From my understanding, it's basically experimental electronic noise music, often mimicking the sounds of industrial machinery. It's sort of like harsher and more abstract synth pop, I'd say. And yes, I think the flexibility or fluidity of the genre is one of the big reasons why I like it so much. It's almost like a force of nature within music that you can bend to your will if you have the right tools. Personally I'm not too huge on "pure" industrial but I love it when it's mixed with other genres. I would love to see the iceberg video if you're still planning to do it.
I think of Industrial as experimental at its core, taking a base element, deconstructing, reconstructing, tearing it apart again. So yes, you're exactly right, it's the act of mutation that makes the industrial sound. It doesn't make sense to me to say Throbbing Gristle is pure and Skinny Puppy is a bastardization, because... isn't that the point?
If I'm not listening to black metal, then I'm listening to Industrial! To me Industrial is a whole entire genre that has many sub genres, including EBM and Aggrotech, which are my two favourites. EBM and Aggrotech are considered "danceable" Industrial subgenres that are slightly faster than what bands like Throbbing Gristle and Coil would be. Some of my favourite bands are: :wumpscut:, Suicide Commando, Ext!ze, Funker Vogt, Centhron, Alien Vampires, Leather Strip, Icon of Coil, Combichrist, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Assemblage 23, Covenant, Hocico, Neuroticfish X-Fusion, and Psyclon Nine. Skinny Puppy's front man ohGr has his own project, called ohGr. Both subgenres of Industrial have a club sound and feel to them, however Aggrotech (also known as Hellectro) will have dark, aggressive, and gothic overtones with lyrics that are unapologetically violent, and focus around anti-religion, death, hatred, and war. EBM is the more poetic and philosophical of the two as far as lyrics and image go. Still can be dark, but not in-your-face. To hear the differences, I recommend listening to War by :wumpscut:, Bind Torture and Kill by Suicide Commando, and Death to Pigs by Alien Vampires, then some EBM tracks such as Waiting to Be Born by Rotersand, Let the Wind Erase Me by Assemblage 23, and Reinvent the Pain by Neuroticfish to get the gist. While there is some crossover between the two, what I've stated are general rules to what these two Industrial subgenres sound like.
You just named off like all my favorites. LOL Suicide Commando and X-Fusion provided me with the most inspiration and up until I got tuned into them, back in 2008, I never knew there could be "clubby music" that I could literally bang my head to. I got sucked into that shyte overnight and before long, I was producing my own stuff through FL Studio. Possibly, the most life-changing decision I've ever made. I'm more of a metalhead now than I've ever been but I go through phases where I start listen to stuff like that again and then try to pump out a new aggrotech or EBM track like that. I tell ya what, few things get me consistently pumped at the gym like Ich Wille Diene Swille by X-Fusion or Nachtmar's I Believe in Blood! Just talking about all this stuff makes me wanna go start listening to it again!
A lot of the "true" industrial fans hate that EBM stuff though, and few into the EBM world seem to care much for the heavier and darker stuff. Maybe that has changed over the last couple decades? But as I recall when it came to the Cold Meat/Cold Spring world most of the goth kids had no interest. Rudy from Wumpscut once DJ'd at a club I went to, nice guy but not what you would imagine.
@@patrickbertlein4626 Everything you said is interesting. I never knew that the Rivitheads never liked EBM, though I suppose when you compare early Skinny Puppy to Grendel or Shiv-R (or any band that's "clubby") it makes sense. Which early Industrial groups do you recommend? I'm a HUGE :w: fan! I almost got Krieg tattooed on my knuckles back in june, but I had to cancel my appointment due to financial reasons. I would be honoured to meet Rudy, as his musikk is very meaningful to me, especially his older albums! His albums post Schrekk Und Grauß (I like using the double S) are enjoyable, but his earlier ones resonate with me more. Please elaborate on your experience with Rudy, I'd love to read it!!!
@@patrickbertlein4626 When main stream audience and media mentioned "Industrial" they mean whether industrial rock/metal or EBM/Dark techno/cybergoth stuffs. Fans who prefer dark ambient/noise like Cold Spring/GH Records/Old Europa Cafe/Tesco etc. are mostly in rather underground scenes. I've been looking for a forum or discussion site focused on these (dark ambient/noise/experimental) labels and artists, do you know any of that exists?
