
The rhythmic noise scene in 2024, as in the previous few years, is full of different variations of Techno-Industrial acts and influences, but in 2024 there were also nice releases in the classic sound of Rhythmic Noise and even its in old school sound. Some projects that have been inactive for a long time, came out of the shadows. The scene is still progressing, but not in the number of projects, but in their quality, which is mayby better.
Covered genres: Rhythmic Noise, IDM, TBM, Techno-Industrial, Tribal Industrial
10. Stevie Zeven - ‘empyre‘ (Techno-Industrial, Rhythmic Noise, Drum And Bass | USA, Self-Released)
The first public recordings of the American project STEVIE ZEVEN date back to 2024. And in fact, all the recordings were released this year on the Bandcamp page of the project. The music of the project as a whole is electronic experiments with different genres, but the album ‘empyre’ looks more holistic, although it is written in the description on the Bandcamp, that it was recorded live in the studio. The album features four compositions in a combination of Techno-Industrial with Rhythmic Noise and Drum‘n’Bass elements. In general, the work is done with mechanical sounds in a rather interesting sound. If STEVIE ZEVEN develops in this direction, then over time it could become a very good project with a unique recognizable. In any case, the work ‘empyre’ is included in the top rhythms and noises for the year. Facebook: n/a
09. Celotrox - ‘Wunderland‘ (Rhythmic Noise, Industrial | Germany, Self-Released)
The German project CELOTROX was formed in 2015, although the author of the project has been known in the Industrial Electronic scene since 2011 as a dancer. At the beginning of their career, the project created music in the Dark Electro genre, but all released tracks were part of the various compilations. Until 2023 CELOTROX was essentially in hibernation mode, since the author’s main efforts went concentrated on his second project DER DÈNKÈR, and the great return of CELOTROX happened in 2024 with the debut full-length album. The work is called ‘Wunderland’ and has already gone very far from the original Dark Electro sound. The album includes 15 teacks in a combination of oldschool viscous dull Rhythmic Noise and more experimental Industrial sound. Occasionally, in some components of tracks you can hear echoes of modern and popular in 10s dancy TBM, but they do not affect much the overall atmosphere. The Germans make good use of noise effects and skillfully combines them with rhythm and Industrial components. The album ends with two remixes, one of which was made by XOTOX, whose early albums are associated with the modern work of CELOTROX. Good work and a great debut after many years of waiting. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Celotrox
08. Schachtanlage Gegenort - ‘Coal Phase-Out‘ (Rhythmic Noise, Industrial | Germany, Hands Productions)
The German project SCHACHTANLAGE GEGENORT was created in the mid-90s by the Germans Denise Ritter and Thomas Baltes. After the first album in 1997 Thomas left the project and Denise continued her activities, which eventually led her to one of the leading rhythmic noise format labels Hands Productions. Since 2010 the project disappeared from the Industrial music map, but in 2024 SCHACHTANLAGE GEGENORT are fully bac with a new album ‘Coal Phase-Out’. Denise used the old-chool sound of Rhythmic Noise along classic Industrial elements on all her albums and during that long break in her work she did not lose this sound. The new work turned out to be as noisy and experimental as the previous ones without the use of dance Techno-Industrial and TBM in comparison with other collegues. 9 new compositions are completely fit the spirit of Industrial. Very nice comeback. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gegenort
07. ROÜGE - ‘Legacy‘ (Techno-Industrial, EBM | France, Midnight Mana)
French DJ and producer Killiane Chemineau founded the project ROÜGE in the late 10s and the first album was released in 2021 on the Detriti Records. Since than Killiane’s activitiesturned attemntion not only because of her DJ skills, but also with her ability to create cool instrumental dance tracks. At first sight simple compositions make your body = moving and your legs are dancing on their own. The second album ‘Legacy’ was released on the newly founded label Midnight Mana and continued the trends of the debut. Rhythmic Techno-Industrial hits with a clear and distinct EBM influence can easily become frequent guests on dark Post-Industrial dancefloors. Such dance opuses without vocals often are getting boring near the end of the release, but ‘Legacy’ is not the case. New strong work by ROÜGE. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamrougemusic
