Industrial Music Monday - TOTEM

Well, haven't done one of these in a couple of weeks, but we are back at it! It is Monday, and that means... Industrial!! This week we are featuring a band out of Copenhagen, Denmark. The music is in the vein of dark wave, with elements of industrial rock, and witch house. The band consists of two members: Christoffer Bagge and Trina Echidna. They are called TOTEM! Check them out!!






T0tvm on Facebook

t0tvm on bandcamp


P.S.: I came about finding this band from a feature on the I Die You Die magazine website! I figured I would give this band a bump as well! It's decent stuff!

Skinny Puppy and My Current Obsession

Well, I’ve moved on from Wax Trax! Records artists and trying to find as much of that as I can, to Skinny Puppy. Now, I have quite a few of their releases and albums already, but there is a treasure trove of albums and their “Back & Forth” series on YouTube... and I’ve been really enjoying listening to that stuff and finding stuff that I haven’t heard of theirs! I’ve been really interested in the “Back & Forth” stuff that they’ve released over the years, cause typically it’s all old demos, rough versions, live cuts, or unreleased stuff... I love hearing that stuff, cause it’s really inspiring to hear it, and try to figure out how they did it with all the old synth gear they had at the time, and it’s also really cool cause, once again, like the Wax Trax! Records back catalogue, there is a time and place associated with it... and it’s interesting to hear where some of the songs started and then also hearing the final product that was released! If you've read my blog (here) about Skinny Puppy's "Back and Forth: Vol: 3 & 4" you would know that it is my favorite Skinny Puppy release, and you would know that the reason is cause it has this bleak sound to it... there is a certain quality to it that they don't have on the other albums and releases (probably due to tape saturation). A lot of this back-catalogue and the various "Back and Forth" volumes upon listening to for the first time have a certain quality to them, each release has a sound character to them, and they are different from each other... which I really enjoy and they evoke visions, and highly inspire me in the musical sense (for my own project)! I don't know why Skinny Puppy inspires me... I remember seeing one of their tour videos waaay back in 1996 or 97 or something like that, at an all ages goth event in Saskatoon... and I loved it! It seemed so fuckin industrial, and so visceral... Ogre looked all fucked up, I'm sure he was drunk or on drugs of some kind, he had blood all over him... there's all these props and shit, his voice... Cevin Key is in the back surrounded by synths, a drum kit and other shit... If I'm not mistaken Mr. Goettel was in the back somewhere as well... I don't think at the time I owned a piece of Skinny Puppy music...  but just being in that environment (the club), with the goth/industrial community, I loved it... It made me want to dig further in the scene, find more music and really explore what all this industrial was! It was inspiring... some point afterwards I picked up "Back and Forth: Vol: 3 & 4"... and then eventually picked up "The Process" which I think is excellent, I would put that album up there in my top Skinny Puppy albums! Anyway, yes... gushing here, but I find this shit sooo inspiring, and every time I listen to it, I try and decipher their mental state (I'm sure a lot of drugs were involved, I mean they invented the term "Brap", which is to get fucked up, and write music... not that I would do drugs anymore [gave that up a long time ago], but I find that idea inspiring [although, I've found when I've written music when I was drunk, and I come back to it a day later after I'm sober, it's garbage... So, I don't do that anymore])... trying to decipher their lyrics is also fun too... what the fuck are they talking about, when Ogre strings his words together, it's quite abstract... Yeah, inspiring!

If you are new to industrial music, or are unfamiliar with Skinny Puppy, check this stuff out! Maybe you hear what I hear! OR... If you are not new, then maybe you have some thoughts regarding your musical listening or musical writing journey that you might want to share here!

Listen to Cevin Key's latest Back & Forth Volume "Brap and Forth: Vol:8"... excellent!!

What's your favorite Skinny Puppy album? And if you are a musician, what music inspired you to dig deeper and really discover what kind of bands are in the goth/industrial scene?

And hey, if you wanna hear some of our shit, you can listen to our "20 Years of Twitch" Retrospective here! 