@@patrickbertlein4626 Honestly my favorite kind of EBM is the mid 80s-early 90s stuff like: Front by Front from Front 242, Belief by Nitzer Ebb, Kooler than Jesus by TKK, Tenebrae Vision by Cyberaktif, Twitch by Ministry, Big Sexy Land by RevCo, Armed Audio Warfare by Meatbeat Manifesto. This stuff is freaking god tier. There's some great bands making this kind kf stuff these days, Khaar by Aurat, R.U. by Djedjotronic, even a new Cyberaktif album!
Along with Throbbing Gristle I'd add Einstürzende Neubauten to the list of "pioneers". Their banging on bits of metal with hammers and the like certainly influenced Depeche Mode circa 1984. I might also be tempted to add early Laibach to the list too.
Sounds from machines, tools, factories etc assembled to create music. Adding vocals and beats to that makes it fuller and better in my opinion. It doesn’t have to be abstract noise.
Shotgun Messiah's Violent New Breed was my favorite little-known industrial album. But yea, exactly, it's any media/ sounds that are sampled, experimented sounds, improvision, chopped loops and envelopes, and formed into some sort of rhythmic sound which defines the core tenant of Industrial music as a whole.
I love industrial. The way I think about it is music that has electronic and machine like sounds and often has a lot of sound clips that sounds very cold, harsh & dark.
Found my way here because I went to a goth/industrial/edm party. But was confused when I heard majority of songs were similar to Captivate by Nitzer Ebb. I thought maybe that was just an earlier classic industrial music style I wasn't aware of. So got curious on the history. Because I was expecting things like Circle of Dust, X-RX, God Module, etc. Thanks for sharing. This was interesting & helpful. I think pure industrial is pretty neat now that I've heard some.
I absolutely agree with you on the fluidity of the term "industrial" as for different people it might mean anything from Rob Zombie to Genocide Organ. For me, pure industrial is Einstürzende Neubauten's "Kollaps" as well as the very early Laibach releases like the self-titled album and "Neu Konservatiw". Or Ammer Einheit's "Deutsche Krieger".
The reason is because you have to take into consideration the nuance of each of industrial's subgenres. Industrial really is just an umbrella term. Industrial is one of the few genres, like rock, where each subgenre sounds completely different than others.
I think it really is fluid. I've always considered the more pure forms of Industrial Music beyond Throbbing Gristle and Coil, to be more in the direction of artists like SPK, Brighter Death Now, and White Hospital, rather than in the more rock direction of Skinny Puppy, Foetus and Ministry. I personally feel that as soon as drums, guitars and other conventional instruments are added, or at least played conventionally, it is no longer industrial.
This is a potentially beautiful discussion to have, for me. The more aggressive/synth-based styles like aggrotech, powernoise and the more hard-hitting EBM artists inspired me to start putting my own music together. I had a long-standing project called "Artificial-Organic" that combined influences from Suicide Commando, Xotox, Wumpscut and X-Fusion (just to name a few). There was a great deal of industrial stuff that I always referred to as "headbanger techno", which had a MASSIVE effect on me. Had it not been for artists of that ilk, I would have never sought out the means to create stuff like that myself, I'd have never purchased FL Studio and I wouldn't have my most passionate, life-changing hobby of all time (creating my own music). I could talk about all that for HOURS and show you years worth of stuff I produced (LARGELY for my OWN benefit), ALL because of this particular variety of "industrial music". There's a great deal of things to touch on. From the more "industrial rock" bands like Gravity Kills, to some really DARK avant-garde shyte like The Happiest Tapes on Earth. From bands that literally used junk and machinery as percussion to all the infamous cybergoth stuff like Grendel and God Module. I made a lot of friends and got tuned into some AMAZING music through that genre and various sites that were kinda' based around it (Vampirefreaks.com, Digital Gunfire Radio, dedicated messageboards, etc). Man, what a trip down memory lane it is just to THINK about all that. And I'm really enjoying seeing some of the rivetheads in the comments. HAHA, awesome!