06. :10: - ‘Horror‘ (IDM, Techno-Industrial, Electro-Industrial, Breakbeat | USA, Self-Released)
The American project with the numbered name :10: was formed in the mid-00s by Sean Forsythe and released its first albums on its own. In the mid-10s the project was noticed by the label CRL Records and after that :10: received wider publicity, although its works attracted the attention of listeners also before that. In the 20s Sean returned to releasing his material on his own. The new album of the American was called ‘Horror’ and is an explosive mixture of different genres of Electronic and Industrial music with a dark atmosphere and intricate compositions. :10: was always recognizable with its experiments and the 2024 album is not an exception. Great work, consisting of a bouquet of genres in Electro-Industrial, IDM, Breakbeat, Ambient and Noise inserts, inconsistent rhythms and oppressive atmosphere. Somewhere the material reminds the atmosphere of the music of VELVET ACID CHRIST, but in general this is self-sufficient music with a recognizable style and sound. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.forsythe.568
05. Flint Glass & Ah Cama-Sotz - ‘Wakan Tanka‘ (Tribal Industrial, IDM, Industrial | France+Belgium, Ant-Zen)
Belgian Tribal Industrial legendary AH CAMA-SOTZ and French Industrial and Noise master FLINT GLASS have united for the album ‘Wakan Tanka’. There is no need to introduce Herman Klapholz and Gwenn Trémorin, as these representatives of the Industrial Rhythmic scene have long been known to fans of the genres. Previously the musicians collaborated on remixes and ‘Wakan Tanka’ is their first collaboration in a full-length work. The album consists of 10 compositions in the genre of Dark Tribal Industrial with IDM and elements of Dark Ambient. Continuous atmospheric compositions immerse the listener in hypnotic ritual sound sketches with the classic sound of the aforementioned genres. The high-quality powerful work of the duo is worthy of a place not only in the collection of fans, but also in the history of Tribal Industrial as one of the best albums. Later in 2024 a remix release ‘Wakonda’ for the tracks from this album was also out, on which EMPUSAE, RIOTMILOO, ISZOLOSCOPE, Andreas Davids from XOTOX, SYLVGHEIST MAELSTROM and other musicians presented their vision of the tracks. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlintGlass / https://www.facebook.com/AhCamaSotz
04. Dirty K - ‘Passion for Punishment‘ (Rhythmic Noise, Industrial | UK, Infern0)
DIRTY K is a British project by Ryan formed in 2006, which already has six full-length albums, released on different format labels of the Rhythmic Noise scene, including Hands Productions and Crunch Pod, several EPs and a live album. The musician has collaborated with such musicians as MANUFACTURA, KULT303 and DIRT CHAMBER to compose together or release split and made remixes for WIELORYB, MONO NO AWARE, STAHLSCHLAG, ESA, C/A/T and many others. The new album was released three years after the previous one and is an intermittent modern Rhythmic Noise with a sonorous sound, dance rhythms and complex long compositions, although everything starts relatively simple and standard. The album turned out to be a kind of Noise opera, where events develop from simple to knotted ending with a 10-minute opus, which is not a standard for the Rhythmic Noise scene. The quality and interesting work of the British artist will be interesting for the fans of modern Rhythmic Noise without admixtures of other popular genres like Techno-Industrial, Drum’n’Bass etc, which is weird, because Ryan has a new side project with music in the genre of Drum’n’Bass. In any case the album ‘Passion for Punishment’ is created in the genre of classic modern Rhythmic Noise, which is not the frequent activity on the modern Rhythmic Noise scene. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063934890743
03. Mala Herba - ‘Wounded Healer‘ (IDM, Techno-Industrial, Electrofolk, Ambient, Experimental Industrial | Austria, White Forest Records)
