Noise du Jour: “Tecktonik” is White Boy Dance, Elevated to Art
Posted by E. G. Gauger
Seemingly sprung from a single video depicting a French teenager having a seizure in his basement, dance movement Tecktonik has taken root in Euroyouth. They love sneakers, shitty hair, neon clothes, and busting moves absolutely everywhere. The irony here is so recursive, that even trying to puzzle out where to draw the line between “cool” and “stupid” is giving me hives.
Categories: 80s, Dance, France, Noise du Jour
Posted at 9:24 pm on February 21, 2008
16 Comments -
“…even trying to puzzle out where to draw the line between “cool” and “stupid” is giving me hives.”
What line? “Stupid” and “cool” are not mutually exclusive concepts. Indeed, much of the former is caused by seeking the latter, and much of the latter is the former done with style and confidence.
Comment by Robert — February 21, 2008 @ 11:12 pm
Really? Looks to me like poppin’ and lockin’. Janet Jackson was doing most of those moves 15 years ago. The only difference seems that the moves are more freestyle (the odd angles of the pops) and it’s faster (cause it’s techno) and the locks are shorter. The third dancer esp seems to be showing off hip-hop moves (which poppin’ comes from).
Comment by Vinnchan — February 21, 2008 @ 11:35 pm
Electroshimmy for the win.
Comment by Rit — February 21, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
Ahh, good one, Vinnchan. As soon as you said “Janet” I knew where I’d seen it before. Of course, this doesn’t explain why, in the second clip within the clip, she needs to have a break from doing the dishes to let loose some Rhythm Nation (they are pink dishwashing gloves, yes?). I also can’t figure out why, at about the 2:30 mark, we get repetions of the word “proctology”. I mean, I’m all for a good proctology joke and all, but where’s the punchline?
Comment by Montsnmags — February 21, 2008 @ 11:50 pm
Well, at least they all look like they’re having fun.
Comment by Mike — February 22, 2008 @ 3:10 am
I submit a remix of the French artist Yelle’s cover of A Cause de Garsons. I first saw Tecktonik in this video, although I called it “Bad mullet 80′s sweater neon eye hurt” dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36e9kZcRWGI
Look at the sneaker pumping!
Comment by Agent Arsenic — February 22, 2008 @ 11:23 am
Being French, I must say that it is indeed very popular in Paris among teenagers. Not a day without a bunch of mullet boys swinging their arms like an epileptic octopus. Feels like they all are Shoggoths preparing Her Awakenning. Seems to me another sign that we all are doomed if the next generation has that kind of inept dance. Or that we are already too old to understand the new trends.
Comment by Pierre — February 22, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
The moves, the clothes, and even the track are very similar to what you would have found at candy raves here in the US just a couple years ago – as other commentators have noted, not much new here, just a translation into a different cultural medium that makes it more noticible.
Comment by Phil — February 22, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
I think I saw one of those at Disneyland. I thought it was just a seizure brought on by the super long line for Space Mountain.
Comment by annie — February 22, 2008 @ 6:31 pm
I don’t know, something about this is good enough without being as ridiculous as jump dancing to suggest “coolness”. Maybe it’s just me. I tend to be pretty conservative dancing but this has actually piqued my interest. At the very least, I could see someone cannibalizing bits and pieces of this and making it “cool”.
Comment by Tao — February 22, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
That one girl, lektra or whatever, definitely has some moves. Maybe I’m just crazy but this tektonik stuff is growing on me. I guess the biggest problem would be how to tone it down enough to not be totally flaming, if you get my drift.
Comment by Tao — February 22, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
Mwah, newbie! Look at this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1nzEFMjkI4
O_o
Comment by DKZ — February 23, 2008 @ 5:58 am
The number of pop-culture/nerd-culture references I see in here is pretty extensive. It’s like a combination of these, but on acid and set to EuroTechno:
Justin Timberlake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shUhLVz-9D0
David Elsewhere
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAyTK6jF5o8
Michael Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mU8QoZMVOU
All of These Dancers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Dg3QMfWgQ
Saturday Night Fever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfcwYWivb3w
Comment by TrumpetDiva13 — February 23, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
But we appreciate you Trying, Eliza. Defining these lines are what we pay you bloggers to do.
Comment by Cristobat — February 25, 2008 @ 10:41 am
“epileptic octopus” hahaha. Exactly what I was thinking. I really must be getting old because I think this is ridiculous and kind of embarrassing. Vinnchan’s comparison to pop-locking is right on. It’s like that, but with less talent.
Comment by AutomagV — June 23, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
I’ve always wanted a movement! I’m so happy right now.
Comment by Vaughn — March 5, 2009 @ 5:27 am