@@patrickbertlein4626 I would say Terrorfakt is powernoise. Some may say that aggrotech is a grittier, meaner version of EBM. Aggrotech usually incorporates these really big kicks that have as much treble range as they do low-end, a lot of methodical, rhythmic stuff kinda' acting as a lead, distorted pendulum snares (often with a longer decay time than you might expect) and typically a LOT of 'sawtooth' leads. It generally sounds very aggressive and "clubby", ranging from 140 to 160bpm. Aggrotech was apparently pretty established by the time I got wind of it (2008). Phosgore, SAM, Suicide Commando and Die Sektor are all pretty good examples. Oh, (and this will probably be greek to you) but it's an open secret that a particular VST synth called Vanguard is HEAVILY utilized in aggrotech stuff.
Industrial is as much an idea as a musical genre. The purest sound - as of early Throbbing Gristle - will be expanded and give birth to subgenres such as power electronics, dark ambient, death ambient and noise. To me these styles are the most "true" to the original idea. Everything else is a crossover of some sort. I always make the parallel with black metal; Sarcofago, Abruptum and Cradle of Filth have very little in common, yet all of them is labelled black metal.
I mean, you're not wrong, that's pretty much what industrial music is these days, considering a majority of the bands are side projects of black/death metal musicians and/or former black metal bands that went industrial (e.g. Deathstars, The Kovenant)
Experimentation with old analog electronic instruments and 4 track recorders. Purposely breaking instruments to get new sounds out of them and rewiring Moogs and Synths to find just the right sound, usually a broken sound. going around to industrial parks and yards and recording sounds to sample. To me if you did that then you're an industrial band regardless if you admit to it or not. Genres and Sub Genres who use electronic instruments in to make harsh noises whether upfront or in the background of the music to me can be classified as Industrial. Early Skinny Puppy was more Ambient Noise and Dark Ambient in their Demos Ministry started out as New Wave their first album is pretty much Depeche Mode worship it wasn't until they're third album that they brought the heavy.
I find your conclusion about Industrial succinct. Godflesh is a big influence in part and alongside various Black Metal circles for the band i'm in called Decoherence, there definitely aren't any rules and the fusion of styles and genre nuances has amazing opportunities to make something unique yet (relative) poignant and expand the narrative of multiple subgenres.
Fancy meeting YOU here! lol I love how some of the metalhead channels on YT are starting to feel like my own little neighborhood. It is certainly mind-blowing (for lack of better words) what kind of diversity "industrial music" can provide. You might say there's "something for everybody" in there and you can find some WILD shyte that JUST MIGHT provide you with inspiration that you didn't even know you needed! I've already commented twice about it but I got sucked into the whole cybergoth-y side of industrial and I wouldn't be producing any stuff I have TODAY had it not been for music like that. Then there's all the rock & metal with those juicy gated snares and mechanical, backing percussion, utilizing synths for gritty textures and such. Nailbomb, Fear Factory, Endemic, Marazene, Gravity Kills... Gahhhh, so much good shyttttteeee!
A buddy of mine has your vinyl, good stuff. And yes Godflesh is amazing, shit man the song Post Self might be the best Godflesh tune since Go Spread Your Wings. I assume you are familiar with Yerusalem, Blut Aus Nord's Godflesh inspired band?
Where industrial and Metal meet is basically my musical identity as a youth, starting with Fear Factory and Godflesh and going to MZ 412 and Nagelfar. Favorite bands include Sanctum and Haus Arafna, Burial Hex also has those moments. Einsturzende Neubauten is a big one you missed, something I wished I paid more attention to when I was younger honestly. They would be considered "true" industrial, as it was no real instrumentation just noises made with random objects. Early Laibach as well! Also surprised you didn't mention Cold Meat, which I think defined what industrial was at the time (Brighter Death Now, In Slaughter Natives, etc.). Didn't know that second dude you mentioned from Industrial records though, I should check that out. Also wasn't aware of Z'ev until the last few years, which was embarrassing as I wrote a review once of an album not knowing this, which probably (and deservingly so) made me look like an idiot.
My confusion started when I first listened to "industrial" playlists. Spotify's Industrial Bass for example is so light and unexperimental, to me it just sounds like house music with a slight dark-ish flavour to it and nothing like Einstürzende Neubauten or Skinny Puppy or even NiN...
