Dorian Electra Biography

American singer-songwriter (born 1992)

Musical artist

Dorian Electra Fridkin Gomberg (born June 25, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter. Electra is known for their non-conforming fashion, queer aesthetics, and experimental pop sound. Their debut studio album, Flamboyant, was released in 2019, followed by their second studio album, My Agenda, in 2020. They released their third studio album, Fanfare, in 2023. Electra is genderfluid and uses they/them pronouns.

Early life

Electra was born in Houston, Texas to a Jewish family. Their father is Paul Gomberg (known as "the Rockstar Realtor" in Houston), originally from Beverly Hills. Their mother is artist and jewelry designer Paula Fridkin. Electra graduated from School of the Woods, a Montessori high school in Houston. Electra was the founder of their high school's philosophy club. They then attended Shimer College, a Great Books school in Chicago, Illinois, from 2010 to 2014.

Career

2010-2017: Early videos and first singles

Electra first drew national attention in 2010 with the music video "I'm in Love with Friedrich Hayek", which lauded the philosophy of the Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek and garnered commentary from the modern Austrian theory professor Steven Horwitz.

In 2011, they released two more videos, "Roll with the Flow" and "We Got it 4 Cheap". Both were covered by mainstream political media. "We Got it 4 Cheap" came in second in the Lloyd V. Hackley Endowment's "Supply and Demand Video Contest".

In 2012, they interned at production company Emergent Order. Emergent Order had previously published "Fear the Boom and Bust", a similar Hayek-oriented rap video.

Electra then produced a new, similarly economics-oriented pop video, "FA$T CA$H", with the support of an award from the Moving Picture Ins*ute.

In September 2012, Electra released the music video "Party Milk", which they describe as an attempt to merge common party scene symbolism with ‘something’ one would never *ociate with a party, but that everyone is familiar with in another context.

In 2014, Electra (as Dorian Electra & the Electrodes) released a music video called "What Mary Didn't Know", based on Frank Jackson's philosophical thought experiment of the same name (from 1986).

2015 saw the release of Electra's video "Forever Young: A Love Song to Ray Kurzweil", a tribute to the futurist Ray Kurzweil.In 2016, Electra released "Ode to the *oris" on Refinery29, detailing the scientific history of the *oris, from Ancient Greece through to modern, 3D models. In an interview, Electra stated it was to "desensitize people to the word *ORIS and help bring it more into popular consciousness." In June 2016 Electra released "Mind Body Problem" through Bullett Media, a song and video "about femininity as a performance—when being a 'woman' feels like putting on a costume and the costume doesn't seem to come off with the clothes". Electra was also creating a web series, at the time, under their drag king persona 'Dog Bogman', a used car salesman.

Electra continued their music video series, via Refinery29, about intersectional feminism and queer histories with "The History of Vibrators" (2016), the "Dark History of High Heels" (2016), "2000 Years of Drag" (2016), and "Control" (2017). These videos focused on the histories of intersectional feminist and queer issues, collaborating with many artists, including Imp Queen, London Jade, The Vixen, Lucy Stoole, Eva Young, Zuri Marley, K Rizz, and Chynna. "2000 Years of Drag" was accepted and screened at The East Village Queer Film Festival, NewFest, Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest, TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival, Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF), Art All Night - Trenton: 6th Annual Film Festival, Desperado LGBT Film Festival, QUEER-Streifen Regensburg, Filmfest *chrom, Flatpack Film Festival, and CINEMQ.

In 2017, Electra released the single "Jackpot" through Grindr's digital publication Into More, a song that "addresses gender fluidity, but in a more subtle, less explicitly educational way." Later that year, Electra was featured on the Charli XCX track "Femmebot", with Mykki Blanco, on the mixtape Pop 2.

2018-2022: Flamboyant and My Agenda

Electra performing in 2018

In 2018, Electra released three new tracks, "Career Boy", "VIP", and "Man to Man". Electra's frequent creative collaborator, Weston Allen, co-directed and edited this music video series.

In 2019, Electra released their debut album, Flamboyant. In August 2019, Electra embarked on the Flamboyant: Chapter I Tour, which lasted until November 2019. They began the second leg, Flamboyant: Chapter II, in early 2020. However, in March of the same year, the rest of the tour dates were postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In 2020, Electra released the single "Thirsty (For Love)", a collaboration with fans. They also released a deluxe version of Flamboyant later that year. Following this, they released the singles "Sorry Bro (I Love You)", "Give Great Thanks", "Gentleman", and "M'Lady".

On September 21, 2020, Electra announced their second studio album My Agenda, featuring appearances from Rebecca Black, Sega Bodega, Lil Mariko, Mood Killer, Faris Badwan, * Riot, Village People, and Dylan Brady, among others. It was released on October 16, 2020, and is described as exploring "crisis in masculinity". The satirical project had visuals parodying online conservative subcultures, featuring alt-right conspiracy theories, alpha males, and trilby-donning incels.

2023-present: Fanfare

Electra performing in 2024

On April 7, 2023, Electra released the single "Freak Mode". It was followed by "Sodom & Gomorrah" on June 2. On July 19, they released the single "Anon" and announced their third studio album Fanfare for October 6. Two more singles, "Puppet" and "Idolize", were released on August 31 and on October 3, respectively. All five singles were accompanied by a music video. Fanfare explores themes of celebrity and fandom in the social media age. On October 13, Electra announced Fanfare: The World Tour, which is scheduled to visit the Americas and Europe and is set to last from October 2023 to March 2024.

Personal life

Electra is queer and genderfluid, and uses they/them pronouns. They have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Instrumental albums

Demo albums

Singles

As lead artist

As a featured artist

Other charted songs

Music videos

• "I'm in Love with Friedrich Hayek" (2010)
• "Roll with the Flow" (2011)
• "We Got It 4 Cheap" (2011)
• "Party Milk"
• "Fast Ca$h" (2012)
• "What Mary Didn't Know" (2015)
• "Forever Young: A Love Song To Ray Kurzweil" (2015)
• "Ode to the *oris" (2016)
• "Mind Body Problem" (2016)
• "The History of Vibrators" (2016)
• "Dark History of High Heels" (2016)
• "2000 Years of Drag" (2016)
• "Control" (2017)
• "Jackpot" (2017)
• "Career Boy" (2018)
• "V.I.P." (feat. K Rizz) (2018)
• "Man to Man" (2018)
• "Flamboyant" (2019)
• "Daddy Like" (2019)
• "Adam & Steve" (2019)
• "Guyliner" (2020)
• "Malibu" (Guest appearance) (2020)
• "Sorry Bro (I Love You)" (2020)
• "Give Great Thanks" (2020)
• "Gentleman / M'Lady" (2020)
• "Edgelord" (feat. Rebecca Black) (2020)
• "F the World" (2020)
• "Friday (Remix)" (Guest appearance) (2021)
• "Shape of You" (Ed Sheeran cover) (2021)
• "Positions" (Ariana Grande cover) (2021)
• "Ram It Down" (feat. Mood Killer, Lil Mariko & Lil Texas) (2021)
• "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" (Tame Impala cover) (2021)
• "Happy" (Pharrell Williams cover) (feat. 645AR) (2021)
• "My Agenda" (feat. Village People & * Riot) (2021)
• "My Agenda" (Anamanaguchi Remix) (feat. Village People & * Riot) (2022)
• "Shinigami Eyes" (Grimes song) (Guest appearance) (2022)
• "Freak Mode" (2023)
• "Sodom & Gomorrah" (2023)
• "anon" (2023)
• "Puppet" (2023)
• "Idolize" (2023)

References

External links

Media related to Dorian Electra at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website