The Machinists of Joy

Last updated
The Machinists of Joy
Die Krupps The Machinists of Joy.jpg
Studio album by
Die Krupps
Released25 October 2013
RecordedAtom H Studios, Austin, Texas
Genre Industrial, EBM
Length49:26
Label Synthetic Symphony
Producer Jürgen Engler, Chris Lietz
Die Krupps chronology
Als wären wir für immer
(2010)		The Machinists of Joy
(2013)		 V - Metal Machine Music
(2015)
Singles from The Machinists of Joy
  1. "Industrie-Mädchen"
    Released: April 23, 2012 [1]
  2. "Risikofaktor"
    Released: January 28, 2013 [2]
  3. "Nazis Auf Speed"
    Released: December 20, 2013
  4. "Robo Sapien"
    Released: June 00, 2014

The Machinists of Joy is the eighth studio album by German Industrial/EBM band Die Krupps. The album was released on 25 October 2013 in four formats: normal digipak CD, limited two-CD digipak, a fan box and as a limited LP/CD combo. [3] It was released though German record label Synthetic Symphony. [4]

Contents

The album is a tribute to the band's past. It harkens back to the Düsseldorf Punk scene before their first release Stahlwerksynfonie, abandoning the metal sound of their 90s work. [5] The album derives its name from one of the band's earlier tracks 'Machineries of Joy', a cover of Wahre Arbeit Wahrer Lohn done by Ralf Dörper and Nitzer Ebb in 1989. [6]

The album includes collaboration with Métal Urbain and Dernière Volonté. Its album cover is a homage to the album Metal Machine Music.

Promotion

The single Risikofaktor was accompanied by a music video which was released on January 23, 2013. [7] On December 20, 2013 the band followed up with a video for limited edition track Nazis auf Speed, which was directed by Philipp Virus. [8] [9] The band announced a fan director video contest for the track Schmutzfabrik. [10] [11] Also other fan videos were published on official Die Krupps online resources. An official music video - sporting cyberpunk dystopian design - also supported the last single off the album, Robo Sapien, which presented The Red Line, a track to be included on the follow-up studio album one year later. A live version of Robo Sapien was also released on Sonic Seducer magazines M'era Luna Festival 2014 DVD in autumn.

In 2014 the band went on tour in Europe with Vigilante and Chant. [12] Preceding the tour, die Krupps let their fans participate in a vote on which songs from The Machinists of Joy they should play on tour. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
COMAFavorable [14]
Head Full of NoiseStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
I Die: You DieFavorable [16]
IntravenousFavorable [17]
Reflections of Darkness9/10 [6]
Release 8/10 [18]
Santa SangreFavorable [19]
Side-Line8/10 [20]

Fredrik Schlatta Wik of Release Magazine noted the band's change of style compared to the previous album Paradise Now and said, "'The Machinists of Joy' is aptly named; the main theme of the album is industrial old-school EBM, with fantastic melodic basslines and poses a return to the Die Krupps' roots and form." [18] "The Metal days are definitely over, even though there are still a lot of guitars on many tracks of the new album", wrote J. Niggels Uhlenbruch of Reflections of Darkness, "But guitarist Marcel Zuercher takes rather a back seat and allows his riffs and licks to support the compositions and rhythms where necessary instead of steamrolling entire songs." [6] Uhlenbruch added, "This path goes back to the roots, and this is not only true for the music but also for the lyrics and the imagery Die Krupps use." [6]

The Machinists of Joy received favorable reviews. Grant V. Ziegler of COMA Music Magazine wrote, "For its driving force, perfect execution of synths and balanced lyrical and vocal attacks, The Machinists of Joy is a must own for all Industrial music fans." [14] Dominic Lynch of Intravenous Magazine called the album "an achievement". [17]

However, Release Magazine's Fredrik Schlatta Wik thought The Machinists of Joy would not win Die Krupps many new fans: "So is this album going to appeal to a new audience? Doubtful. Are the old fans [...] going to like it? Undoubtedly yes." [18]

Track list

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Ein Blick zurück im Zorn"Ralf Dörper, EnglerJürgen Engler, Marcel Zürcher4:09
2."Schmutzfabrik"Dörper, EnglerEngler4:18
3."Risikofaktor"Engler, DörperEngler, Chris Lietz3:34
4."Robo Sapien"Engler, DörperEngler, Lietz5:12
5."The Machinist of Joy"Dörper, EnglerEngler4:40
6."Essenbeck"DörperEngler, Lietz4:06
7."Im falschen Land"DörperEngler, Zürcher3:37
8."Part of the Machine"DörperEngler4:32
9."Eiskalter Engel"EnglerEngler4:34
10."Nocebo"DörperEngler, Zürcher4:10
11."Im Schatten der Ringe"Dörper, EnglerEngler6:34
Limited edition additional tracks
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Nazis auf Speed"DörperEngler, Zürcher5:31
2."Panik" (Métal Urbain cover feat. Eric Débris of Métal Urbain)Eric DébrisRikky Darling2:19
3."Sans Fin" (Feat. Geoffroy D of Dernière Volonté)Geoffroy D, EnglerEngler, Lietz4:23
4."Neue Helden" (Remixed by Claus Larsen of Leather Strip)DörperEngler4:40
5."Industrie-Mädchen" (S.Y.P.H. cover)Thomas SchwebelUwe Jahnke4:04
Total length:20:57