Whilst not an entirely industrial band, Marilyn Manson’s Antichrist Superstar is one of the greatest and most influential industrial metal albums of all time, and in my opinion the greatest i’ve heard from the genre, highly recommend.
Truly an underrated album, it was my first introduction to industrial music at the ripe age of 2 (I have great parents) and industrial continues to be my favourite genre
About industrial, there's a very weird project from JP named "Vermillion-D Alice Syndrome" where the person behind it basically did industrial metal similar to Mechina, combining industrial, symphonic, and melodeath/black Although the person did gothic trance in the past, and the industrial elements are only very obvious in a few songs, her entire discography has this mechanised feeling where the soundscape is like it's in a post apocalyptic dystopia full of machines, even in the project's predeccesor, Kokuyasou Notable songs in the project with a strong industrial direction: Madara, from the album Karasu
Pretty much Industrial is appreciating the instruments that you have, creating something that doesn’t exist, and have fun with it, it’s what I heard from an interview of Genesis P-Orridge from Throbbing Gristle. It’s true, that’s pretty much the idea of it. Every band does it’s own thing depending on the instruments they have and start experimenting with it. The problem that happened in the 1980’s and 1990’s is that other bands were ripping off other bands or other bands copying other bands. As how that happened Industrial became more labeled or costumed, and most of the bands started to sound the same. Cabaret Voltaire pretty much influence Industrial Rock and continued with the evolution of Industrial Metal. The song from Throbbing Gristle “Hot Heels Of Love” influence EBM (Electronic Body Music). Starting from Industrial Records most post- industrial bands became popular during those decades but their fans were already ignoring the existing of the pioneers. Depending on the instruments you have, it all depends on what genres you’re going to play. Like for those that like expensive drum machines and synthesizers they end up doing EBM, those that just want to use guitars, drums, and synthesizers they end up playing Industrial Rock, those that want to use DIY synthesizers and modular synthesizers they end up doing something like Throbbing Gristle but the people end up calling it Intelligent Techno. So things got a little lost with the term Industrial but it all depends on the bands on what they play.
Some people from creative circles started making music with a lot of noise elements which fascinated me and I've adapted the approach myself. The difference is only that I like the combo of traditional forms (although I think I'm very open to weird experimentation just for the hell of it.) So the noise music label didn't quite stick, so there's a big difference between what I'm interested in and Harsh Noise Wall, for example. Ever since hearing about industrial music in your, I guess, following video, that label clicked more. Either way, labels are just labels and I'm always happy to hear interesting overlaps between genres that don't seem to make sense on paper. I do think that in a completely purist sense, yes, Throbbing Gristle, Einstuerzende Neubaten are the pioneers and that history should not be overlooked, but IMHO those who came later had a better context and understanding of musicality, coming from the outside (counts for plenty of genres.) and that is where quality records start to emerge (in my experience). After some time the genres usually get so warped that they take on a life of their own.
Growing up I would constantly be in a print shop, as it was a family owned business. The repeated sounds of the printing presses, the hydraulic hums and crunches of the paper cutters, and the quick snaps of the paper folders, became songs in my head. I was born in 1980. Late 80s and early 90s I found that sound in music and realized I was the only one thinking that way
The best example of an industrial band denying their music is industrial is in one old interview with Einstürzende Neubauten's vocalist. He adamantly denied his band has anything to do with industrial music. He said his band "isn't industrial" his band Einstürzende Neubauten which translates to Collapsing NewBuildings, a band who literally uses machinery & industrial tools to make 90% of their songs. What. The. Hell??????
I feel like if it wasn't for White Zombie especially their last album, Astrocreep 2000, I would never find this genre but again, the thing with White Zombie is that they found their sound after they signed with a label and the sad part is that after they became Industrial/Groove Metal, we only got two albums from them which are absolute masterpieces in that specific genre in my opinion. (La Sexorcisto and Astrocreep 2000)
I’m not the most familiar with industrial, it’s a genre I’m wanting to get in into, but I’m not sure how familiar you are with swans and if you like them, if familiar would you consider their first few albums to be somewhat industrial, love the video!!
