Minimal Electro

Minimal electro (often also called flexipop or minimal wave) is characterized by sparse yet danceable electronic arrangements, playful and experimental sounds and often »weird« vocals. It has close relationships to genres like post-punk, new wave, NDW, EBM, industrial, avantgarde and chiptune.

A main influence on the genre was – once again – German electronic band Kraftwerk. But also American duo Suicide can be seen as genre pioneers. The term minimal electro was coined in the early 1980s by German music and independent magazines to describe music from artists like Belgian band Pseudo Code.

A classic minimal electro track is »Herzlos« by German band Stratis from 1984. Other genre artists include the early D.A.F. (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft), French duo Trisomie 21 and German band Der Plan (closely connected to D.A.F.) who paved the way for NDW with tracks like »Da vorne steht 'ne Ampel« (1980) and »Gummitwist« (1984).

Examples for more modern minimal electro tracks are »14 Zero Zero« (1999) by Console, Björk's »Heirloom« (2001, based on »Crabcraft« by Console), »Seventeen« (2002) by Ladytron and Welle: Erdball's »Super 8« (2002) and »Ich bin aus Plastik« (2008). Minimal electro was a main influence on genres EBM and Electroclash.