The Industrial scene in 2023 like every year before pleases with stylistic diversity, powerful new releases from well-known projects and promising young formations that, in fact, have been in the experimental music scene for many years now, but have created many projects for each concept of their material. Industrial has always been, is and will be the most intense part of the dark scene. The least popular, but there is no need to popularize it. This music (or antimusic) is not for everyone.Covered genres: Industrial, Noise, Power Electronics, Dark Ambient, Martial Industrial, Death Industrial, Harsh Noise Wall, Ritual Ambient, Drone Ambient, Black Ambient, Industrial Darkwave, Harsh Noise, Percussion Industrial, Experimental Industrial, Improve Industrial, Musique Concrète, Dungeon Synth
10. Kristof Bathory - ‘Humanoid Dystopia’ (Dark Ambient | USA, Cryo Chamber)
American musician KRISTOF BATHORY is primarily known for his work in the Dark Electro project DAWN OF ASHES and the collaboration with Scott Denman from DIE SEKTOR in the Dark Ambient project VOID STASIS. Chris’ debut solo work was released in 2012 on the label Cryo Chamber and in 2023 the American’s work was continued in ‘Humanoid Dystopia’. The album features eight new compositions in the genre of gloomy mystical Dark Ambient with periodic electronic opuses with cosmic aesthetics and enveloping components. Good atmospheric work for Ambient gourmets. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/K.Bathory666
09. Wounded Son - ‘Pain is All I Have for You’ (Ritual Ambient, Death Industrial | USA, Hospital Productions)
WOUNDED SON is a project of American musician James Light, who specializes in creating various kinds of Industrial experiments in the field of Ambient and Power Electronics. The album ‘Pain is All I Have for You’ is already the second in the discography and is a combination of Ritual Ambient with Death-Industrial, where the main component is ritual. Dark Ambient opuses diluted with humming and slight beats, similar to rhythm, with incantations in a distorted muffled voice. An interesting atmospheric work from the American. Facebook: NO FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM pages
08. Phenol Injektion - ‘Mass Grave of Humanity’ (Power Electronics | Germany, Unrest Productions)
The young Industrial project PHENOL INJEKTION was formed in Germany in the early 20s and released its debut in 2022 on the label Death in Venice Productions. In 2023 the project continued its discography with a new release called ‘Mass Grave of Humanity’. The new work is made in the style of dull, viscous power electronics with periodically pulsating sound and recitation in a distorted voice. The album turned out to be less noisy than the debut work, on which the Germans made extensive use of Noise elements and, therefore, not aggressive, but not worse because of it. Good material with high-quality Power Electronics close to the classic sound of the genre. Facebook: NO FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM pages
07. Aux Armes - ‘Radikal’ (POWER ELECTRONICS, NOISE | anonymous, Old Captain)
There is no information about the AUX ARMES project on the Internet, but on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian label Old Captain, where the project’s album was released, it is written that the project is considered anonymous and “who knows whi stands is behind AUX ARMES, okay, but for others let it be a mystery”. Due to the lack of information, it is also impossible to say that this is a debut, however, there are no more releases of the project on Discogs in other sources, so most likely the release is still a debut. The album features material combining Power Electronics and Noise with distorted voice declamation. Not the entire album is permeated with aggression and noise; there are softer compositions with Dark Ambient. Powerful, strong work by anonymous. A good project with interesting material. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063806122586
06. Kate Rissiek - ‘Wave Expanse’ (Noise | Canada, Buried in Slag and Debris)
Canadian composer and visual artist KATE RISSIEK is known for her work in the Noise project RUSALKA, which has existed since 2007 and is already relatively known in the Industrial music scene. There are not many of her solo works and they started coming out not so long ago. The new creation is called ‘Wave Expanse’ and consists of two long compositions in the genre of various iridescent noise. This is the very case when listening to 20-minute compositions is not tiring, but on the contrary interesting. Kate skillfully combines different sounds and effects and created a cool atmosphere. In the second composition everything starts minimalistically and more and more layer added, turning into more homogeneous sound. For me personally this Kate’s album is the standard of Noise. Not a masterpiece, but a personal standard of how to create Noise music right. Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/kate_rusalka
05. V:XII - ‘Lu-Cipher-Sabbatean’ (Death Industrial, Industrial Darkwave | Sweden, Sentient Ruin Laboratories)