Appreciate your speech, it is backed-up by a deep research. I agree, nowadays is more like a flavour on top of any existing genere. Check out industrial hardcore techno artists such as The Outside Agency or Ophidian if u guys like hard electronic music. Long legacy to Skinny Puppy after their split-up.
Sorry to go off-topic but is there any chance you could do a video on Irish metal bands/projects? Examples: Zealot Cult (FFO Obituary/Morbid Angel) Sermon of Flames (FFO Blackspell Omega/Portal) Coscradh (Death) Celtachor (Folk/Black) Soothsayer (Doom) Necrokinesis (Death/thrash) And of course Ireland's biggest export: Primordial
My Opinion, Industrial Music was born of Lou Reeds 1975 LP 'Metal Machine Music'. Throbbing Gristle is an alloy of Metal Machine Music, early '70's Kraftwerk with a dash of Dada and Williams S. Burroughs. Post TG, we have Einstürzende Neubauten first two LP's Kollaps and Patienten O.T. This post TG era also saw SPK, Coil, Chris and Cosey, Dome and Nurse With Wound as variations on the industrial theme.
As someone who has been an industrial fan since I was a teenager in the mid 90s, it's... nebulous. It's more like an ethos than a sound or an aesthetic. It started as an offshoot of already existing experimental music (noise, musique concrete, etc) but also influenced by EVERYTHING. The genre started as almost the European version of hip-hop, in the sense that it was a DIY genre of working class young people expressing their disaffection with life combined with a creative bent that invented entirely new sounds, both happening around the same time in the late 70s and early 80s. Industrial, obviously, is a much smaller scene, but it's a wildly passionate group of people that share tastes, even if they skew in varying directions. For example, an old friend i've known since middle school also got into industrial when I did, but his taste skewed more toward the dance side of the genre, while I've gravitated toward whole-ass *noise* as we've gotten older (his wife was relieved when I moved back near our hometown because she can skip out on going to shows with him now, btw). It's a complicated genre to be a fan of, because the subgenres are WILDLY different, but it's a great, accepting scene by and large. Thanks to Throbbing Gristle and the founders of Wax Trax! records, the genre is very LGBTQIA+ positive, and the fandom sees itself as one big inclusive crowd that likes to wear black and get nerdy about their record collections. The small size of the scene also means that you have a lot of artist-fan interaction on a personal level, as well. VIP meet'n'greets at shows are generally pretty cheap but also small and very personal. For example, both members of Mentallo and the Fixer added me on fb a while back because we're in a few of the same groups and had been bantering in comments. I didn't seek them out; we just hit it off in comment sections. It's delightful. On the other hand, bands I like are breaking up because the members are in their 60s and want to retire, or are battling age-correlated illness. There are new acts out there that are really great, but it will never be what it was in the golden era of the genre in the 80s and 90s.
For me it's an umbrella to cover many alternative bands, some lean more into the machine repetition, some lean more into rock, metal or electronica, such as EBM. Time period and location also made marketing music in the 90s interesting, they always want to put a band into a box, my kids thought NIN was grunge so they just lump all 90s into grunge. I had a store I went to weekly for CDs and they had an industrial section. You could find bands like Wumpscut, Leaether Strip, 16 Volt, KMFDM, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Velvet Acid Christ, Haujobb, Test Dept, Ministry, Front Line Assembly, NUMB, anyways it's usually in my eyes less synth pop and more experimental, noises, synths, guitars, anything goes really.
I've thought about this a bit myself when it occurred to me that many bands that are considered Industrial have very different sounds, and I can't really think of another genre I could say this about. For example, there is no mistaking any form of Metal. It's very clear what the central elements of Metal are, and if you played pretty much any example of it to someone that isn't a fan, they could easily identify it as Metal. But I could play something like Apoptgma Berserk to a non-industrial fan, and they would probably say it's Electro pop or something, but... they are considered Industrial. Or Cabaret Voltaire; definitely an Industrial band, but there are songs I could play to the uninitiated that would probably been seen as pop songs. So, what is the common factor? I think it is things like theme and attitude. I don't think it started that way, it was a purer thing, but it eventually expanded to become like that.
