Any Rivetheads around ? I need recommendations.

Rogue Keeper on 20/2/2008 at 14:11

I have been watching electro/industrial scene and it's important projects with corner of my eye for about 10 years now, but as my musical focus is a bit wider, I've never explored it deeper. Just recently I started to collect all important Front Line Assembly records, including remix albums and rarities, and now I have nearly complete discography.

That said, I have some kind of industrial music schism in my head. I appreciate how Laibach, DAF, Throbbing Gristle or Coil have developed musical concepts of Kraftwerk or Depeche Mode-like synth-pop. But the early EBM works from 1980s sound quite obsolete today. That applies on nearly all classic EBM bands like Front 242, FLA, Skinny Puppy, etc. I'm not looking much for unrecognizable maelstrom of noise, samples and guitars right now.

What I'm currently looking for is slower, ambient, more organic, sci-fi, or how should I call it - more "trippy" side of electro-industrial. Pure electronic sound towards Kraftwerk direction, but with darker keyboard instrumentalization. Preferably no lyrics, but some good ones won't hurt. If you are familiar with FLA's past records, (and since they are very popular in this music box, I believe you are), I'm looking for something similar to style of their following songs :

From State of Mind : Sustain Upright
From Tactical Neural Implant : Remorse, Lifeline
From Millennium : Sex Offender
From Hard Wired : Mortal
From Flavour of the Weak : Evil Playground
From Implode : Synthetic Forms
From Epitaph : Epitaph, Everything Must Perish, Conscience, Decoy
From Civilization : Parasite, Dissident
From Artificial Soldier : Humanity

Well I hope you have an idea... Are there any special artists who focus on this form of electro-industrial, or do you know of any special albums and compliations with such sound?

Also, what are your thoughts about offshots like futurepop, coldwave, aggrotech, neofolk, technoid? I didn't explore them much yet either, so I'd appreciate if you mention some important projects which would pretty much sum up what these subgenres are about.

Gray, or anybody? TIA

june gloom on 20/2/2008 at 14:17

I doubt this has much to do with what you're looking for, but I can't recommend Godflesh enough. They're defunct now (having moved on to form post-metal band Jesu) but they're pretty much the only industrial group I listen to on a regular basis.

Rogue Keeper on 20/2/2008 at 14:34

Thanks detholl, oh I forgot - if you like certain band, please mention one or two specific albums with which I should start, what you think represents them best, so I know where to start and have good initial impression... All bands have their better and worse periods afterall...

june gloom on 20/2/2008 at 14:44

In that case, I would argue that Streetcleaner is their most seminal album.

Malf on 20/2/2008 at 15:08

Foreign climes for me these, and I wouldn't exactly say I'm an industrial guru (having only really had a moderately serious interest in the genre), but the industrial "Supergroup" Pigface is good stuff, Fook in particular.
And Killing Joke's Pandemonium may have what you're looking for.

Stitch on 20/2/2008 at 22:29

Quote Posted by BR796164

But the early EBM works from 1980s sound quite obsolete today.

Well, that's kind of the problem with industrial: nothing has happened in that scene in well over a decade and the music itself hasn't exactly aged well. Even when I was heavily into industrial back in the mid-90's I was aware that the scene was growing increasingly isolated and the air was getting stale.

Having said all that, you asked a question and I'll give an answer: I'd suggest some Skinny Puppy, although much like FLA their lyrics are pretty shit. They've got a darker, druggier, more nightmarish take on this industrial thing, but it's a taste well worth acquiring.

Or is it anymore? Does anyone care in 2008? I've really got no idea, but if you do decide to dig in, stay well away from anything they released post-reformation.

Come to think of it, you might like Puppy side projects Download and Doubting Thomas better.

a flower in hell on 20/2/2008 at 22:51

Atrium Carceri. Black/industrial ambient. All his albums are good, but I like "Cellblock" and "Seishinbyouin" best.