Brap on fuckers!!

Industrial Music Monday - Tapewyrm

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Oxford, UK. The music is in the vein of rhythmic noise/industrial. This endeavor is the sole creation of Michael Drayven. This project is called: Tapewyrm! Check it out!!






Tapewyrm Facebook

tapewyrm bandcamp

Wax Trax! Records and My Current Obsession

Well, lately I've been really digging the Wax Trax! back-catalog... I've been trying to listen to as much of it as possible lately, scouring YouTube and various other sites for playlists of old Wax Trax! era albums and bands signed to that label. I'm not even sure why I've been sooo obsessed with finding that stuff... I think it might be because I was too young to appreciate the music that came off that label, and now when I find stuff (in particular the industrial music related stuff), I love listening to it and can't seem to get enough... it evokes a certain feeling in me, like I'm almost living in that time and experiencing the music that was being put out in that time... but with the added aspect of also appreciating the bands that were on that label, that still exist today... and really enjoying it, cause a lot of them were my heroes (Al Jourgenson; Ministry and Revolting Cocks, Chris Connelly, Front Line Assembly, C-Tec, KMFDM, Cubanate... and others). I think the other thing is, being that the Wax Trax! documentary came out... it is really interesting to see how that label brought industrial to the Westerner (American) masses, and also helped spawn countless industrial side-projects (a lot of them with Al Jourgenson), and brought the "Ultra-Heavy Beat" (KMFDM) here, as well as several others (EBM pioneers Front 242, anyone?)! If it wasn't for Wax Trax! a lot of the music in the goth/industrial scene wouldn't exist, and industrial wouldn't have evolved the way it did... they were truly pioneers when it came to bringing that kind of music here! I will also say it's really great to see these bands nowadays, and seeing these fucking legends in industrial music... Like when Paul Barker (Lead Into Gold) rolled through here... it was sooo amazing! I got to see a part of industrial music history that, I never thought I would experience... seeing this legend and pioneer! I've also seen Ministry roll through here a couple of times as well, as well as Cubanate, and KMFDM... and also saw Chris Connelly in his project Cocksure (I realize that's not Wax Trax!, but just seeing him is fuckin amazing... as I never thought I would see one of the legends of industrial music history)! Yeah, I don't know how much more I can gush here... but it's just amazing to hear and see these legends and really appreciate the history that they created and the music that is associated with that... I love industrial music, and the scene... and I love digging into the history, and listening and reading about it... I really can't get enough... I'm sure as time passes I'll move onto something else that will interest me musically... like Skinny Puppy's back catalogue or even recent releases... I find that fascinating as well... same time, different place!

Here's some videos for you to enjoy!!

What industrial music are you obsessing over right now? I would like to hear your thoughts... there's sooo much good shit out there!

Sampling Feedback from a Mixer

Here we are capturing the wonderful sounds that a mixer makes (yes, I said a mixer)! 

The Death of Physical Media

Well, the last few days I've been really thinking about physical music media, and if we didn't know this already, I'm really starting to think, physical is dead. Most computers and laptops nowadays don't include CD players or even DVD players... and, it's only gonna get harder to obtain that outdated type of technology (you can purchase USB connected external CD/DVD drives right now, but it won't be like that forever)... even physical CD sales are rare... I do like the idea of having physical (love the packaging and stuff), but as time goes by, it will get harder and harder to find tech that supports that outdated media. Sure, there has been a slight resurgence in vinyl, but for how long? Quite frankly, I'm not interested in investing in vinyl (the question is, how long is that gonna last for..?)... Even with my own musical endeavor... I'm at the point where I think selling a CD is kinda pointless, being that that media IS becoming rare, and no one really purchases it anymore... and as stated above, it's only gonna get harder to find CD/DVD drives to connect to our computers or laptops. I'm also looking at my CD collection and wondering if it's even worth trying to collect more, or even keeping what I have... with digital and streaming being the #1 way for people to consume and listen to music, why even bother with physical. Like I said, I like the idea of collecting and the packaging and all that stuff, but in the end, it really is a dead format... and everything I have in physical, has been uploaded and digitized into my library on my computer... so what's the point? I don't need to have a physical copy anymore... and quite frankly they are probably gonna end up in a landfill somewhere at some point down the road... which really has me thinking... should I sell it? To be honest, I'm at the point where I want to, save for a select few pieces (will probably never get rid of my Nine Inch Nails pieces, but the rest of it... I don't really care). Of course, there's memories attached to some of these pieces, but will the memory die if I get rid of them? ... I'm really not sure, there is dates and times, and feelings associated with some of these pieces... I feel like having them is a reminder of those memories... but could I actually get rid of the majority of my collection?

