Industrial

Industrial music is an experimental music style, often including electronic music, that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The premise behind creation of industrial music was to "pursue music in the context of the late industrial society, a dehumanized world increasingly alienated from nature", focusing on "issues of the modern age, where propaganda and the access and control of information were becoming the primary tools of power." The initial idea for music that reflects sounds from the industrial age came from the composers and musicians Erik Satie and John Cage. The term "industrial music" was coined in the mid-1970s to describe Industrial Records artists. The Allmusic website defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music"; "initially a blend of avant-garde electronics experiments (tape music, musique concrète, white noise, synthesizers, sequencers, etc.) and punk provocation".

Anybody else on the board into industrial? Personal favourites include Throbbing Gristle and associated acts, Boyd Rice and NON, early Test Dept., Genocide Organ and Brighter Death Now, the project of the Cold Meat Industry labels owner.

Some call this bizarre noise, some refer to it as music for a recurring nightmare, but nobody can deny the importance of industrial acts in freedom of (musical) expression and experimental music as a whole. I think it is sometimes important to discard the basic principles of music and going back to the bare bones of sound.

I'll end this introduction with a slightly modified quote by Friedrich Nietzsche from "Beyond good and evil": He who fights with monsters should be careful least he thereby becomes a monster. When you stare at the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Just keep staring, you might learn something

I used to listen quite often to Nine Inch Nails, Die Krupps and Laibach. NIN is the only I still listen to from time to time.

Laibach and Die Krupps are really important bands of the later wave of industrial, especially Laibach. I think the "Neue Slowenische Kunst"-movement is really interesting, they went beyond the idea of music and art when they declared themselves a micronation with passports and even having consulates in some parts of the world:

NSK State is a state in Time, a state without territory - it denies the categories of fixed territory and the principle of national borders. It is not based on the national paradigm and it advocates the law of transnationality - which means that everyone can become a citizen of the NSK state, no matter what nationality he/she/it is. Today the NSK State already has more citizens than the Vatican.

Trent Reznor, in my opinion, took what he liked best about the industrial movement and threw them into his melting pot. Love or hate the man, but "The downward spiral" is still one of my favourite records by Nine Inch Nails, containing "March of the pigs" which, in all its chaotic vibe, simply deserves two thumbs up

The only Industrial band I really ever listened to was Ministry. And I only liked a few songs.

Ive never been into industrial metal much. I used to listen to Nine Inch Nail a little bit but that was it.

If you want some recommendations for industrial metal, only one name rises up in my books and that's Godflesh. The first full-length Streetcleaner is very cold and nihilistic, even topped off with the truest of the true, the Alesis SR-16 drum machine (if I remember correctly ).

I've been wanting to hear more regular industrial, having gotten into Einstürzende Neubauten, though haven't searched around too much yet.

In terms of industrial metal, nothing beats some good old Godflesh and Head of David.

I feel a sudden urge to listen to some Laibach I think I got NATO on some CD'r somewhere....