Icon of Coil Ebm Music Band – Groundbreaking Industrial Icons

In the mid-1990s, a key band from Norway launched the ebm genre into new heights.¹ Icon of Coil, led by Joakim Montelius and Ane Margrete Moen, is that band. They are known for a unique sound that pushed the boundaries of industrial music. Their work inspired many other bands in the industrial and electro-industrial scene.²

They took inspiration from early industrial bands and mixed it with electronic and synthpop elements. Icon of Coil’s tracks had hard beats, distorted synths, and Moen’s powerful voice.¹ Their shows were as intense as their recordings, solidifying them as icons in industrial and ebm history.

The band released several impressive albums. Two of these, “Shallow Nation” in 2000 and “Machines Are Us” in 2002, stand out.¹ Although they broke up in 2005, their legacy lives on. Their innovative sound still influences today’s industrial music.

Key Takeaways

• Icon of Coil was a pioneering electro-industrial band formed in Norway in the mid-1990s.
• The duo of Joakim Montelius and Ane Margrete Moen helped shape the ebm (electronic body music) genre with their distinctive sound.
• Icon of Coil’s music was characterized by harsh, aggressive beats, distorted synths, and emotive vocals.
• The band’s intense live performances and acclaimed albums cemented their status as one of the most influential and iconic industrial/ebm acts.
• Icon of Coil’s legacy continues to be felt in the industrial music scene, even after their dissolution in 2005.

Defining Industrial Music

Industrial music is a genre from the 1970s that uses harsh, mechanical, and bold sounds.¹ The name comes from Throbbing Gristle’s founders. They wanted their music to feel like the gritty world of factories and falling cities.³

Harsh, Mechanical, and Transgressive Sounds

This music is all about being intense and sometimes scary.³ It includes clanging metal, loud noises, and strong rhythms that feel like a heart beating. This mix of sounds challenges how we think about music.³ Industrial music also talks about hard topics and brings together people who feel left out.³

Avant-Garde Electronics and Punk Provocation

Industrial music grew from the experiments in music of the 1940s, early stuff like musique concrète.³ It has changed a lot over time, mixing in punk, electronic, and hip-hop vibes.³ Known for being really out there with its sound and themes, the genre always aims to shake things up.¹

Origins of Industrial Music

The start of industrial music goes back to the time after World War II. In the 1940s, Pierre Schaeffer and Halim El-Dabh started making musique concrète,³. It’s a type of music that uses recorded sounds and changes them. This way of making music influenced the later industrial music scene.³

Musique Concrète and Tape Music Experiments

Musique concrète is all about using unusual sounds and changing them. This started the path for industrial music. This style of music was very different from music made before.³ Early musicians, including Schaeffer and El-Dabh, started to use sounds from machines and cities in their music.

Influence of Kraftwerk and Suicide

In the 1970s, a German group called Kraftwerk and the duo Suicide in New York did something special. Kraftwerk had a robotic sound and Suicide made music that felt intense and new. They both showed how electronic music could be dark and different.³ Their work inspired many others to make unique and bold music with electronics.

Pioneers of Industrial Music

In the 1970s, the industrial music scene began with bands like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire.³ Throbbing Gristle, from the UK, is often seen as the first real industrial band. They introduced the term “industrial music for industrial people” and started the influential Industrial Records label.³ Their music had a rough, experimental sound and edgy themes. These elements set the stage for the entire genre.³

Throbbing Gristle and the Birth of Industrial Records

Throbbing Gristle started off as a group focused on performance art in the 1970s.³ They later became a key figure in the industrial music scene. Known for using loud, clanging noises, and strong rhythms, their work defined the industrial sound.³

The founding of Industrial Records by Throbbing Gristle was very important. It helped spread industrial music in its early days.³

Cabaret Voltaire and the Chicago Scene

Another band that shaped industrial music was Cabaret Voltaire from the UK.¹ They came from the energetic Chicago industrial scene. Cabaret Voltaire’s style and experimental sound pushed the genre’s limits.¹

They also worked with other leading bands like D.A.F.. This teamwork helped industrial music grow and evolve.¹

icon of coil ebm music band

Icon of Coil was a cutting-edge Norwegian electro-industrial band. They started in the 90s with Joakim Montelius and Ane Margrete Moen.⁴ Known for their strong, rhythmic tunes and unique mix of instruments, they shaped the ebm (electronic body music) scene. They influenced many other acts in the industrial and electro-industrial genres.⁴

Andy LaPlegua started Icon of Coil as a personal project in 1997. Then, he formed the full band with Sebastian Komor and Christian Lund in 2000.⁴ Their first releases, like the hit album “Serenity is the Devil” and “One Nation Under Beat” EP, quickly declared their spot in ebm music.