What are your thoughts on physical media (CDs/DVDs)? And, would you get rid of your collection, knowing that the technology used to play that media is becoming rare and outdated?

Industrial Music Monday - TOMORROWS GHOSTS

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Cleveland, Ohio. The music is in the vein of alternative/industrial/metal. The band consists of Jeremy Aker (vocals), William Pawel (Guitars), Scott Laing (Drums), Jason Notek (Guitar/Programming). They are called: TOMORROWS GHOSTS! Check them out!!






tmrrwsghsts.bandcamp.com

tomorrowsghost Facebook

www.tomorrows-ghosts.com

Industrial Music Monday - Deader

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a band out of Melbourne, Australia. The music is in the vein of electro-industrial/EBM. This endeavor is the creation of: Scud (synths, sequencing, drum programming, guitar, vocals, samples), and Lou (vocals, lyrics, live drums, and synths). They are called: Deader! Check them out!!






deaderindustrial.bandcamp.com

deader Facebook

:Wumpscut: - Dried Blood of Gomorrha

Been listening to :Wumspcut: a lot these days (yeah, for now I've put down the Ministy, lol), and I remember my first :Wumpscut: purchase and how I felt about it... the very first :Wumpscut: track I heard was "Soylent Green" (it was being played in the clubs at the time)... but my very first :Wumpscut: purchase was actually "Dried Blood of Gomorrha" (went into the store hoping to find "Music For A Slaughtering Tribe", but unfortunately they only had "Dried Blood of Gomorrha", so I picked it up, without actually ever hearing any of the tracks off of it)! I remember listening to this on CD way back in the day (probably late 2000 early 2001), and the feeling it evoked for me... well, there's a long story that goes with this... if you purchased our "20 Years of Twitch" retrospective, included in that is a digital booklet that details the story of Twitch from the early days (1999) until now (2019), and I get a little into detail about struggling mentally in that story, well it was during that time that I had purchased "Dried Blood of Gomorrha" and it was really weird feeling, I really liked the music on this, but in my mind it's associated with bad memories... and every time that I had listened to it in the past, it would evoke the feelings I had when I was not doing very well... obviously now new memories are being formed, and as I've started to listen to it again, I am actually starting to really love this album, it's creepy and dark, it's bleak... the imagery in the CD artwork is a combination of what is, I do believe, World War II and possibly photos from the Vietnam War, and various images of decaying bodies... I typically don't look at them anymore, but I think the music and the whole package is very bleak. I will say, the sound quality and the ambiance that the album creates is quite different... at the time my only exposure to :Wumpscut: was the album "Music For A Slaughtering Tribe", (maybe "Embryodead" too) and I loved it! This was very different... I would say it almost seems mellow and dark compared to any of the tracks off of "Music For A Slaughtering Tribe"... (I realize some people think this album was a lot harder than "Music For A Slaughtering Tribe", but this for me was definitely a lot mellower sounding), I will also say this album definitely creates an ambiance that isn't there on "Music For A Slaughtering Tribe"... "Music For A Slaughtering Tribe" was definitely more harder electro-industrial. Right now, I'm not sure why I'm starting to love this album, but my feelings around it are changing and I'm starting to form new good memories (probably because things are good right now). If you haven't yet, please listen (maybe you hear what I hear?), and let me know your thoughts on this album!





Also, if you have the cash, please support Rudy, and purchase this, or any of his other albums on Bandcamp!! You can find them here!

