Industrial Notes: June 1992

Corporate rock’s latest assault is into the industrial and techno area. Fifteen or so years after the fact that big companies are realizing that there’s money to be made from this ever-popular genre of music. 

One of the hardest hit indie labels seems to be Chicago’s Wax Trax! After losing Ministry, Front 242, Revolting Cocks and rumors of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, you have to wonder what’s up for the future of Wax Trax! Never fear! Wax Trax! is about to unleash a new assault in the form of New York’s Sister Machine Gun. The first taste of this band is a promo-only release of “Why Not,” from the band’s upcoming debut album. With hot, throbbing techno beats and overlays of crunching guitars from Al Jourgensen, Sister Machine Gun seems to be an incredibly promising band. At 91 bpm, this release is destined to be a dancefloor hit. Watch out for it.

Speaking of 242, CBS has started reissuing the band’s catalog. The first two reissues are “Geography” with the Body To Body EP included. Out this month are “No Comment,” “Back Catalog” and “Official Version,” all with extra tracks that were previously available as singles or not at all. Nothing really new or interesting but if you’re missing pieces of your 242 catalog, then here’s your chance to fill in the gaps.

William Tucker of Revco, Pigface and Thrill Kill infamy has a new project out on Nettwerk. it’s the Final Cut and the CD is called Consumed. THe disc ranges from straight-ahead techno/industrial madness to some more funky, beat oriented cuts. Guest vocalist/songwriter Chris Connely adds to the confusion, making this one of my favorite new releases this year.

Now available from Nettwerk mail order is the new Tear Garden record. Haven’t heard it yet but expectations are high for this Legendary Pink Dots/Skinny Puppy collaboration.

Ex-KMFDM and (never even heard of) Foetus collaborator, Raymond Watts, has released his third record as Pig and invites you to take “A Stroll In The Pork” with him. OK, so there are only a handful of “new” songs on this release, but it still has all that Pig madness (a la JG Thirwell) that made his first two records so damn cool. There’s also two versions of “Hello Hooray” from the Alice Cooper Group. These alone make the record worth picking up. 

Now out on Elektra’s continually amazing Mute Grey Area reissue campaign is Cabaret Voltaire 1974-76. Ten collectable tracks from industrial pioneers Cabaret Voltaire, guaranteed to peel your paint. There is also a new Cabaret Voltaire single with remixes of “I Want You” and “Kino.” Watch out for future releases from Zoviet France, Monte Cazazza, Non and Einsturzende Neubauten on the Grey Area deal. Also on Mute/Elektra is Kapital, the long-awaited new release from Laibach. It’s techno and funky, with German samples and rapping and it’s a dance record to kill for. With this album, Laibach may have invented their own genre of Goose-step hip-hop. So pull on your lederhosen and get busy. The Laibachians have also put together a book of artwork and documentation on the Neue Slowenische Kunst, the art school that spawned Laibach, et al. It’s big and beautiful and available at an outrageous price from finer booksellers.

Newton Antler Subway’s the first full-length release (that I’ve seen) from the Fatal Morgana, The Destructive Solution. Leading off with the classically influenced “Overture,” this album goes off into deadly dance rhythms with socio-political overtones. Call it Industrial consciousness raising or just great music to move to.

Digital Poodle has just released a remix CD called Work Terminal. It’s fast and furious and damn good.

After a long vacation and releases from side projects, Intermix and Cyberaktif, Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber are back with a brand new Front Line Assembly, Tactical Neural Implant. It’s a lot more diverse than earlier FLA releases. Looks like their time away has done FLA some good. Check out track #2, “The Blade” if you need any more proof.

If you’re into darker and/or harder dance music then get out and buy these new releases: Christian Death’s The Iron Mask, Sisters of Mercy’s Temple of Love (1992) with Ofra Haza, Cop Shoot Cop’s Consumer Revolt (Can I do some Sonic Youth now?), Drunks With Guns Second Verses and the incredible Psychopomps with their Assassins DK United, definitely a hair-curler.

Watch out for my triumphal return as DJ Evil takes on the Bar & Grill Sunday Nights starting June 7, from 10 pm – 1 am, for all ages. For more info listen to KJQ’s Industrial show with DJ Christopher Allen on Monday nights. 

See you this month on Sunday Nights at the Bar & Grill. Don’t hate me because I’m evil. 

Check out more from the SLUG Archives:
Notes from The Industrial Underground: March 1992
Consolidated: Fighting The Evil System