Electro-industrial

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Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM (electronic body music) has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound with a more experimental [1] approach. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Numb, and other groups, either from Canada or the Benelux. In the early 1990s, the style spawned the dark electro genre, and in the mid-/late-1990s, the aggrotech offshoot. [2] The fan base for the style is linked to the rivethead [2] subculture.

Contents

Characteristics

After the EBM movement faded in the early 1990s, electro-industrial increasingly attained popularity in the international club scene. In contrast to the straight EBM style, electro-industrial groups use harsher beats and raspy, distorted, or digitized vocals. In contrast to industrial rock, electro-industrial groups mostly avoided guitars, other than Skinny Puppy, who used electric guitar elements since the mid-'80s in songs like "Testure" or "Dig It", [3] and Numb on songs like "God Is Dead". [4]

Electro-industrial was anticipated by 1980s groups such as SPK, [2] [5] Die Form, Borghesia, Klinik, Skinny Puppy, [6] [7] Numb, [4] and Front Line Assembly. [7] [8]

Prominent electro-industrial groups of the 1990s include Mentallo and the Fixer, Yeht Mae, Velvet Acid Christ, and Pulse Legion (U.S.); [9] Numb and Decoded Feedback [10] (Canada); X Marks the Pedwalk, Plastic Noise Experience, Wumpscut, [11] [12] [13] Haujobb, [14] Forma Tadre, KMFDM, Putrefy Factor 7, and Abortive Gasp [15] (Germany); Leæther Strip [16] (Denmark); [17] and early Hocico, Cenobita, and Amduscia (Mexico).

Since the mid-1990s, some electro-industrial groups added guitars and became associated with industrial metal; other groups, e. g. Skinny Puppy, Download, Gridlock, and Haujobb, have incorporated elements of experimental electronic music styles like drum and bass, IDM, glitch, and other electronica genres.

Conceptual elements

Electro-industrial groups tend to feature themes of control, dystopia, and science fiction. Electro-industrial groups sometimes take aesthetic inspiration from horror films, including The Exorcist [18] and the work of Roman Polanski, [19] and the science fiction films Blade Runner and Alien .

Derivatives

Dark electro

Dark electro is a similar style, developed in the early 1990s in central Europe. The term describes groups such as yelworC [20] and Placebo Effect, [2] and was first used in December 1992 with the album announcement of Brainstorming, yelworC's debut. [21] The style was inspired by the music of The Klinik and Skinny Puppy. Compositions included gothic horror soundscapes, occult themes, and grunts or distorted vocals. yelworC were a music group from Munich, formed in 1988. They laid the foundations of the dark electro movement in the early 1990s, and were the first artist on the German label Celtic Circle Productions. In subsequent years, dark electro was displaced by techno-influenced styles such as aggrotech and futurepop. [2] Other groups to practice the style included amGod, Trial, early Evil's Toy, Mortal Constraint, Arcana Obscura, Splatter Squall, Seven Trees, Tri-State, and Ice Ages.

Aggrotech

German Aggrotech band Centhron at e-tropolis 2013, Berlin 13-03-23 e-tropolis Centhron 01.jpg
German Aggrotech band Centhron at e-tropolis 2013, Berlin

Aggrotech (also known as hellektro) [2] is a derivative form of dark-electro with a strong influence from industrial hardcore (straight techno bassdrum from Roland TR-909 and oscillator sounds, especially Supersaw leads from Roland JP-8000) that first surfaced in the mid-late-1990s.

Aggrotech typically employs aggressive beats, prominent lead synth lines, and lyrics of a dark nature. Often, vocals are distorted and pitch-shifted to sound harsh and synthetic; static and glitching effects are also added. Aggrotech musicians include Agonoize, Amduscia, Bestias De Asalto, Combichrist, Dawn of Ashes, Detroit Diesel, Feindflug, God Module, Grendel, Hocico, iVardensphere, Nachtmahr, Panic Lift, Psyclon Nine, Reaper, Suicide Commando, The Retrosic, Ritual Aesthetic, Unter Null, Virtual Embrace, and X-Fusion, among many.

See also

Related Research Articles

Electronic body music (EBM) is a genre of electronic music that combines elements of industrial music and synth-punk with elements of dance music. It developed in the early 1980s in Western Europe, as an outgrowth of both the punk and the industrial music cultures. It combines sequenced repetitive basslines, programmed dance music rhythms, and mostly undistorted vocals and command-like shouts with confrontational or provocative themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skinny Puppy</span> Canadian industrial band

Skinny Puppy was a Canadian electro-industrial band formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group was among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key while he was in the new wave band Images in Vogue, Skinny Puppy evolved into a full-time project with the addition of vocalist Nivek Ogre. Over the course of 13 studio albums and many live tours, Key and Ogre were the only constant members. Other members have included Dwayne Goettel, Dave "Rave" Ogilvie, Bill Leeb, Mark Walk (2003–2023), and a number of guests, including Al Jourgensen (1989), Danny Carey (2004), and many others.

<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">Hocico</span> Mexican electro-industrial band

Hocico is a Mexican electro-industrial duo that was formed in 1993 in Mexico City.

Wumpscut is a gothic-influenced electro-industrial music project from Germany. It was founded in May 1991 by Bavarian disc jockey Rudolf "Rudy" Ratzinger.

Dismantled is an electronic music artist from the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M'era Luna Festival</span> Music festival in Hildesheim, Germany

The M'era Luna is a gothic festival that encompasses a number of different styles such as metal, future pop, aggrotech, synthpop, gothic rock, dark wave, and ebm. It is held annually on the second weekend of every August, in Hildesheim, Germany at Flugplatz Hildesheim-Drispenstedt, a former British Army airbase.