The project MALA HERBA is led by Zosia Hołubowska, a Polish artist who lives in Austria. The first demo recordings of MALA HERBA were released in 2017, followed by a full-length album on the famous industrial label aufnahme + wiedergabe. The second full-length work is called ‘Wounded Healer’ and was released on the Italian label White Forest Records. The music of MALA HERBA already surprised on the first album with a mixture of different genres of Industrial and Electronic music with a touch of Folk elements and vocals with lyrics in Polish. The new work continued the sound from the debut. Atmospheric Ambient compositions with ritual elements are replaced by Rhythmic Techno-Industrial sketches. And all this is flavoured with Zosia’s Folk vocals and lyrics in Polish. For the track in Ukrainian a separate thanx. Somewhere the material of MALA HERBA reminds the work of ZAVOLOKA, but Kateryna’s music is more electronic and less Folk. Each composition on the album featured guest musicians both for the vocal parts and other musical instruments. Despite such genre variation, or vice versa, because of that the album is listened to in one breath. A very stylistically diverse work with a unique atmosphere is one of the most interesting in tops for 2024. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malaherbawitch
02. Stahlschlag - ‘Amrita‘ (Rhythmic Noise, TBM | Germany, Pro Noize)
Sebastian Sünkler formed STAHLSCHLAG in the first half of the 00s and from the first releases he definitely became one of the standards of the rhythmic noise genre. After releasing several releases on unknown labels and on his own the project signed on the Crunch Pod and the new work ‘Amrita’ became the full-length debut on the famous German Rhythmic Noise and TBM label Pro Noize. In the last couple of years Sebastian created a couple of side projects in which he experimented with various more mainstream genres of electronic Industrial music such as TBM, Techno-Industrial and even Dark Electro and EBM. The new work of STAHLSCHLAG has become a kind of quintessence of all the other projects, but the basis still remains the good old, but already not so aggressive and loud Rhythmic Noise. On the new album the German presents 14 new compositions of Dance Noise electronics, in which hard Rhythmic Noise is intertwined with club TBM. Unlike standard club tracks STAHLSCHLAG’s music has an atmospheric component in the form of background ambient samples, which add volume and airiness to the compositions (if it’s possible in the genres of noise at all).
Since the main theme of the album has Hindu motifs, the usage of Tribal elements was expected. A very diverse and interesting work by the German, which objectively, from the point of the musical development of the project can be considered the best in the discography, although my personal subjective preferences still belong to the pure Rhythmic Noise of the early STAHLSCHLAG from the the 00s. The album ends with four remixes from colleagues and in different genres not similar to the original, which definitely adds points to the album. In any case, the album turned out to be complete, high-quality and variously genred in the best possible way. Yes, while listening, I caught myself thinking that the Rhythmic Noise artist has a melody in his music. And modern Pop singers lack melody as a rule. Mostly if you remove vocals, the music of the overwhelming majority of Pop artists is just a grey background sounds with dry beat and one looped sound and nothing more. But this is already another story for a completely different article. In the meantime, listen to STAHLSCHLAG! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STAHLSCHLAG
01. Second Tension - ‘Atropos‘ (Techno-Industrial, EBM | Greece, Persephonic Sirens)
The project SECOND TENSION was formed by Stavros Tilkeridis in Greece in 2016. After releasing a couple of EPs, the project signed with the German label Persephonic Sirens, run by members of the ANCIENT METHODS duo, where the debut album was released in 2023, followed by the second full-length work ‘Atropos’. Half an hour of rhythmic rough Techno-Industrial with rare vocals, chorals, noisy mechanical sounds and EBM elements fit perfectly into the Rhythmic Noise scene and bring freshness and novelty to it with such an unconventional approach to structure and sound. SECOND TENSION surprised with the presence of vocals, although not so often used. Sharp sonorous noise effects combined with techno beats raised the level of the scene as a whole to a new hight and compositions with choral singing added even more uniqueness. A very interesting work by a Greek, which rightfully takes the top position of beats and noises of 2024. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sys100
Other honorable mentions: 5F-X, ADREN PHUTURE, FABRIKC, LETZTE AUSFAHRT LEBEN, SLICHTNACHT, ZENTRIERT INS ANTLITZ