P.S.: Wumpscut slightly influenced Twitch's sound back in the day... but that's a story for another time! ;)

Twitch Vlog: August 19/2019

Industrial Music Monday - Thegn

It's that day, and you know what that means... Industrial!!! This week we have a project originally out of Vancouver, BC, Canada. The music is in the vein of dark ambient/industrial/noise. The project is the sole creation of Joy (not sure if that is a stage name or not, but from the info I could find, it seems to be the name they go by)! This endeavor is called: Thegn! Check it out!!






thegn Facebook

absurdtrax.bandcamp.com

absurd-creation Soundcloud

Terminus Override 2019

It's been another year, another festival... this year there wasn't a lot I wanted to see, but I do feel it's important to support these things! Here were some of the bands I was looking forward to seeing:

Freak Dream:

They were the surprise for me for this years festival. Wasn't too sure what to expect, actually hadn't heard very much of their music previous to their set. Although, I had heard a podcast (if I'm not mistaken) with an interview of the lead singer and main songwriter Elliot. Their performance was excellent! Their music is a mix of indie rock with industrial elements.

Neuroticfish:

I've never seen Neuroticfish before, but I've generally enjoyed their music (my favorite song is their cover of "They're Coming to Take Me Away!"). Their performance was excellent!

RabbitJunk:

I walked in part way through RabbitJunk's set, but their performance was excellent! I really dig the digital hardcore sound and the breaks! I did see them a few years ago at a previous Terminus (can't remember which one), I didn't really enjoy them all that much at the time, but this time I though their set was good!

Haujobb:

Everyone knows, Haujobb puts on excellent performances! This one is no different! Excellent performance!!

HEALTH:

This was the main band I wanted to see this year! Their set was excellent! Although, I did find it a little mellow, but maybe that's how their music translates into the live spectrum, mellow and cerebral.

Standalone:

Standalone was another band I wanted to check out this year, I really enjoyed when he brought his other project Hate Dept. here to Calgary for one of the Terminus's (there's been so many now, that I can't remember which one he was at), and I was interested to see what this particular endeavor is about! It was just him on stage, with some synths and some percussion instruments, and him doing vocals! It was an excellent set!

OHMelectronic:

I originally heard OHMelectronic on a podcast interview, by IDie:YouDie, and was interested cause Craig Huxtable used to be in a project (not sure if he still is) called Landscape Body Machine which has some history here in Calgary, as that particular project was signed to a label here called: Interdimensional Industries! So, after they were announced to play Terminus, I knew I definitely wanted to check out their set! They put on an excellent show!

Covenant:

I didn't take any photos/videos of Covenant... but Eskil and crew were in top form and put on an excellent show! The last time they rolled through here Eskil was pretty drunk and fumbled the lyrics for some of the songs, but it seemed this time he was sober and pulled off the set flawlessly!

That's it for this year!! I will be honest, I did find this year a little mellow and lackluster lineup-wise (not a lot of the harder acts), but there were still some things I wanted to check out! I will also say, I was a little anti-social this year, really didn't want to communicate unless it was my close social circle of friends, so I do apologize if I didn't chat with you, or was in a party mood (not really drinking all that much these days right now)... These last few months I've been really reflecting on what is going on with my life and where I want to be in life... and looking at the time I have left with it (yes, who know's when an individual is gonna die, but I turned 41 this year, and I'm really trying to put the right steps forward, to a long and good future)! I guess the other part that affects this is, I'm waiting on some stuff to get finished for this next album I'm working on, and I find it really difficult to stay fucking mentally healthy when there is really nothing I can do musically (doing music stuff is basically my sanity), and I've done everything I can for now, for this upcoming stuff... so just trying to find stuff to occupy my time with, to stay mentally healthy... I'm managing, but yeah, sometimes it's difficult, cause I'm used to constantly working on music, or music related stuff all the fucking time (within reason)... Anyway, love you guys, and thank you Chris and Ambor for putting this on for it's 8th year now! I'm glad I have a home with like minded people, and a place where I can feel safe!