Project V:XII was created by Daniel Jansson in 2018. Daniel has previously created Industrial music as part of the drone project KEPLERS ODD and various Noise and Power Electronics variations in S.T.U.G. 218 and UNSUB. The Swede is also a member of the Black Metal bands CULTED and DEADWOOD. Within the framework of V:XII Daniel went a little away from radical Noise elements and creates music in the genre of Death-Industrial with elements of Industrial Darkwave. The light rhythm similar to a march, the angry vocals from Black Metal and the gloomy, oppressive atmosphere put this album on a par with the Swedish colleague and maestro HENRIK BJÖRKK and his creations. Great job from the Swede. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063542499750
04. Lugola - ‘The Truth Penetrates Your Mouth’ (Power Electronics, Noise | Poland, Zoharum)
The Polish project LUGOLA was formed in the early 10s by the only participant Michal. Later Michal created several more Industrial projects, but LUGOLA remained the main and most famous on the Industrial scene. The new work ‘The Truth Penetrates Your Mouth’ was released on the format Polish label Zoharum and is made in the genre of rough, pulsating and noisy Power Electronics with distorted declamation. Half of the tracks on the album feature Noise effects that create a rhythmic pattern reminding the old-school Rhythmic Noise sound giving the material a very interesting feature, that differs from most other albums in this genre. Good solid work from a Polish project. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lugolaofficial
03. Xiu Xiu - ‘Ignore Grief’ (Industrial | USA, Polyvinyl Record Company)
The American project XIU XIU is known mostly outside the Industrial scene. The project was formed in 2002 by Jamie Stewart and musically created various Industrial and non-Industrial experiments in the genres of Rock. During its career the project has collaborated with various musicians, both from the field of Industrial (MERZBOW, for example) and with musicians of Jazz, alternative music and modern classics. The number of solo full-length albums in the project’s discography has already exceeded 10 and if we take into consideration collaborations and splits, the list will be much longer. The American’s new work is called ‘Ignore Grief’ and made without a Rock component. The press release states that half of the compositions are experimental Industrial and the other half are modern experimental classics. In fact, the entire album is made in the genre of classic Industrial, I would even call it old school. The same place where THOBBING GRISTLE and other progenitors of Industrial worked in the 80s. Classical components are undoubtedly also present on the album, but they are still performed according to the canons of Industrial music, although a large number of musicians with live instruments are involved (violins, saxophone, flutes, wind and other musical instruments). There is very small amount of compisitions with such creativity on the modern scene, so this creation attracted the attention and not only mine. This album can easily be placed in the Industrial Hall of Fame on a par with iconic albums of legendary Industrial formations. Brilliant work. Strange as it may sound, but this “experimental” album by XIU XIU in their discography in my opinion is the most holistic, formed and least experimental for the modern Industrial scene. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xiuxiuforlife
02. Riotmiloo - ‘Blackout’ (Industrial, Rhythmic Noise | France, Ant-Zen)
Frenchwoman Emily was part of the Punk band VENOM SEEDS in the 2000s and in 2006 began collaborating with Industrial musicians from the Rhythmic Noise scene. RIOTMILOO has collaborations with ESA, PHILIPP MÜNCH, EVA|3, MILLIMETRIC and Trip-Hop musician SCALPER. In 2015 her first album was released, in which many famous musicians from the Rhythmic Noise scene took part, and in 2022 a concert DVD was released. RIOTMILOO’s second work is called ‘Blackout’ and, like the first, was released on the famous German label Ant-Zen. The album features eight new compositions made in the Industrial genre using elements of Rhythmic Noise and classical sound of the main genre. Emily’s vocals, both clean and distorted, fit perfectly into the atmosphere of the album. The album turned out to be very strong and holistic and will appeal to both fans of standard Industrial music and fans of Rhythmic Noise. Great work. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Riotmiloo
01. S.T.A.B. Electronics - ‘Welcome to Perdition (Hell is Home)’ (power Electronics, Harsh Noise | UK, Unrest Productions)
British Power Electronics project S.T.A.B. ELECTRONICS was formed at the end of the 2000s and until 2015 was published on various Industrial labels. In 2015 full-length albums began to be released on the Unrest Productions label. In 2020 the project released the first part of a trilogy dedicated to perdition. In 2023 the final part of the trilogy, entitled ‘Welcome to Perdition (Hell is Home)’, was out. The album presents uncompromising, tough, angry and aggressive power electronics, plunging the listener into despair. Mechanical Industrial Noises, distorted declamations that sometimes sound like incantations or even curses and a terrifying concept live according to the press release, which says that the final part of the trilogy will take the listener through “the hell of humanity and depravity only to find that there will never be an exit”. “Once you go too far you can never look back.” Facebook: NO FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM pages
Other honorable mentions: ARDITI, DAHLIA'S TEAR, STRESS ORPHAN, SVENSKA LIKBRÄNNINGS FÖRENINGEN, VIOLEER
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