<i>Remission</i> (EP) 1984 EP by Skinny Puppy

Remission is a 1984 EP by Canadian electro-industrial band Skinny Puppy, their record label debut and first release with Nettwerk. The 12-inch EP originally featured six tracks, then, a year later in 1985, it was released on cassette with five additional songs that lengthened the release to a full album. This expansion became the default version of Remission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haujobb</span> German electronic musical project

Haujobb is a German electronic musical project whose output has ranged drastically within the electronic music spectrum, from electro-industrial to ambient and techno. They have become a staple crossover act, bringing several forms of electro into the mainstream industrial music world.

Power noise is a form of industrial music and a fusion of noise music and various styles of electronic dance music. It should not be confused with "power electronics", which is not influenced by electronic dance music and is closer to harsh noise. Its origins are predominantly European.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decoded Feedback</span> Canadian musical project

Decoded Feedback is a Canadian musical project which incorporates styles of electro-industrial and aggrotech. The duo releases music on the North American distributor Metropolis Records, and the European record label Infacted Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cenobita</span>

Cenobita is an aggrotech/cyberpunk band based in Mexico City, created in 1994 by Claus Bita and former band member Omar Flo (vocals).

yelworC was an electro-industrial band from Germany.

Forma Tadre is a German electronic music project performed solo by Andreas Meyer. Forma Tadre's music spans numerous styles, from darkwave / Neue Deutsche Welle to industrial / EBM to ambient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabia Sorda</span> Mexican/German electro-industrial band

Rabia Sorda is the side project of Erk Aicrag, lead singer of the Mexican aggrotech band Hocico. Rabia Sorda, like Hocico, is electronic music, though it is somewhat less aggressive and noisy than Hocico. While his main project, Hocico, goes down a certain path, Aicrag uses Rabia Sorda as a vehicle for his own musical creativity. He mixes different aspects ranging from ethnic influences to 1980s-style melodies and punky attitude to aggressive electronic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finite Automata (band)</span> American band

Finite Automata is an American dark electronic and electro industrial music group from Atlanta, Georgia. Originally formed in Pensacola, Florida in 2006, they have been based out of Atlanta, Georgia since 2013 and currently consist of vocalist, producer, and lyricist Mod Eschar, keyboardist Scott Storey, and guitarist Timothy Miller. They are known for their deep layered sound, frequent experimental live use of sound making devices such as radios and tapedecks, and their highly politically charged, confrontational, and theatrical stage performances. The group's name stems from the computer science concept of Finite State Machines, used as a metaphor for the predictability of human behavior. The band cites 1980s and 1990s electro-industrial groups Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and Project Pitchfork as their primary influences. Much of their early work has been referred to as a "throwback" as much of its style is reminiscent of early electro-industrial as opposed to the more recent and popular Aggrotech offshoot. Their more recent work draws heavily on industrial rock and the darker and more experimental sounds of second and third generation industrial like with previous releases, but with a healthy dose of modern production stylings and a more updated sound.

<i>Weapon</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Skinny Puppy

Weapon is the twelfth and final studio album by Canadian electro-industrial band Skinny Puppy. It was released on May 28, 2013, through Metropolis Records. Skinny Puppy received mainstream media attention when the band billed the U.S. government for using its music as torture in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, which was a primary source of inspiration for the album. Musically, Weapon's sound is reminiscent of Skinny Puppy's earliest releases, Remission (1984) and Bites (1985), due to the employment of old equipment and simplified songwriting.

<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.

Cold Therapy is an Dark-industrial / dark electronic music project from Poland, founded by Jacek Wolański on October 8, 2012. Music of Cold Therapy is known for its dark and atmospheric sound - "A soundtrack to the dark side of your mind”.

References

  1. ↑ Explore Music: Pop/Rock » Alternative/Indie Rock » Electro-Industrial @ AllMusic. RhythmOne Group. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Interview with Axel Machens, Vendetta Music, 23 April 2007. Access date: 23 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "Electro-Industrial". Allmusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 Steve Huey. "Numb – Numb". Allmusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  5. ↑ John Bush. "Machine Age Voodoo – SPK". Allmusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Adem Tepedelen, "Skinny Puppy Bark Back", Rolling Stone, 20 May 2004. Archived 1 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Access date: 24 October 2008.
  7. 1 2 Manny Theiner, "Local Electro-industrial duo Prometheus Burning turns up the heat", Pittsburgh City Paper, 29 November 2007. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Metropolis Records, Velvet Acid Christ bio. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑ Nick Britten, "Finland school killings: Profile of Wumpscut", Daily Telegraph, 23 September 2008. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  13. ↑ Jez Porat, Chain D.L.K., 21 June 2005. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  14. ↑ Manny Theiner, "German Electro-industrial duo Haujobb plays Pegasus Lounge", Pittsburgh City Paper, 13 September 2007. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  15. ↑ Inklupedia, Abortive Gasp. Access date: 23 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Michael Wozny, interview with Claus Larsen, ReGen Magazine, 22 June 2008. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  17. ↑ "Claus Larsen fronts one of Europe's leading Electro-Industrial bands." Mick Mercer, The Hex Files: The Goth Bible, Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 1997, p. 24.
  18. ↑ Tim DiGravina, Mind review, Allmusic. Access date: 23 December 2008.
  19. ↑ Tim DiGravina, Bites review, Allmusic. Access date: 23 December 2008.
  20. ↑ Metropolis Records, yelworC bio. Access date: 24 October 2008.
  21. ↑ Zillo Music Magazine · Issue No. 12/92 · Album announcement of "Brainstorming" · Pages 43 · Germany · December 1992. The term was repeated in a review of the same album in Zillo Music Magazine · Issue No. 2/93 · Review of the album "Brainstorming" · Pages 49 · Germany · February 1993.
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