Tell Me some Classic Industrial Albums
 

One of those genres I've never really paid much attention to in the past. Which albums are generally considered the 'classics'?

SPK - Leichenschrei
Einsturzende Neubauten - Kollaps
Test Dept. - Beating The Retreat

If you're interested in early influences, Edgard Varese's work, as well as Luigi Russolo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_music

the article mentions a lot of artists (Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten, Coil and Laibach; noise projects like Merzbow or Sutcliffe Jugend or writers like William S. Burroughs and J.G. Ballard.)
and notes the origins of industrial

Early influences
Luigi Russolo's 1913 work The Art of Noises is often cited as the first example of the industrial philosophy in modern music. After Russolo's musica futurista came Pierre Schaeffer and musique concrète, and this gave rise to early industrial music, which was made by manipulating cut sections of recording tape, and adding very early sound output from analog electronics devices.
Also important in the development of the genre was the Dada art movement, and later the Fluxus art movement.
Edgard Varèse was also a major pioneer in electronic music. His composition Poème électronique, for example, debuted at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair in the Philips Pavilion.
Lou Reed's 1975 record Metal Machine Music is widely considered in the industrial community the first actualized and sucessful Industrial album.

but the article
fails to mention Michael Gira/Swans or this one:
David Lynch - Eraserhead Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

I was never a huge fan of Varese's work until I saw it perfomed live and I had some realisation of why people were often so outraged by it at the time. It must have been like making a Simply Red fan listen to Merzbow.

Thanks for that.


Never really thought of it as being 'industrial', so to speak, which, is ironic becauase in that case it's one of the only 'industrial' records I have.

Thanks, been sort of curious about them for ages now.

My vote would go to T Gristle's "DOA" and "Heathen Earth", if you can get past the (understandable) G P-Orridge annoyance factor.

You MUST get Neubauten's Kollaps before anything. One of the most perfect records ever made.

Personally, I would leave it at that album for SPK. They did a lot of BAD stuff: they made a record called Metal Dance! Imagine the horror.

i'm no big industrial(ist), but...

Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten - Haus der Lüge
Swans - Greed
Swans - Children of God
Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats
Throbbing Gristle - Heathen Earth

(& if you consider these "industrial")
Foetus - Nail
Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
Ministry- Psalm 69
Suicide - Suicide
David Lynch - Eraserhead sdtrk
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music

I'm reading Wreckers of Civillisation at the moment and find him a lot less annoying than I'd imagined. Picked up 20 Jazz Funk Greats and fucking love it.
I know it's meant to be there most accessible album, but my curiosity button is now definitely pushed.

Yeah, must get Kollaps too.

Nice thinking about a whole new genre to explore. Sure beats waiting for The Cramps to hit some form again.

I'm imagining....AAAGHHHH!

I don't have a problem with Information Overload Unit or Songs Of Byzantine Flowers, but yes, there are a lot of bad SPK records. Songs of Byzantine Flowers isn't really "industrial" per se, what with the strings and operatic vocals, but I like it nonetheless.

The compilation Vhutemas Archetypi is fairly essential in my opinion also; it contains tracks by Hunting Lodge (including their undeniable classic "Tribal Warning Shot"), SPK, Lustmord and early Laibach. Laibach were pretty great before they turned into a comedy machine.

Vhutemas Archetypi

Current 93's "Dogs Blood Rising" and "Nature Unveiled" are pretty formidable as well. Who could have foreseen the folk direction they would take later when listening to these?

Oh, and 1970s Cabaret Voltaire is definitely "classic industrial" as well.

I'm quite into listening to more of the British stuff at the moment. Not for patriotic reasons, just that I'm in the middle of researching something for my PhD and it seems to really fit in.

(With apologies to demonrail666, who must have seen this coming a mile off):

Clock DVA's White Souls In Black Suits is another good one.

Would you say Birthdeath Experience is the one Whitehouse album to own?

- Shit, there's a lot of Industrial albums aren't there.

Yup!

of course, Cabaret Voltaire...

this gal i used to know had a show called "Crisis Cabaret" where she played industrial...& i still for
got

Hell, i can´t wait to see TG live in a few weeks (2 times! did i make you jealous?...no?..... you´re a liar).

Check out some SBK, Lustmord and Deat In June too.

I wouldn´t only check out Neubauten´s Kollaps. Sure, it´s their most "industrial" release, but they have so much amazing stuff that you just can´t go wrong.

I prefer to skip Clock DVA and go straight to T.A.G.C. (The Anti Group).
"Digitaria" is one of the best records I have ever heard. I think I have bought it 4 or 5 times for different reasons. They made many interesting albums (and a few clunkers, but we won't talk about that); there was a group that was really trying to break some ground.

Edit:
Clock DVA are still good; didn't mean to imply otherwise...

God, it all starts so innocently. A strange liking for 20 Jazz Funk Greats, an essay deadline, and the next thing I know I'm contemplating buying a Whitehouse album. The world moves in mysterious ways.

I like Death In June much better as an apocalyptic folk group. Their early records really don't do it for me as much as the ones from the 90s on.

Death In June are a band I've never got at all. To be honest, I find them pretty boring. In addition, Douglas Pearce can star in all the gay porn videos he wants, but he'll always be a Brownshirt-obsessed putzbag.

I like pretty much everything i´ve heard (later and early stuff). But my favourite is Burial. Come on, you gotta love that record.

I only know The Anti Group's Digitaria and it's a good record.

So, to recap, let me get this right...

TG's Heathern Earth is great; SPK did one good album (or maybe more); Clock DVA are OK but TAGC are better; I shouldn't forget the Cabs; Birthdeath Experience is the one Whitehouse record to get; I need to get Kollaps immediately; oh and Death in June got more interesting when they became an 'apocalyptic folk' group.

Christ, I have a LOT of catching up to do.

Talking of Death In June, did I mention I was snubbed by David Tibet at the NWW gig?

I was with a friend and we were talking to his friend, NWW's Andrew Liles. David Tibet came up to us with two girls and introduced them to Andrew and his girlfriend Mel, "This is Andrew, [looks at me and friend, moves swiftly on]...this is Mel..." We slowly backed away...

I wouldn't say SPK only made one good record, but Leichenschrei is a belter and there's lots to avoid.

And yes, Kollaps should be in any music fans collection for sure.

Tibet's a god-bothering tosser. Fuck him!

demonrail666 - get in touch w/me re "Birthdeath Experience".

Well, you just got your sweet revenge by mentioning him in the same breath as DIJ now that their relations have turned so sour!

Take that, you dramatic reciter of arcane wisdom!


(I love Current 93, by the way)

That sounds potentially sinister.

That wasn't all he did to me that day. Him and his cohorts bored the hell out of me later in the evening.

But I had the last laugh...I left early...ha ha ha...

Tibet is a polarizing figure in many ways. I mean, I love a lot of his music and everything, but I totally understand that his voice is an obstacle that cannot be overcome for a lot of people.

80's Death In June are pretty much hit or miss, but there are gems to be found (Burial being a presonal favourite). Their current incarnation is more like late Coil from what i got from the last time i've seen them live. With Clock DVA it's very much the same. Some stuff really does it for me or they border on the plain annoying. DVA - related, check out Vision Of Excess.

Anyone know if this is any good?

 

I've seen Tibet on the Victoria line once, when he lived in East London. He didn't look like the friendliest of chaps to approach, but then he might have been going through a bad day.

Yes, i highly recommend it, even if there are slight inaccuracies on it.

demonrail666 - I have the original of that. A very interesting and entertaining read. Worth picking up if it's not too expensive.