Electronic music genre - Industrial

As I have found out this week, electronic music isn’t constricted to the confines of Skrillex and club pop music which is blasted 24/7 on pop radio. But it covers a much broader aspect of music than I ever realised, even genres that I listen to somewhat regularly.

Industrial-electro music incorporates, a lot of what I like in music: ominous dark tones, raspy vocals, broken chords and overall unsettling feeling. Industrial music incorporates drums loops distorted within an inch of its life, and a series of sounds often unrecognizable but add to the character of the style quite nicely. There are aspects of the genre which incorporate guitars for its musical connotation but often times it uses instruments such as synthesizers to lay out the ‘musical’ aspects of its song.

The industrial genre is said to have originated in the early-mid 1970’s in the UK and Germany where electronic music had already been experimented with a lot. Influencers of Industrial music not only come from music but from other media as well. Some being literary and film. One key literary influence being William S. Burroughs who often referenced dark topics such as heroin addiction and his own experience with accidental death. These dark themes are extremely noticeable in Industrial music. The haunting synth sounds, the screeching distortion all over the genre and the sickening repetitiveness. Musical influences on the genre include psychedelic groups such as Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix.

Pioneers of the genre ‘Throbbing Gristle’ (1975-1981), incorporated all of these characteristics into their music. One of the group's members, Chris Carter used a one-octave keyboard connected to a series of cassette machines which triggered pre-recorded sounds (an early use of sampling). This device was named the "Gristle-izer” named after the group.

Throbbing Gristle’s song ‘Hot on heels of love’ is attached below to illustrate their aesthetic:

The first real mainstream success that the genre received was with Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 hit ‘The downward spiral’. Where he sings about drug use, suicide and an extreme unhappiness with himself. Electronic instruments used on the album include the Prophet VS Keyboard and Digidesign Turbosynth. Distorted drum loops and completely destroyed guitars and synths are littered all over this album and the entire Nine Inch Nails’ discography, which accompany the angst and self-destructive nature of what Trent Reznor is singing about.

Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’ is attached to illustrate their aesthetic:

Other notable artists in the genre include Skinny Puppy, Marilyn Manson, KMFDM, Frontline assembly, Cabaret Voltaire, SPK, Leather Strip and Ministry.