Industrial Music Monday - NORILLAG

It's that day... and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The music is in the vein of experimental/industrial. The band consists of sole member: Natalia. This project is called: NORILLAG! Check it out!!





Can't find too much info on this particular project, but here is their Bandcamp:

norillag.bandcamp.com

Fear Factory - Obsolete

Well, if you've been following this blog, you will have read about my "Industrial Music finds" which is my little adventure on picking up physical copies of albums that I love and would either like to have them in my physical collection, or am picking up older pieces that I used to have in my collection, that I'm picking up again to once again have it in my collection, as... out of all honesty, I really like having physical stuff (predominantly CD's and such). You will also have noticed that one of the recent finds was a physical copy of Fear Factory's "Obsolete" (you can find that particular blog here!). Well, I'm listening to it a lot these days and it's such a good album! I didn't really get into Fear Factory until about 7 or 8 years ago, before that time period, I found it difficult to get into them, but after purchasing their "Mechanize" album... they started to grow on me (seeing them live many years ago also helped with that too). I always thought they were too technical, too machine-like... not sure if that was intentional on their part, but after all these years I'm starting to really enjoy their stuff! And, as far as I'm concerned of all the stuff I've heard of their's, I do think "Obsolete" is probably their best album (for me)! The reason why is cause first of all, I love the song "Descent"... just the way it fuckin sounds! It's so sad and bleak sounding, and even lyrically... so sad! I will say this album kinda reminds me of Skinny Puppy's "Back and Forth: 3 & 4"... just the way it sounds... and the continuity within the album, each song is perfectly placed, and naturally flows into the other... granted Fear Factory's music has always been highly conceptual... but I feel like, out of all their albums (that I've heard), this one seems to flow and it doesn't seem disjointed in any parts... Also, I really like the production (and hey Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly did some of the programming on it)! If you wanted to dig deeper on this album, and have a physical CD, there's a story that's included in the liner notes with the lyrics, that basically tells the story that the lyrics are centered around! Sooo good!! I just wanted to share my thoughts and how I feel... I will recommend though, if you are into industrial metal type stuff!! What is your favorite Fear Factory album?

Birthday Week: July 1st - 7th/2019

Well, this last week has been a week long birthday celebration! It started on the 1st, which happens to be my solo endeavors 20th Anniversary (yep, 1999 – 2019)! Then on the 3rd, which is my actual birthday, I spent it having drinks with friends and then went to a showing of “What We Do in the Shadows” at the local independent movie theater here in Calgary, and then capping the evening off with even more drinks. Then Friday the 5th, I spent once again drinks with friends! Saturday, I spent preparing this next album I’m working on getting live parts down for the live show (figuring out what exactly I’m going to play, and perform live)… then in the evening spent it with other friends and a couple of glasses of gin and sparkling water. Sunday, I went for a nice walk…and spent the rest of the day educating myself on music production! This year’s birthday celebrations were pretty low-key, but I’m ok with that. Sure, last year 40 was a big number, but 41… not really, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind celebrating, but this year, it just didn’t seem as important... I just wanted to be with good friends and have a low-key celebration this year… although, next year might be different, and it might involve going to the bar in a house-coat and a towel or something like that (Apparently, 42 is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, 😉 lol!). I think the one thing I realize as I get older is, my musical and artistic endeavor’s becoming more important. As the year passes, I realize there is so much more work to do, and less time to do them in… which means I have to step up on achieving these goals and pushing my endeavors forward! I will say though, this year went by quite quickly, it feels like the forest fire skies of last summer were just here, and Terminus Festival just happened, and here we are... fortunately the forest fire situation doesn't seem as bad this year, and Terminus Festival is almost upon us again... I've got lots of plans, some of them already in the works! Love you guys!! 

