What is Industrial Music?

Industrial music started with Throbbing Gristle, a London based performance art troupe, performing a fusion of acid rock, punk, and experimental music. The band toyed with such diverse themes as sexual ambiguity and man's inhumanity to man. Often discordant, frequently disturbing, TG paved the way for a new genre. Indeed, the term "Industrial" is derived from Industrial Records, the label under which Throbbing Gristle recorded. Similar artists followed, such as the acid rock flavored Chrome, the avant guard electronic group Cabaret Voltaire, and the counter-cultural phenomenon known as SPK. Each group had a distinct sound, yet shared certain traits. Namely these traits are related to the anti-music stamp leaden on this style of music.

Aside from the aforementioned musical and performance origins, Industrial music owes a great deal to the musique concrete movement. This type of music developed from using found sounds and prerecorded material to create original music. This technique and the technology involved also inspired the Hip Hop and Rap movement. The band, Faust, are a little known but very influential musique concrete act. They included tape loops and found sounds that, figuratively, threw in the kitchen sink. As for the electronic music aspect of Industrial music, not enough praise can be shown to KRAFTWERK, who invented the drum machine.

The first wave of Industrial music did not last long. However, new bands were inspired by this shocking blend of new sounds and cultural revolution. Bands like Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, and Ministry picked up the mantle and soldiered on. Many critics claim that this second wave is not proper Industrial music, and that this is merely a case of electronic music, rock, or metal. Other critics, however, spread the industrial net even further to include alternative artists such as Sonic Youth, Therapy?, and Killing Joke. This continues to be a heated topic of debate. Even Cap'n K (Sascha Konietzko) of KMFDM holds to the purist opinion of Industrial music. He calls his style of music Ultra Heavy Beat, though refers to himself (with tongue firmly in cheek) as the originator of industrial music. This style of music saw a good deal of popularity during the early '90s as the '80s goth scene died down. Listeners seeking dark, bleak music went for this more aggressive incarnation. Many goths ended up listening to Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and Front 242.

Industrial music hit mainstream popularity with the arrival of Nine Inch Nails' debut release, Pretty Hate Machine. This masterpiece of religious doubt, unrequited love, burning desire, and dark obsession appealed to the puberty-suffering tweens. Yet, the music is well crafted to appeal to the matured ear as well. Trent Reznor has made no qualms as to being inspired by bands like Skinny Puppy, thus indicating his place in the ever growing family tree.

Today Industrial music is very strong, particularly in Germany, Canada, and the U.S. Even Mexico and Australia have Industrial bands such as Hocico and Angelspit. The scene is very broad and has evolved even more. Industrial music has branched out into several subgenres. The first of these is Electronic Body Music, or EBM, as pioneered by the likes of Belgium's Front 242. EBM is distinguished by, of course, being even more electronic in production. Sequencers are frequently used, and the primary trend is to produce highly danceable music. EBM artists include Neuroticfish, A Split Second, and Nitzer Ebb. A recent offspring from EBM is futurepop, which takes the electronic, dark elements of EBM and includes more popular or mainstream elements. Futurepop was developed to move electronic dance music away from the Industrial scene which, after the release of :wumpscut:'s "Soylent Green," had grown somewhat stagnant as many in the scene were copying that style. Futurepop as a term was coined by members, and frequent tour mates, of the bands VNV Nation and Apoptygma Berzerk.

Industrial music fans are called rivet heads. Rivet Head is a fairly recent term inspired by the song from coldwave band, Chemlab. This causes some confusions as fans of Iron Maiden are also known as rivet heads. Many goth sites refer to the rivet head as a recent phenomenon, even tough industrial music predates gothic rock by a number of years. This is because the rivet head look is relatively new. The style is anti-fashion. The look, particularly for men which comprise the majority of industrial fans, is often military inspired. Flight jackets, cargo pants, combat boots, camouflage, and flak jackets are common. A concert Tee shirt is usually a staple, particular if the band is very underground. Hair styles are often extreme, typically requiring shaving shapes into the head, though dreadlocks are an option. Facial and other piercings are common. Bondage wear is typical as well, particularly in the wearing of clasps, chains, straps, grommets, and D-clips. Women can dress simalarly, but generally go for a sleeker, more cyber look. Often this takes the shape of a vinyl or latex one piece. Bondage gear is very big with women riveters. The image is of a cybergoth, a fan of more electronically inclined industrial music.

Here is a brief breakdown of the various industrial subgenres, characteristics, and band(s) in the scene.

Aggrotech - Extremely aggressive take on electro industrial/EBM as performed by the likes of Angelspit and Hocico. Also known simply as Agro.

Ambient Industrial - Industrial inspired background music as performed by mid-stage Delirium and similar artists. The music is darkly atmospheric, but also very electronic.

Coldwave - Austere, clinically executed, sharp, crisp electro-industrial music as performed by Chemlab, Birmingham 6, 16 Volt, and early Spahn Ranch.

Cybergoth - Subculture embracing electro-industrial, EBM, futurepop, hard trance, darkwave, and electronica.

Dark Disco - Electronic dance music (EDM) with electro-industrial roots. Although hearkening back to the mirrorball days, dark disco focuses on the darker aspects of '70s pop culture. This includes sex, drugs, bondage, grindhouse films, pornography, and devil worship. My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult is the best example of this unusual fusion.

Electro-Industrial - Form of industrial music started in the early to mid '80s by groups like Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly. This style features many samples from film and television as well synth melodies, aggressive drum beats, distorted guitar, and angry vocals.

Electronic Body Music - EBM, a highly danceable offshoot of electro-industrial music with a heavy dependence on sequencers as performed by Front 242 Neuroticfish, and Nitzer Ebb.

Endzeit Electro - Or Helectro is a form of aggrotech geared towards the darker aspects of human nature and man's inhumanity to man. Even so, the music can be quite cathartic and even beautiful. Bands include :wumpscut:, Leather Strip, Velvet Acid Christ, Combichrist, and Suicide Commando.

Experimental-Industrial - Experimental music featuring metallic percussion and improvised instruments. Einsturzende Neubauten and Test Dept. are perfect examples. Some might say that this is the only true industrial music.

Futurepop - Offshoot of EBM featuring more mainstream elements from popular music. This is an intriguing and burgeoning style with a lot of promise and wide appeal. Artists include VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk, Covenant, Assemblage 23, and Edge of Dawn.

Grindcore - Proto-industrial metal music with a brutal, minimalist sound. Music features usually a drum machine, and electric bass, distorted guitar, and growly vocals. There is virtually no mid-range instrumentation. The beat is ponderous, often described as lurch and crunch. Godflesh is the best example, and often cited as the pioneers of the form.

Industrial Metal - Heavy metal with an industrial inspired sound, that is the inclusion of machine sounds like gears and metal percussion as performed by Ministry and Die Krupps.

Industrial Music - general term for all industrial styles of music, but more specific to the original artists of the mid to late '70s, such as Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire.

Industrial Rock - Aggressive style of rock music usually, but not necessarily with a heavily political direction. This includes Therapy?, Killing Joke, Mussolini Headkick, and Cop Shoot Cop. This style is a nice gateway introduction to the industrial music scene.

Martial-Industrial - Style of music heavily influenced by military and classical music. Laibach is the best example of the martial-industrial sound. Drums are particularly done as marches and vocals are operatic.

Neue Deutsche Harte - Or New German Metal, the fusion of electo-industrial music with German metal. This style is great fun and features artists like Rammstein, Megaherz, and Eisbrecher.

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