EBM
A hard electronic dance style with shouted vocals, heavy beats and a cold, serious mood.
History
EBM stands for electronic body music and appeared at the start of the 1980s s1. It joined the harsh sounds of industrial music with the beat and energy of dance music s1. The German group DAF's 'Der Mussolini' (1981) was an early record with a strong, repetitive beat s1. Belgian group Front 242 named the style and made it popular in clubs s1. Nitzer Ebb's 'Join in the Chant' (1987) and Front 242's 'Headhunter' (1988) are defining tracks s1. The music uses shouted or spoken vocals, hard drum machines and simple, aggressive synthesizer lines s2. EBM was played in European clubs and influenced techno, industrial rock and Nine Inch Nails s2. It is still a popular style in the dark alternative club scene s1. EBM bands often used German and English words together in a hard, shouted style s1. The music was a big influence on the Belgian new beat scene s2.
Sound
- Hard, marching drum machine beats
- Shouted or spoken vocals
- Simple, aggressive synthesizer lines
- A cold, serious mood
- Loud, dry production
Key figures
- Front 242 — Belgian group that named the style
- Nitzer Ebb — British group behind 'Join in the Chant'
- DAF — German duo behind 'Der Mussolini'
- Die Krupps — German group in the EBM scene
Labels
- Mute Records — London , 1978
- Wax Trax! Records — Chicago , 1980
- Red Rhino Records — York , 1978
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Industrial , Synth-Pop
Led to: Breakbeat Hardcore , New Beat , UK Techno
Sources
- Electronic body music — Wikipedia
- EBM music — Hip Hop Electronic