Electro Hippies

This eccentric ‘grindcore’ outfit formed in Liverpool, England, in 1985. Specializing in low-technology studio techniques, they went on to issue a sequence of albums for Peaceville, and, later, Necrosis. In each case, a distorted, bass-laden barrage was overridden by stomach-churning vocals that consciously lacked both finesse and cohesion. The band’s initial line-up featured Simon (drums), Bruno (bass), Andy (guitar) and Jeff Walker (vocals) After recording a split-single with Generic, Jeff and Bruno left the band, with the former joining Carcass. Bruno was replaced by Dom, with all three members assuming vocal duties. Chaotic and extreme, Electro Hippies used their platform to chastise the whole recording industry. Their mantle was upheld in the first case by Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel, for whom the band recorded a July 1987 session comprising nine tracks. Titles such as ‘Starve The City (To Feed The Poor)’ and ‘Mega-Armageddon Death Part 3’ summed up both their appeal and limitations. The Electro Hippies split-up in 1989.