Cobra Killer
76/77

THE REVIEW

"We don't want a revolution if we can't dance to it".

This could be somewhat the motto of electroclash, one of the newest and most vibrant phenomena of recent years, and entirely Berlin-based. Or rather: the artists come from all over the world (Peaches is Canadian, Le Tigre are from New York, Chicks on Speed from various parts of the globe), but it's when you arrive in Berlin that you become an electroclasher, as the lyrics of "Kick it" say, the duet between Peaches and Iggy Pop: "Come on a knocking where its rocking non-stop/And make your way to Berlin".

A distinctly feminine and queer phenomenon, which nevertheless hasn't excluded the boys (T.Raumschmiere, Who was who, etc.), electroclash draws heavily from the early 80s electronic, that of warm analog sounds, the first hip hop, punk, and new wave.
What emerges is something truly fresh and intriguing, sexy without being coy, a concept that pop starlets obviously lack...

A bit less famous and cool than groups like Le Tigre (who are now signed with Universal; how's it going up there??) and Chicks on Speed, we have Annika and Gina, a.k.a. the Cobra Killer, cute-girls-residing-in-Berlin-and-a-little-crazy hence electroclashers. They play in garage bands, then move into electronics together and record for Digital Hardcore rec, the label of Alec Empire, leader of Atari Teenage Riot.
After concluding that experience, and telling Alce Empire where to go, not exactly in the way proper young ladies should, they record a second album, and for the third one, "76/77", they opt for Monika Enterprise, an electro-feminist label in Berlin, which, with the help of excellent musicians (Eric D. Clark, T. Raumschmiere, Patric Catani), has allowed them to do really good work, and to express their great potential.

Starting with the cover: Annika and Gina are behind a showcase window, but no reminiscence of Amsterdam; on the contrary, wrapped in bandages, support stockings, and old-fashioned clothes, they look like two mannequins from East Germany. Total drabness, in short. Moving on. First track: "Let's have a problem": danceable electro with an ironic, cute, and suggestive take of "Have love, will travel" by the Sonics (one of the girls' favorite bands) with lyrics rather ridiculously warped (um, I don't remember the exact words, but it is!), followed by "mund auf augen zu (stecker raus, ich dreh' durch)" an irresistible '80s dance song in German.

It's surprising the ability of these girls to create rhythms even just with words (like "Tenthousand tissues" whose lyrics are just the title repeated), always different rhythms but equally engaging, diving heavily into the '60s sound (as in "Cobra movement", almost surf joyful) and electro rhythms ("I like it when it burns a bit" a track that would make even stones dance). And the richness in sounds and arrangements is also surprising, but never trivial, and never in fashion.

A kind of "dark side" of pop, broken, beautiful, and all to be discovered.