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak position
Deutsche Alternative Chart [21] 1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Front Line Assembly</span> Canadian electro-industrial band

Front Line Assembly (FLA) is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. FLA has developed its own sound incorporating elements of electronic body music and electro-industrial. The band's membership has rotated through the years, including Michael Balch, Rhys Fulber, and Chris Peterson, all of whom are associated with several other acts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitzer Ebb</span> British EBM band

Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris, Douglas McCarthy (vocals), and David Gooday (drums). The band was originally named La Comédie De La Mort but soon discarded that and chose the name Nitzer Ebb by cutting up words and letters and arranging them randomly to create something Germanic without using actual German words.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Brücken</span> German singer and songwriter

Claudia Brücken is a German singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop band Propaganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die Krupps</span> German industrial metal/EBM band

Die Krupps is a German industrial metal/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.

<i>Agent Orange</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Sodom

Agent Orange is the third studio album by German thrash metal band Sodom, released on 1 June 1989 by SPV/Steamhammer. It was their last album with guitarist Frank Blackfire until his return to the band in 2018. The lyrical content delves deeply into Tom Angelripper's fascination with the Vietnam War, with a song dedicated to the ground assault aircraft AC-47 as well as the Agent orange defoliant-inspired title-track. It was their first album to enter the German album charts where it reached number 36. Agent Orange sold 100,000 copies in Germany alone and marked the commercial break through for the band. The song "Ausgebombt" was released on the EP Ausgebombt with German lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyogenesis</span> German metal band

Pyogenesis is a German metal band based in Stuttgart that played different genres of music such as death metal, alternative metal, punk rock, and gothic metal, which they were credited for their part in originating the latter genre in the early 1990s.

<i>Host</i> (Paradise Lost album) 1999 studio album by Paradise Lost

Host is the seventh studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost.

<i>II – The Final Option</i> 1993 studio album by Die Krupps

II – The Final Option is the fifth studio album by German industrial metal band Die Krupps. It was released in 1993 through record label Our Choice. A double CD special edition was released the same year, containing the same track listing with demo versions on the second CD.

<i>Paradise Now</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Die Krupps

Paradise Now is the seventh studio album by German industrial metal band Die Krupps. It was released on 14 April 1997 through record label Our Choice. The album was released in a CD format and in a cassette format. It is the last album prior to the band's 8-year break-up. Guitars take a more dominant role here than on previous Die Krupps albums. The album was the last to feature the widespread use of metal guitars like previous albums, until the band released V – Metal Machine Music in 2015.

<i>III – Odyssey of the Mind</i> 1995 studio album by Die Krupps

III – Odyssey of the Mind is the sixth studio album by German industrial metal band Die Krupps. It was released on 31 July 1995 through several record labels. The 1995 release included a CD version, a vinyl record version and a limited boxed set edition limited to 2,000 copies.

<i>I</i> (Die Krupps album) 1992 studio album by Die Krupps

I is he fourth studio album by German Industrial metal band Die Krupps. It was released in 1992 through record label Our Choice. The 1992 release contained a standard CD version, a digipack version and a vinyl record version. Several songs on the album make use of film samples. On "Doppelgänger" and "The Power", samples of Star Wars can be heard. "One", which is a Metallica cover, contains samples from Born on the Fourth of July (1989), "Disciples of Discipline" contains samples from Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981).

<i>Fight</i> (Doro album) 2002 studio album by Doro

Fight is the eighth studio album of the German female heavy metal singer Doro Pesch. It was released worldwide in 2002 by SPV/Steamhammer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doro (musician)</span> German singer (born 1964)

Dorothee Pesch, known professionally as Doro Pesch or simply Doro, is a German heavy metal singer and the former frontwoman of heavy metal band Warlock. Dubbed the "Metal Queen", Doro's contributions to music and culture made her a global figure in metal culture for over three decades. The name Doro has also been associated with the touring band accompanying the singer, whose members have continuously changed in more than 20 years of uninterrupted activity, the most stable presences being those of bassist Nick Douglas and drummer Johnny Dee.

<i>Echogenetic</i> 2013 studio album by Front Line Assembly

Echogenetic is the fifteenth full-length studio album by Vancouver industrial band Front Line Assembly, released on July 9, 2013. It was well received both by critics and fans and charted in German and US charts. Critics commented on the band's return to a purely electronic approach and on the dubstep influence on the album. Front Line Assembly toured extensively in Europe and North America in support of this album and remix follow-up Echoes, which included a tour with vocalist and band leader Bill Leeb's former band Skinny Puppy. This was the last studio album to feature Jeremy Inkel before his death in 2018.

