Y’all prolly know by now I don’t keep too close an ear on much “new” or “contemporary” music, BUT when someone in my water aerobics class mentioned “electro swing,” I figured I should check it out! I’d kinda hoped it would be similar to ’90s swing revival, a retro-trad dance fad, but instead I found electroswing simply blends traditional swing/trad-jazz style with electro’s straight 4/4 pulse. I was a bit surprised the mixing is rather simplistic; there’s not much manipulation, but then my attention waned as most of the mixes I found were really long—one breeched the four-hour mark. Right, if you dare, have a listen to “Electro Swing Mix 2014 Vol.1,” a short-ish example that should give y’all an idea of the style.
Meh. My ears aren’t quite sussed on this style; as it’s more “electro” than “swing,” it’s not really my thing. However, it seems to be SOMEthing, at least in Europe. To those of y’all “in the know”: Is this just a novelty genre that will go the way of electroclash?! Are there any electro-swing DJs/nights in Seattle? And if so, do the local punters swing dance to the disco beat?