Here's "Tecktonik," the latest French clubbing dance craze

So, word is on the other side of the pond, French kids like Cali, le super clubber, above, are all into this "tecktonik" dancing business. Agence France-Presse has hailed it "a new homespun urban dance phenomenon ... a mix of hip-hop and techno dance." Um... well, Cali here is certainly getting down impressively, and he can go on with his bad self. But I'm not sure I see what's so new here. Looks like a mix of old Nineties rave-style liquid dancing, mixed with a weaker version of Chicago footwork and, say, circuit party shirtless attitude.

Plus the background music... oy!!! Does this mean there is also a revival of this horribly high-BPM so-called hardstyle junk? This amphetamine-speed stuff was responsible for robbing much of the soul from house and techno in the Nineties, the first time around, and for giving all electronic dance music a bad rap among the uninformed. Can we leave it behind in the candy raver rooms of yesteryear?

Here's a more impressive example, IMHO, of a regional dance, said Chicago footwork... From teh city that brought us house music! Check the video for "Watch My Feet" by Dude n Nem... A hip-hopped-up dance workout with a breakdown that's set to a breakneck-pace 4/4... Now you know. -- Arielle Castillo