<i>Russian Industrial Tribute to Die Krupps</i> 2013 compilation album by Various Artists

Russian Industrial Tribute to Die Krupps is a 2013 tribute album to the German industrial/EBM band, Die Krupps, by various artists.

<i>Als wären wir für immer</i> 2010 EP by Die Krupps

Als wären wir für immer is an EP by German Industrial/EBM band Die Krupps. It was released on 3 December 2010 through German record label Synthetic Symphony. The EP was released in a CD format.

<i>The Remix Wars: Strike 2</i> 1996 remix album by Front Line Assembly and Die Krupps

The Remix Wars: Strike 2 is remix album of Canadian industrial band Front Line Assembly and German industrial band Die Krupps, released in 1996. It is subtitled "Front Line Assembly vs. Die Krupps". It is the second in a series of four remix albums on which two bands remix each other's tracks. The liner notes of the album describes the concept: "Two different groups or projects fight each other using samplers, mixing consoles and creativity as their weapons." The first three tracks are from III - Odyssey of the Mind, the other tracks are from Hard Wired. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the launch of the remix series in 2016 Canadian label Artoffact re-released the albums on vinyl.

<i>Brilliant</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Ultravox

Brilliant is the eleventh and final studio album by British synth-pop band Ultravox, released on 25 May 2012 by Chrysalis Records. It is the group's first studio album in 18 years, and the first in 28 years from the "classic" Ultravox line-up of Midge Ure, consisting of Billy Currie, Warren Cann and Chris Cross. The title track was released as its lead single, and premiered on 17 April 2012 on BBC Radio 2.

<i>V – Metal Machine Music</i> 2015 studio album by Die Krupps

V – Metal Machine Music is the ninth studio album by German Industrial/EBM band Die Krupps. It was released on 28 August 2015 as digital download and double CD as well as limited bundles. The album was released through record labels Steamhammer and Metropolis Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth Code</span> American electronic music group

Youth Code is an American EBM duo, formed in 2012 by Sara Taylor and Ryan George in Los Angeles, California. The duo's musical style, following the model of early Wax Trax! Records, has been described as industrial music infused with "hardcore angst." Following their self-released Demonstrational Cassette in 2012 and a chance meeting with Psychic TV, Youth Code were invited to release their first single, "Keep Falling Apart", through Angry Love Productions. Since then, they have released two full-length studio albums, an EP, and two additional singles.

References

  1. ↑ "Die Krupps release first track of new album: 'Industrie-Mädchen'". Side-line.com. April 20, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Die Krupps - Risikofaktor". SPV. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Die Krupps - The Machinists of Joy". SPV. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Die Krupps - The Machinists of Joy - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". www.metal-archives.com. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  5. ↑ "Die Krupps return with brand new album: 'The Machinists of Joy' - Die Krupps news at". Side-line.com. 1999-02-22. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Uhlenbruch, J. Niggels (October 15, 2013). "CD Review: Die Krupps - The Machinists Of Joy". Reflections of Darkness Music Magazine. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  7. ↑ Vaudo, Zak (January 26, 2013). "Die Krupps releases new single video". ReGen Magazine. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Enjoy the new Die Krupps worldwide video premiere in HD". Die Krupps. December 20, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  9. ↑ Kahrle, Mikael (December 30, 2013). "Die Krupps' "Nazis auf Speed" video and tour schedule". Release Music Magazine. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Die Krupps fan director video contest". Die Krupps. November 25, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  11. ↑ Vaudo, Zak (November 25, 2013). "Die Krupps announces video contest" . Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Die Krupps "The Machinists of Joy" Tour 2014". Die Krupps. February 14, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Die Krupps needs your input". Die Krupps. January 4, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Ziegler, Grant V. (February 21, 2014). "CD Review: Die Krupps - The Machinists of Joy". COMA Music Magazine. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  15. ↑ Lee, Rocki (December 21, 2013). "Review: Die Krupps – The Machinists of Joy". Head Full of Noise. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  16. ↑ Alex (November 27, 2013). "Die Krupps, "The Machinists of Joy"". I Die: You Die. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Lynch, Dominic (November 13, 2013). "Review: Die Krupps - 'The Machinists of Joy'". Intravenous Magazine. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 Wik, Fredrik Schlatta (November 18, 2013). "The Machinists of Joy". Release Musik & Media . Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  19. ↑ Marks, Peter (October 13, 2013). "Die Krupps – The Machinists of Joy". Santa Sangre Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  20. ↑ H., W. (November 10, 2013). "Die Krupps - The Machinists Of Joy (CD Album - Synthetic Symphony/SPV Records)". Side-Line. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  21. ↑ "For the 5th consecutive week, 'The Machinists of Joy' is still No.1 in the German DAC Charts". Die Krupps official Facebook page. December 16, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.