To me Industrial music is bands/artists like Mz412, Brighter Death Now, Merzbow. And also In Slaughter Natives ( I know there’s ambient and even Martial passages to the music but it’s still very Industrial) But going way back the band Frontline Assembly was kinda industrial as well…… Industrial Music is like a ginormous rabbit hole. One could dive into it and get lost for years ( & I only know a minuscule part of it. I have so much more to hear and to learn about)……. ⚛️☮️🌏
8:16 I agree with this take so much, that the Industrial music is very fluid, a good way to describe it if any of you is interested in some new music, give a listen to the album PRESUICIDAL on my channel (I think it's a sort of industrial with noise, but I'm not sure, maybe you can tell) and sorry if this comment bothered you, I just wanted to hear some opinions on whether you can call that album industrial or not... thanks!
Any talk of pioneers should include Pink Floyd. Reznor said that he didn't think Industrial didn't have to be made in Sheffield. I think Cabaret Voltaire is Industrial. I also think Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb should be included. Boris Mikulic/Sherman too
Great question, I've always enjoyed industrial elements in music I like almost all ministry records sum nin, U made me look at industrial in a different light tanx wyatt
I also haven't seen you discuss the work of Whitehouse which I think belongs here. I know you've mentioned Alpha 27, who's done the most extensive RU-vid video on the group.
I would also describe industrial NOW as an adjective. As it was once was a distinct sound from the early artists who dabbled in avant garde noise work. Since very few people are brave enough to continue breaking music as TG and/or Whitehouse did, it's moreso evolved into a style that's sprinkled onto other ones as you mentioned in this video.
Yes, and going back to TG doesn't really help since you can find various sounds in their catalogue... more noisy and experimental stuff like Discipline, What A Day and Hamburger Lady but also synthpop like Hot On The Heels Of Love and United. Proto-EBM with Something Came Over Me... and so on and so forth...
I see Industrial as what we now know as noise music, extremely experimental. Ps. Industrial metal is rad. Stuff like The Bezerker/Godflesh and more mainstream acts like Nine inch nails or Ministry/Skinny Puppy are the names I know.. Also, Tool at one point were considered Industrial. Even though they had two songs in that genre (Disgustipated and Die Eier von Satan)
I believe the thought was to remove all the art sentiments while being blatantly clear that this was "the manufacturing of a product to create revenue."
I feel liek Industrial became the sound of the first thing named industraial. Line Heavy Metal not having a Genre until the two Heavy Metal songs came out.
Hi. It's about alienation and technology and a criticism of that while an embrace of it to hopefully change it through industrial methodology. An idea was a reaction to pastoralism, our socioeconomic world had moved from a pastoral farmer based world then into an industrial work world and they wanted the music to reflect that. we're out of the industrial socioeconomic framework and now in the service industry so this scene is kinda over intellectually but also since the term is getting wrapped up as a type of club music not unlike bad romance. heh
Pure "true" early industrial was essentially a return to primitive music in the modern industrial age. It's the post electricity version of banging on rocks and sticks and seeing what happens. Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire created the primordial ooze that gave birth to more advanced, structured and ultimately commercial music. It's like we saw a "reset" of sorts, and got to see the evolution of a new offshoot of sounds.
Industrial Music Subculture: anti-establishment belief, anti-pop electric/machine music (the irony), harsh avant-garde styles. What happen to Industrial: in merge with EBM in early 80's, EBM got absord by Industrial scene with some Post Punk bands (like Killing Joke), and 90's Goths got abort to it and became "Rivet-Heads".
Yeah, that's the way I see industrial music, as your first example: To me it's industrial sounds, so basically machinery and construction sounds. A pretty good example, in the gaming world, is the Mycon theme music from Star Control II.
I think nobody in the comments mentioned noise. Industrial music is somehow a very nihilistic approach to music, that challenges art itself. I think that Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, early Swans all contributed in that extent, to a very loose music style, that is ruthless. Many contemporary artists like Prurient, Pharmakon or Puce Mary do fit as industrial. Another example is Death Industrial that is like the death metal of electronic music, it really is industrial, avant garde at some point. And all those words they kinda collide, being noise, drone industrial, all of that sums up to this loose, technically speaking nihilistic approach to art, and the means to this effect are pretty much the way you described in your video
You just described progressive music. Industrial music is rock music with an electronic sound to it. Rock fused with electronic. This combination births the sound we perceive as "industrial"
@@benireges See I would disagree, that is industrial rock or industrial metal. "True" industrial has no normal musical sensibilities, as in verse chorus etc. It doesn't follow a format.