Industrial Music Monday - WURM

What day is it..? Monday... What does that mean... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The music is in the vein of experimental/industrial/ambient. The project's sole member is: Art Black. This endeavor is called: WURM! Check it out!!!






wurm bandcamp

wurm Facebook

Industrial Music finds: June 29/2019

Well, I went on another little music finding trip this weekend in the hopes that I would find some used Ministry CD's... alas, I could not find the pieces I was looking for... but, I did find this:

 (Pop Will Eat Itself "Cure For Sanity" front cover)

I've never actually owned this album, but my first exposure to Pop Will Eat Itself was the "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos" album...  I loved that album (especially the song "Ich Bin Ein Auslander")... and I've periodically listened to various tracks through Youtube and such... I've always been meaning to pick up more, and I found this in the new arrival (used) section at Hot Wax Records! A friend recommended that I look more into their back catalog as apparently it's very inspired by hiphop music (even more so than "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos"), and it certainly has a "modern" (I use that term lightly, cause this particular album came out around 1990) hiphop sound, mixed with electronic (and maybe some industrial elements as well)! 

(Pop Will Eat Itself "Cure For Sanity" back cover)

I never actively listened to PWEI until around 2003-04. So, they didn't really influence the Twitch sound originally. Twitch's hiphop influences came more from around the Korn and nu-metal sound (using the heavy guitars, mixed with weird hiphop sounds and even some beats and such), and even Run DMC (their positivity, and especially their track "Down With The King" sound-wise), even Eminem, Saul Williams (although this wasn't until later as well), even some Beastie Boy's back in the day, and obviously as time has passed, more current hiphop has influenced Twitch's sound (even some gangsta rap has had a bit of influence, although, I would say, not from being in a gang perspective, but just some of the sound)... Rage Against The Machine was also an influence, but not heavily... just more around their ideas politically. I guess the list could go on... I do find these guys highly inspiring musically... I definitely don't want to copy their sound, but they have influenced some of Twitch's music! I'm glad I picked this up! I love industrial music! My collection is growing... and I like seeing it on my shelf in the studio!

I don't expect everyone to purchase physical copies of music, but is there anything that you are really enjoying or have found in your digital purchases that is exciting to you?

Industrial Music finds: June 28/2019

Went on an industrial music hunt today! Found some older stuff that I previously had in my collection (that I got rid of when I was a young adult)... that I am finally purchasing again after all these years... sooo many memories! I was specifically looking for Ministry, but I could not find any used stuff, but I did find some other music that I've been meaning to pick up again, and some stuff that I've never heard that has never been in my collection. I made a couple of stops today... one at Blackbyrd Myoozik... didn't find anything there that I was interested in... so headed on over to Sloth Records... not much there either... then later in the day headed off to Turn It Up! Records here in Calgary! This was my first time there... they actually have an goth/industrial section which is cool! Here is some of the pieces I picked up:
 

(Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" front cover)

Ooooh my, when I was looking through the collection of goth/industrial stuff at Turn It Up! Records, I saw this in there and was unsure I should purchase this... I used to have it in my collection, and I got rid of it... I hadn't intended on ever purchasing it again... but a few years ago, I went to Edmonton to visit my best friend, and he turned on some Manson while we were drinking and shit... and I realized, "why the fuck did I end up getting rid of this..?" this is probably one of my favorite Manson albums (other than "Mechanical Animals" and "The Golden Age of The Grotesque")... I think my favorite song off of "Antichrist Superstar" is "Cryptorchid". Listening through this and I still like this album! 

 

(Marilyn Manson "Antichrist Superstar" back cover)

I remember when this album came out, first of all, everyone was fucking excited about it! Second, this album was produced by Trent Reznor and there is definitely a lot of use of synthesized sounds on the album. I remember Manson getting flack back in the day from the music community and critics because they (critics) felt the album relied too heavily on electronics and synthesis and at the time, it was frowned upon in the community... cause a computer created it. Ridiculous! It's funny cause, nowadays critics don't bat an eye when it comes to electronics and synthesis... but their argument at the time was "synthesizers/computers created all the music..." and "synthesizers aren't real instruments... blah blah blah"... yeah, most of the critics at the time had no idea what they were talking about.

