Industrial music, anyone?...Music 

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Didn't find any threads on Industrial, so I thought I'd spark up a discussion for those unfamiliar, and any closet Rivetheads that might be lurking about. ;)

Industrial has it's roots in the Post-Punk movement of the '70s, with a lot of noisy distortion fed through stacks of amps. The term "Industrial" was coined by one Mr. Monte Cazazza, during his time involved with Throbbing Gristle, who are widely recognized as the first Industrial band. The term was originally used as a tag-line for their self-titled label, Industrial Records, the tag-line being "Industrial Music for Industrial People."

The tag-line was meant as satire, as was the emphasis of the creation process; among the TG agenda was cranking out music as "product", in an assembly-line fashion. It's a commentary on Western consumption and materialism.

As other acts were signed to and distributed by Industrial records, the general sound of these bands were later identified as "Industrial." And so, the genre began. As new acts came along that either sounded like those bands on the Industrial label, or were influenced by them, so too were they eventually labeled Industrial.

A few Wiki links that are mostly good. (Wiki, of course, has the problem of user error, in that it's maintained and edited by the user base. Since this is art, rather than hard science or academia, there's a certain amount you have to take with a grain of salt, due to people's conflicting opinions over interpretation of the art in question.)

Throbbing Gristle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throbbing_Gristle

Monte Cazazza:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Cazazza

Industrial Records:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Records


And now, for the "music", if you want to call it as such. Some of this early, seminal work is melodic. Some is decidedly not.

Throbbing Gristle - Discipline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8klW9trVTQ


Clock DVA - The Hacker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENISCG2a15g


The Leather Nun - Slow Death

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK29QU_uV1s

(Compare to Joy Division - Transmission

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flVEoNuEYgE )


Cabaret Voltaire - Nag Nag Nag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-IixtxKETU
 
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In the '80s, the scene started to get a bit more polish; it started becoming less dischordant from the Post-Punk roots it crawled from. Around this era, we started to hear the foundation being built for the EBM subgenre. By and large, Front 242 is recognized as the biggest contributor to the fledgling EBM scene.

song: U-Men

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXzIl-Ag308

song: Commando Mix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHkAm4SH7cE

song: Headhunter (video edit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4vLJLu0ci0


Another contributor to the early EBM scene was Nitzer Ebb.

song: Hearts and Minds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5cio9qPFKw

song: Control I'm Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENf3AiKKmvI

song: Join In The Chant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epyGSLi_vfQ


Alongside EBM, we were still hearing the overall scene continuing to evolve. Consider Ministry, and their almost Depeche Mode-like Synth-Pop sound from their first album:

song: Effigy (I'm Not An)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLXAvRxqFuM


to their progression into harder 4/4 beats:

song: We Believe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUcQnl6zdkE


to their progression into guitar-driven structures:

song: Stigmata

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBi8U9hJy-E


and harder still with the next album:

song: Thieves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q495K2aEN0
 
One of the biggest names to come out of the '80s Industrial scene was KMFDM. Still recording today, they've gone through several lineups, and a constant evolution of their sound. Here's a small cross-section of their body of work, spanning a couple of decades.


song: Sieg Sieg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_XIpi7Agrc

song: Go To Hell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TLgGpQlfSQ

song: Vogue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wNKorQvzXM

song: Split

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNvcQix-r8I


For fans of Rammstein or later-era Ministry, here's a few KMFDM tracks that might appeal to you.


song: Sex On The Flag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gucE2XjnSgE

song: A Drug Against War

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zS8mX9J03Y

song: Ultra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uKY1W-776A

song: WWIII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e6jE4Hupnc

song: Dirty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjdo4k83OPc
 
Hmmm... a rivethed, from the Los Angeles area... I probably know you.

Go to Das Bunker and tell Franck "Peter J. Ford says hi" and give him a big hug for me.
 
It's funny how much of this is rooted in dance-music. I feel like aesthetics took over the form itself some time in the mid- to late-80s. Ja?
 
Public'sTwin
It's funny how much of this is rooted in dance-music. I feel like aesthetics took over the form itself some time in the mid- to late-80s. Ja?
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True, the aesthetics did seem to define the scene as much as the music with the start of EBM and the dance clubs that played it.

I also consider some of the early electronic bands (Kraftwerk) as industrial, since they made their own instruments.
 
The only Industrial music I really listen to is from bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein and Sister Machine Gun:




Personally, I tend to listen to more EBM from the likes of Covenant and Rotersand.
 
