Industrial
An experimental, harsh style that uses noise, machines and dark themes.
History
Industrial music began in Britain in the middle of the 1970s s1. The group Throbbing Gristle started the label Industrial Records in 1976 and gave the style its name s1. The music used noise, tape recordings and unusual instruments, and it dealt with dark or disturbing subjects s1. Throbbing Gristle's 'Hamburger Lady' (1978) is a famous example of its unsettling sound s1. Cabaret Voltaire's 'Nag Nag Nag' (1979) mixed noise with a danceable beat s1. In the 1980s American groups such as Ministry added heavy guitars and drum machines s2. Ministry's 'Stigmata' (1988) shows this harder, dance-influenced direction s2. Industrial music shaped EBM, industrial techno and much of the darker electronic music that followed s1. The group Throbbing Gristle also used disturbing images and ideas in its live shows s1. Industrial music later split into dance and rock directions s2. Its sound and ideas also reached film soundtracks and video games s1. The word industrial is now used for a broad range of dark electronic music s2.
Sound
- Noise and distorted sounds
- Tape recordings and found sounds
- Treated or shouted vocals
- Heavy, machine-like rhythms
- A dark, disturbing mood
Key figures
- Throbbing Gristle — British group that founded Industrial Records
- Genesis P-Orridge — Founder of Throbbing Gristle and Industrial Records
- Cabaret Voltaire — Sheffield group in the early industrial scene
- Ministry — American group that made industrial rock and dance
Labels
- Industrial Records — London , 1976
- Rough Trade Records — London , 1978
- Wax Trax! Records — Chicago , 1980
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Early Electronic , Krautrock
Led to: Darkcore , Neurofunk , EBM , New Beat , Berlin Techno , Hard Techno , Industrial Techno , Schranz , UK Techno
Sources
- Industrial music — Wikipedia
- Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music — Oxford University Press (2013)