Industrial music is a genre of experimental music that emerged in the late 1970s. It is characterized by a blend of avant-garde electronic music, punk rock ethos, and themes of transgression and provocation. Industrial music often incorporates unconventional sounds, including mechanical and industrial noise, and can be both abrasive and rhythmic. Key characteristics of industrial music include: Harsh, Mechanical Sounds: Industrial music often uses sounds from machinery, industrial processes, and field recordings, incorporating them into the music. This gives the genre a harsh, mechanical, and sometimes dissonant quality. Electronic Elements: Synthesizers, drum machines, and computer-generated sounds are common. The genre often blends these electronic elements with traditional rock instrumentation. Experimental Approach: Industrial artists are known for their experimental approach to music-making, often pushing the boundaries of traditional music structures and forms. Provocative Themes: Lyrics and thematic content in industrial music often delve into dark or taboo subjects. This can include political dissent, social critique, existential angst, dystopian themes, and transgressive or shocking topics. DIY Ethos: Similar to punk, industrial music often has a do-it-yourself ethos, with artists producing and distributing their own recordings, sometimes using makeshift or unconventional equipment. Visual Aesthetics: The visual aspect of industrial music often reflects its themes, with industrial, dystopian, or transgressive imagery. Notable bands and artists in the industrial music genre include Throbbing Gristle, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and Einstürzende Neubauten. The genre has also influenced and overlapped with other music styles, including electronic dance music, industrial rock, and industrial metal.
Hi. I'm from the UK & I think a lot of us Brits, especially fans, think a lot of crap has been written about what even is Industrial. Throbbing Gristle were pioneers, sure, but a bit poppy for my tastes. And PTV? Forget it. Keep up the good work
My current view on it is that there is a divide between what industrial music originally was and what people now think of it as. Artists not claiming the label or influences associated with it demonstrates that their music did not evolve from industrial, but rather outside listeners applied the label and it stuck. I think that the two shouldn’t even really share this same word, as it seems to me that there is not much relation or history between them. There is a big difference between abstract, experimental noise and mainstream, accessible sounds that have been made more abrasive. But the label stuck so now they’re grouped into the same category, just because they share a word. This is my impression based on what little of each I have heard and of my limited knowledge, and I could be quite inaccurate.
I find most of Throbbing Gristle pretty boring and actually a bit crap on the whole. Sure, some of it was good but I didn't get into it until Ministry et al turned up. I liked your industrial iceberg, very thorough and interesting.
I know this makes me the worlds biggest poser but I prefer the bands that were inspired by Industrial music more than the bands that actually created the genre. Psyclon Nine, Suicide Commando, and Velvet Acid Christ are some of my favorites. You can definitely hear the industrial influence but the sound is a lot darker. Industrial purists are… opinionated, so I’m sure that when you do drop the video the discourse in the comment section is going to be very interesting lol.
Only thing that makes someone a poser is being someone they are not. I grew up listening to Manson and still do, and will discover new underground black metal bands until the day I die. Be yourself, just remember a ton of great bands exist and those who love music, like truly love it not just use it as a form of enjoyment with the benefit of finding social groups, will always discover new amazing bands. Check out And Christ Wept, one of Seattle's best kept secrets!
I am here because of rabbit hole about getting frustrated with all the FF7 soundtrack remasters which focus on orchestral sounds. To me, if you listen to it, it is very clearly a blend of industrial/techno music with hand picked instrumentals. Sounds like a lead pipe with amplified echo and reverb are prominent in many of the tracks for example. That got me thinking about how I could remaster some songs to see for myself. Which got me wondering what "instruments" Industrial Music artists use to make thise machine/factory/synth sounds. Which provided no answers and so I started looking up industrial music which was heavily metal. Which then got me wondering what even is Industrial music. Now I'm here. And am aware I'm strictly speaking about early 80s Industrial sounds.
