught up with what electroclash was trying to say.
Q. THE ELECTROCLASH FESTIVAL, AN EVENT YOU FOUNDED, PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN PROPELLING THE CAREERS OF ARTISTS LIKE SCISSOR SISTERS, FISCHERSPOONER, LADYTRON, CHICKS ON SPEED, AND PEACHES.
COULD YOU RECOUNT A COUPLE OF YOUR CHERISHED MEMORIES WITH THESE ARTISTSÂ FROM THE EARLY DAYS?
A. Me, peaches, chicks. WIT and Tracy and the plastics toured across America in a very FLINTA lineup. Seeing peaches punch out some dude that tried to intimidate WIT was hilarious as was topless swimming at a holiday inn in N Dakota that nearly got us thrown out of our hotel. So exciting.
Q. WHAT ASPIRATIONS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE ON YOUR HORIZON? WHAT’S NEXT FOR LARRY TEE?
A. September 1st I will be living in LA and have plans to create with my partner Morgan Wood and TV talent contest for uniquely talented people called ICONS. it has a music component, a compilation of trans, queer non-binary artists that reminds of the talent that helped launch the electroclash movement.
These new artists make me excited again about music and how we can change the world.
That’s why we are doing a tv show because we are thinking in the new generation that’s the only real way to create an impact and teach people. Trans supermodels, the GAGA generation (girls and gays together), and trash-Tekno is clearly in the air. It’s political and it’s needed more than ever.
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