It Makes Them Feel Like . . .

U2 is forcing its way into the dance clubs with the techno-tinged single “Discotheque.” But how are the folks on the dance floor taking to it?

The reaction is decidedly mixed among hard-core electronic dance music fans. Some hear the record as a crassly commercial hop onto the bandwagon, while others praise the Irish foursome for endorsing and exposing this music.

U2 isn’t completely new to the style--its last two albums, “Achtung Baby” and “Zooropa,” had elements of electronic dance, and various remixes of songs from those albums took it further. But “Discotheque,” which precedes the “Pop” album, due in stores March 4, has been trumpeted as a head-first plunge into the dance world.

“A lot of people are talking about it,” says Sue Mason, who runs the new, techno-oriented club Mental every other Monday at the Martini Lounge in Hollywood. “The opinion I’ve mostly heard is that this was the obvious way for U2 to go, riding the wave of the whole scene.”

But, she adds, “I haven’t heard it actually played at any club yet.”

Todd Roberts, editor of the Los Angeles-based rave and dance magazine Urb, wishes U2 had given the song more of a true techno tone.

“My impression is it’s a bit tepid in regards to techno and electronic dance material,” he says. “They’re kind of flirting with it, and if they’re talking about embracing dance music, there’s a long way to go. I give more credit to bands like Everything But the Girl, who fully integrated the sound into their music. At least they tried it, whether they go in that direction or not again.”

He’s eager to hear if other songs from the U2 album are more “real” rave. But the problem with this song, he says, is that U2 seems to be trying to be all things to all people.

It worked, judging by the song’s reception at the nation’s radio stations. Though “alternative” music tastes are said to be fragmenting, “Discotheque” was added to the playlists of all 97 stations that form Radio & Records magazine’s reporting panel in that category within 48 hours of its release--the first time that has ever happened.

And that enthusiasm is just as great at stations that cater to the dance faithful. Egil (Swedish Eagle) Aalvik, program director of L.A.’s Groove Radio (KACD-FM, 103.1), is ecstatic about the song--as he is about new jungle and rave work from David Bowie and Depeche Mode. Having material by such name acts that fits in with the station’s programming helps attract new listeners to the outlet, which has grown very slowly since going on the air last year.

“The timing is perfect for us,” he says. “This may not have been our initial direction [to play mainstream rock acts], but I didn’t know six months ago that these bands would do this. So we’re paying a lot of attention to it.”