Detuned synth basses, distorted drum machines, samples of metallic objects hitting each other, random vocal samples from political speeches/church sermons/porn. In Einsturzende Neubauten's case actual power tools. 80s industrial in a nutshell. All covered in excessive amounts of plate reverb and dub or ping pong delay. Also the soundtrack for the original FF7 relied exclusively on the Roland SC-88. Same with FF Tactics and possibly FF8
I've always considered Fear Factory to be industrial metal. Same as Strapping Young Lad. I doubt Devin Townsend would agree with that, but you can tell his early albums were influenced by industrial metal bands like Ministry and Fear Factory. As for a description of industrial itself? I know very little. I would probably agree that it has become less of a genre and more of a sub genre to slap onto music that has industrial tendencies. I'm going to dig deeper into this now and see what i find
I'm an Industrial "musician"... Industrial "music" isn't music, neither is it noise... minimalistic structures are needed to "report" a message, it may be personal, political or just a metaphor of something that you feel or have been through... the "music" isn't important, in fact the genre is a "non music" genre... The message is key, the "music" just a way to transport that what you want to tell. Skinny Puppy, NIN, Ministry and so on have Industrial sounds in their compositions but that doesn't make their music industrial. Industrial is not about the music, it's about the message.
For me, the best subgenre of Industrial will always be EBM. Noisy, dancy, funky, and full of samples! Industrial itself has always been somewhat nebulous. The genre is pretty much the antithesis of music. It's more like art projects like how TG started. Begining in heavily depressed areas of the UK, the genre named being coined because of Industrial Records. Then all the bands that preceded were lumped under the genre: Nurse with Wound, SPK, Cabaret Voltair, NON, Severed Heads and the like. The genre that it began as was all about avant-garde spund manipulation. People that didn't know anything about music but wanted to express their art in a new form. Orridge gave Tutti a guitar because it looked hot on stage. The original wave of Industrial evolved into stuff like Neubauten, Laibach and so on. Then synthpop and punk turned into Synthpunk like suicide, DAF, and then birthed EBM like Front 242, Nitzer Ebb. All with loose connections to the original genre. Then EBM took the harsher elements or noise and transformed into Electro-Industrial like Skinny Puppy and Læther Strip. Some say Lou Reed started industrial, some say Cromagnon. Who knows. Was Hot On The Heels of love synthpop or industrial.
Interesting take. It seems like lots of thinking time in the day job to come up with this video. The "What Is" question is often too broad when discussing catch-all phrases.
To me, industrial has a dark overtone musically with lots of extra sounds in the mix. Static X has industrial subtones to me in so,e of their music, Push It comes to mind. The band Orgy. Anything with heavy riffs and noise lol. Obviously NIN is a good example . Marilyn Manson early years.
You missed the big one out that genesis p orridge of throbbing gristle and Richard H Kirk of cabaret Voltaire said was responsible for bringing industrial music to the mainstream Joy Division, no I'm not joking like gen said "people were actually attending joy division's shows and their music had the machine like quality of industrial music" Also without JD there would be no Skinny Puppy or frontline assembly. Watch the BBC documentary Synth Britannia it talks about the connections between JD, TG, CV early human league as well as stuff like John Foxx(who's stuff has always been better than numan's).
@@lewisb85 That is exactly the thing about genres, it turns out many people tend to have similar ideas around the same time, or some earlier, and who gets recognition is kind of a crap shoot. Recently saw TD and they were great live, honestly barely heard of them before that. Shit most people don't realize the influence Butthole Surfers even had!
Oh, so now I watched to the end... My definition of Industrial is... I don't really have one... I mention bands and albums instead. But... it has to be experimental... or does it? If someone today just copies early Einstürzende Neubauten... then it's not experimental... but I guess it would still be industrial. But it can't only be experimental.. I mean there's some experimental Jazz out there but it's not industrial. Maybe it's also an era... industrial music for insudtrial people... during the cold war. Anyway.. one of my favorite industrial albums is SPK's Leichenschrei ...still think it's scary as f... so I play for my kids when they have trouble sleeping... I don't... I don't even have kids. COIL - Scatology early Einstürzende Neubauten, early Laibach early Test Dept. even some power electronics like Whitehouse I don't know... and I guess I'm too old now to care.
