| Electro Hippies | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | St Helens/Wigan, England |
| Years Active: | 1985–1989 |
| Label: | Peaceville Necrosis |
| Associated Acts: | Carcass Napalm Death Jailcell Recipes |
| Past Members: | Jeffrey Walker Simon Bruno (Brian Rylance) Andy Barnard Kate Phil Dom Murphy Whitey |
Electro Hippies were an English thrashcore band formed in St Helens/Wigan, England, in 1985.
Though they were short-lived and underground through their career, their music influenced many future crust, hardcore punk, and grindcore bands. The band relied heavily on low bass end sounds to create their low-fi, primitively produced music. They also incorporated elements of heavy metal and have been described as "proto-grindcore".[1] The band strongly embraced the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) ethic which was very common among many early crust punk bands. The band's lyrics spoke heavily about animal rights and vegetarianism. A recurring lyrical theme on each LP targeted the McDonald's corporation, evidenced by the lyrics to "Run Ronald" and "Scum".
The band were supported by John Peel for whom they recorded a radio session in 1987, released as an EP by Strange Fruit Records the same year.[2] [3]
The Electro Hippies included Jeff Walker (guitar, vocals) in their ranks. He later joined extreme metal band Carcass. When Walker joined Carcass full-time, Simon (drums) and Andy (guitar) took over vocal duties. Eventually, the band split up in 1989, playing one last gig and releasing the show as their final album.
Chart placings shown are from the UK Indie Chart.[4]
During their short career, they also appeared on many compilations, such as A Vile Peace, Digging in Water, the Peel sessions sampler, and Vile Vibes.