There once was a time when I didn't like vocals in the electronic music I was listening to. If some wailing diva came into the mix or MC Whack started toasting, that usually killed a track for me. I'm still not a fan of divas or whack-ass MCs, but I don't mind vocals the way I used to (that's not to say that there isn't a lot of vocal-y stuff out there that blows). When it comes to vocals, I prefer those that are either tweaked through machines and are therefore somewhat undecipherable or sung/spoken in a foreign language. Maybe it restores some of the music's mystery that you usually can only get when listening to instrumentals.

Now even though I live in Los Angeles, I don't speak the tongue native to these parts, Spanish (hmmm...maybe I'll take a class). If I did speak Spanish, I'd be able to decipher the elocutions emanating from the muy caliente Dirty Princess. Not only do these muchachas put out some of the best hard-edged electro out there, but they've also made some rather naughty videos [strictly for new wave adult 18+ sex robots ONLY]. All this robot can say is Dios Mio! Expect to see more of Dirty Princess as they get pimped out in the new year - they've recently signed with head Gigolo, DJ Hell.

So by now you might be wondering, how does someone like me find a place that sells the kind of music I listen to? Lucky for me, for the past 14 years I've been living near probably the best independent record store in the world Amoeba Records. Some people might call it a "black crack" house, where vinyl junkies (myself included) go to score. I call it the evil demon responsible for siphoning off most of my disposable income. Call it what you want, it's a mecca for music lovers - if you're ever in Hollywood (or Berkeley or San Francisco), it's required that you go. I still like visiting the smaller shops that manage to stay open despite the Goliath that is Amoeba.

I've always HATED the term electronica, much like I dislike most generic labels (house, techno, downtempo, indie, etc.). I think "mainstream" if I hear a band described in one those terms. To me, the best artists or groups are the ones who can't be so neatly categorized - the ones who have their own sound. Here are a couple electro "tron"icas that most definitely don't sound like anyone else.

I remember 6 years ago (1999!) my friend Ed came up to me with an interesting looking Japanese digipak (Miss Black & Her Friends) from this trendy-sounding English band called Ladytron. This was THE band that he was currently into, and you've got to trust Ed because he always has his finger on the pulse of what's hip and happening. The thing with Ed is, once he gets it into his head that he likes a certain band, he will make every effort to track down every last available item of said band (which works out well for me because then I don't have to go broke trying to find things he already has =P). After hearing this new group, I could tell from the get go that they were destined for greatness.

When you look back on the career of Jack Dangers, you realize that he’s been largely responsible for a good number of what are now considered genres in the world of electronic music. Drum and bass, breaks, and even to a large extent downtempo/dub and electro all bear certain hallmarks that are characteristically his.

One can disparage France on a number of fronts, but when it comes to electro, France has a certain "je ne sais quoi"; It seems to be producing more than its fair share of brilliant artists. Hailing from Grenoble, the same hometown as feline-accomplice Miss Kittin (Caroline Herve), Michel Amato, aka The Hacker, is one such producer/DJ. Fusing his love for new wave futurists Depeche Mode, New Order and Kraftwerk to the Teutonic dance beats of Nitzer Ebb and Front 242, he has taken the best of 80's synth-pop and EBM and upgraded it for this millennium.