I started with Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, and Skinny Puppy (the band that influenced Trent Reznor). Now I listen mostly to "Power Noize", bands such as Noisex, Converter, and WASTE.

Covenant and Rotersand are great to dance to.

Do any of you like Combichrist?
 
Celldweller, anyone? I know that it pushes the boundary between industrial and electronic, but love both Switchback and his remix of Propane Nightmares.

 
I heard this one attached to the trailer for the American remake of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO the other day:



It's Trent Renzor with Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. And yes, it's a cover of Immigrant Song.
 
Racedude
Headhunter 👍
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peterjford
I started with Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, and Skinny Puppy (the band that influenced Trent Reznor).
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Yeah, that stuff was on constant rotation in my headphones and car stereo about 20 years ago; can't say I listen to much of it anymore. Although if a 242 song pops up on the rotation, I ain't skipping it. The closest thing to the boys from Belgium produced nowadays is VNV Nation, a little too dark, brooding, and heavy for more than a few minutes. Most of this genre is generally as popular with the ladies as a pap smear.

Perhaps its ironic that I'm sitting next to a jet engine on a 737 as I write this (numeric palindromes and noise and all).
 
I could listen to VNV for hours on end, and I sometimes do.

My industrial/EBM/whatever collection consists of VNV, :wumpscut:, And One, Apoptygma Berzerk, Assemblage 23, Cabaret Voltaire, Covenant, Das Ich, Eisbrecher, Front Line Assembly, Suicide Commando, Velvet Acid Christ...and more.
 
Pupik
The closest thing to the boys from Belgium produced nowadays is VNV Nation, a little too dark, brooding, and heavy for more than a few minutes. Most of this genre is generally as popular with the ladies as a pap smear.
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Not all the ladies, I met my wife at a VNV Nation concert.

Icarus25
I could listen to VNV for hours on end, and I sometimes do.

My industrial/EBM/whatever collection consists of VNV, :wumpscut:, And One, Apoptygma Berzerk, Assemblage 23, Cabaret Voltaire, Covenant, Das Ich, Eisbrecher, Front Line Assembly, Suicide Commando, Velvet Acid Christ...and more.
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Sounds a lot like my collection.
 
You cant forget Revolting Cocks, Beers, Steers & Queers was an excellent album.
Ohgr of Skinny Puppy also has had some quality sounds.
Sheep On Drugs, Greatest Hits & On Drugs albums.
Damage Manual are my favourite recent band.
 
Recently started listening to Necro Facility, and I can't help but go back and listen to a few songs from their last album.








My favourite Rotersand track:






And some Covenant:







Yeah, I'm still leaning more towards Electro-industrial/EBM these days.
 
peterjford
Do any of you like Combichrist?
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I saw Combichrist a little over a year ago, they were awesome! My ears hurt for three days straight after that concert.

Now, my question is: Does anyone of you like KMFDM or Angelspit? KMFDM was the first band I saw live and were my inspiration to take up guitar.
 
For those of you who like Rammstein look up Megaherz and Eisbrecher. Two similar kinds of bands to Rammstein and equally as good
 
I don't know anything about this kind of music, but I like it. Lurking with interest.
 
Dustone
For those of you who like Rammstein look up Megaherz and Eisbrecher. Two similar kinds of bands to Rammstein and equally as good
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I do like some Neue Deutsche Härte, and that includes Rammstein and Eisbrecher.


One pretty good track:

 
PureHeavyMetal
KMFDM was the first band I saw live and were my inspiration to take up guitar.
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Nice!! KMFDM are, hands down, my favorite band. Haven't missed a single tour of theirs through the Los Angeles area since 1995.

Dustone
For those of you who like Rammstein look up Megaherz and Eisbrecher. Two similar kinds of bands to Rammstein and equally as good
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Oomph! is also a good band to check out:

song: Gott Ist Ein Popstar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8vSbBTInaE


As Weigert mentioned, all are part of the related (but separate) genre Neue Deutsche Härte:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neue_Deutsche_Härte
 
Ok, that stuff was on constant rotation in my headphones and car stereo about 20 years ago; can't say I listen to much of it anymore. mee to, I like everything under the wide umbrella of "Industrial", though I definitely favor the Power Noize / Rhythmic Noise end of the spectrum. Wish you cheerful!
 
Gravity Kills, anyone? Was a big fan of these guys growing up.



This is probably my favorite from them.

 
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