(White Zombie "Astro-Creep: 2000" front cover)

White Zombie's "Astro-Creep: 2000" I've been meaning to pick up again, and originally found it at Sloth Records in the used section, but the CD was soo dinged up and scratched I decided to pass on it. Many weeks later (today), I manage to find it in a not-too-bad quality, so I took a risk and purchased it... Glad I did cause it obviously plays and was easily ripped to iTunes! Not really sure why I got rid of this years ago either... Back in the day, White Zombie was my favorite band... I remember listening to the "La Sexorcisto" over an over... when this came out I was sooo excited, I wasn't expecting it... I don't recall White Zombie announcing anything in magazines that they were working a new album or anything... and then, I think for Christmas one year... this was gifted to me... and I was sooo excited!

(White Zombie "Astro-Creep: 2000" back cover)

I remember being inspired by this album artistically, with all the weird fucked up imagery in the liner notes, and musically with the heavy use of samples and more industrial type tones! Granted, they aren't really my favorite band these days, I do prefer Rob's solo stuff nowadays over White Zombie, but if I hadn't got into White Zombie initially, I probably wouldn't have gotten into industrial in the first place. I'm glad I have this back in my collection!

(Fear Factory "Obsolete" front cover)

Now, I've never owned this album until today... I loved this album since the first time I heard it (which wasn't actually all that long ago, probably 7 or 8 years ago), and so I thought why not pick it up! I dig some of Fear Factory's other albums and own a couple of them as well, so being that the store had it, why not?! This is probably one of my favorite Fear Factory albums of all time, and "Descent" is probably my favorite Fear Factory song of all time! 

(Fear Factory "Obsolete" back cover)

Lately, I've been really loving Fear Factory... their latest album "Genexus" is really good (I love the song "Expiration Date")... also Dino (their guitarist) has a side-project with Claus Larsen of Laeather Strip called Die Klutae. Such a good collaboration! This particular album ("Obsolete") they worked with Rhys Fulber from Canadian electro-industrial act Front Line Assembly on some of the tracks, and I think they turned out quite well! Glad to have this in my collection!

(Insurgent, Inc. "Self-Titled" front cover)

I've never heard of this band before, so this was a random find at the shop... I thought why not... see what these guy's are about! They are a mix of guitar driven techno and industrial. Not sure I like it, but I'll definitely keep it! Something different! It looks like these guy's have a Facebook page... so they are still around doing stuff... this album was from around 2002 or so... 

(Insurgent, Inc. "Self-titled" back cover)

I'm not liking this enough to pick up another one of their albums, but I think for what it is, not bad! It does remind me of a more technical electronic rock type sound... they can definitely play their instruments, in a very technical way... and the programming and instrumentation is, I'll say once again, very technical!

(Jakalope "Born4" front cover)

Well, I've never owned any Jakalope stuff, and I've never really taken a good listen to it either... so I figure why not! Totally not what I expected, it's not bad... I'm not sure I like the vocals, but overall it's decent! Trent Reznor is listed as an Associate Producer... so I'm not entirely sure how much he was involved in this... This band, at the time of the release of this album, was written and produced by legendary producer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (Skinny Puppy, Marilyn Manson, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails), and vocals are done by Katie B. There's also quite a list of collaborators on this album, not gonna list them here, but yeah... lot's of people on this album!

(Jakalope "Born4" back cover)

I would say this album and possibly music lies in the industrial pop rock genre of music. I would say that this stuff is not really inspiring (to me) musically, but I'm glad I picked this up! Sometimes it's good to step outside of what you would normally listen to, and expose yourself to something new (or newish), and expand your musical palate!

That's my finds for today! I might make another music store trip again sometime this weekend... would love to find more Ministry, but I guess we'll see...

Industrial Music Monday - Needlespit

It's Monday, and you know what that means... Industrial!! This week we have a project out of Phoenix, Arizona. The music is in the vein of experimental electronic/industrial/noise. They are called: Needlespit! Check this project out!!





needlespit bandcamp

needlespit soundcloud

Needlespit Facebook