Rogue Keeper on 21/2/2008 at 09:06

Quote Posted by Stitch

Isolated it always was, to certain point, but it undoubtfully had something to give to the mainstream (hello, Trent) especially in later 90s when general electronica became more popular - or the mainstream, including rockers, stole elements from electro-industrial? Depends on how we look at it. But it's this kind of relative isolation of industrial scene that attracts me. Industrialists have unusual status. "92 percent of kids listen to hip-hop these days. If you belong to the remaining 8 percent or you are normal as well, add this to your sig."

I actually like most of FLA & SP lyrics... *blushing* Although they are essentially symbolic statements more than anything else, they certainly make more sense than f.e. Front 242 ever did...

Skinny Puppy are well known in this area, I already have their early albums and I think that's about the best they could offer. I shall see about those side projects.

AR's and Flower's recommendations are worth of investigation as well.

Jason Moyer on 21/2/2008 at 13:40

Quote Posted by BR796164

Just recently I started to collect all important Front Line Assembly records

There's an important FLA record other than State of Mind? :)

Quote:

What I'm currently looking for is slower, ambient, more organic, sci-fi, or how should I call it - more "trippy" side of electro-industrial.

Buy any CD with Dwayne Goettel on it. That includes Skinny Puppy from Mind:TPI through the Process, Doubting Thomas, aDuck, and the first several Download records. As an added bonus, the Dwayne-era Download albums also featured founding member Mark Spybey, whose solo work is also worth exploring further (particularly the Dead Voices on Air albums Shap and Piss Frond).

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Also, what are your thoughts about offshots like futurepop, coldwave, aggrotech, neofolk, technoid?

It's all bullshit, but I also stopped giving a crap about post-industrial music when the genre somehow morphed into really shitty psy-trance with distorted growling thrown on top of it. And I completely blame the popularity of Frontline Assembly and everyone who immediately copied him for that.

It sounds to me like what you're looking for is more likely to be found in the IDM genre, altho that's a shitmine not necessarily worth digging your hand into unless you just skip the copycats and go straight to the Aphex Twin/Squarepusher/Boards of Canada/Mouse on Mars albums.

Or if you want actual ambient music, get Brian Eno - Music for Films (probably his best ambient record, despite not being part of his Ambient series).

Rogue Keeper on 21/2/2008 at 14:17

Quote Posted by Jason Moyer

There's an important FLA record other than State of Mind? :)

Far as I know Millennium was rather unusual fusion of classic metal and electronica a while before it came widely into fashion, and some hold Hard Wired as their best (not me though). Tactical Neural Implant has some timeless tracks still played by DJs today. I like how their sound became more complicated and multi-layered with passing time. Artificial Soldier is generally considered to be more worthy follow-up to Epitaph and some servers place it among the best electronic albums of this decade so far. I don't know. It has a considerable dose of nihillistic energy, yes, I like it a lot, but it's nothing particularly innovative. But then, what is really innovative in this decade.

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Yep, thanks for tips.

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That might be true in some aspects, well such is the process of imitation and influence. Am I the only one who's listening more to old music than new one? There is still so much to discover in the past! Either the new music sucks or I'm getting old, or ideally both. :erm:

Quote:

It sounds to me like what you're looking for is more likely to be found in the IDM genre, altho that's a shitmine not necessarily worth digging your hand into unless you just skip the copycats and go straight to the Aphex Twin/Squarepusher/Boards of Canada/Mouse on Mars albums.

Why certainly, some IDM acts are another interest of mine. But it's not particularly "apocalyptic" if you know what I mean. I have most of Aphex Twin already, but he's mostly white or neutral noise, while right now I'm looking for dark noise and intimidating backround effects.

Quote:

Or if you want actual ambient music, get Brian Eno - Music for Films (probably his best ambient record, despite not being part of his Ambient series).

Got it already. :) But more from duty than from real interest - I like more recent 90s+ experimental ambient works.
By the way, recently I have recommended a netlabel, (www.darkwinter.com) specialized on Dark Ambient - all releases are free to download in HQ MP3s.

Check it out if you are into this. Essentially that's the kind of industrial ambient I'm looking for more and more, but accompanied with synthetic beats, some lyrics and showing some classic song structure.