FILE UNDER...TRENDS

As if the return of asymmetrical tops, mini-mohawks, and skinny neckties weren't enough, an entire musical genre has mutated out of '80s retro madness. Dubbed "electroclash" by some, "electro" by others, it's electrified punk--with keyboards and turntables replacing the guitars, bass, and drums. Acts like Omaha's synth-pop punks the Faint, French-Swiss noir duo Miss Kittin & the Hacker, and glitzy DJ Felix da Housecat have already dropped definitive electroclash LPs. Coming up are releases by eccentric New York performance-art collective Fischerspooner (above, whose domestic debut, #1, is due out June 11 on FS Studios) and acts on club promoter-producer Larry Tee's Mogul Electro label. Tee's all-girl trio, W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes), cunningly cover the Cars, while his gay rap duo, Morplay, are a flava-fresh take on old-skool Beastie Boys. This stuff may be a throwback, but it's certainly not throwaway. --Bryan Chin