“The Soul is in the Software,” their second album, was both a hit with fans and critics. It held the top spot on the DAC for weeks after its April 2002 debut.⁴⁵ In 2004, they released “Machines Are Us,” solidifying their name as leading industrial musicians of the time.⁴⁵

Icon of Coil lit up stages at major industrial and electronic festivals in Europe and North America. This included appearances at Wave-Gotik-Treffen and M’era Luna.⁴ They dropped a remix album, “Uploaded And Remixed,” in 2004. It had fresh mixes of their hits and two brand new songs.⁴⁵

In 2012, they amazed fans with the single “PerfectSex” and told the world a new album was on the way.⁴ They kept performing live, with memorable shows in Mexico City in 2015⁴ and Germany in 2018.⁴ Throughout their journey, Icon of Coil has shaped the music of industrial and ebm. Their influence on electronic body music is deep and lasting.

EBM and the Rise of Electro-Industrial

In the 1980s, a new type of industrial music appeared. It was known as electro-industrial or EBM for short.⁶ EBM had a more dance-focused sound. It mixed elements of synth-pop, techno, and industrial music into its own style.⁶ Places like Germany saw this music grow in popularity. Labels such as Hands Productions and Ant-Zen were key in the scene, as were smaller labels.⁶

Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy

Two bands stand out in the EBM and electro-industrial genres: Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy.⁷ Front Line Assembly from Canada mixed industrial and electronic music. This created a strong, dance-friendly sound.⁷ Skinny Puppy, also from Canada, brought a dark and experimental vibe. They mixed punk and electronic touches in their music.⁷

Other key bands in electro-industrial included Winterkalte. Their CD “Drum n Noise” was a hit.⁶ Acts like This Morn Omina, SKET, Sonar, Synapscape, 100blumen, and Mono No Aware were also important.⁶ Festivals like Maschinenfest in Europe helped grow the genre. They gave space for artists with fresh and bold sounds.⁶

EBM also welcomed fun, kitschy acts like Patenbrigade: Wolff and Welle:Erdball from Germany.⁶ The UK’s Infest event drew fans together for EBM and electro-industrial music.⁶

Industrial Rock and Industrial Metal

In the 1980s and 1990s, industrial music changed. Two new types appeared: industrial rock and industrial metal.⁸ Industrial Rock mixed the tough, mechanical sounds of industrial music with rock’s energetic guitars. Industrial Metal joined industrial vibes with the loud, distorted tones of metal.⁸

Nine Inch Nails and Ministry’s Mainstream Success

Groups like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry made industrial rock and metal more popular.⁸ They combined industrial music’s harsh sounds with rock and metal. This made their music popular with many people.⁸

Rammstein and Fear Factory’s Industrial Metal Fusion

Bands such as Rammstein and Fear Factory changed industrial metal. They mixed industrial style with heavy metal’s strong beats and aggressive sounds.⁶ The scenes of industrial rock and metal are rich because of many influences. From the electro-industrial sounds of This Morn’ Omina to the hard industrial music of Winterkalte.⁶

Industrial rock and metal are loved in Germany and Europe, shown by big festivals like Maschinenfest.⁶ Labels like Hands Productions and Ant-Zen release music with powerful beats and sounds. This shows a lively industrial music community.⁶

Groups such as 100blumen, Mono No Aware, and Vromb add to the variety of industrial music.⁶ P:W and W:E mix DDR Ostalgie and retro synth themes in their live shows. The Infest festival is a top event for fans of electro-industrial music in the UK.⁶

The Influence of Literature and Art

Besides music, industrial music stars drew deep ideas from books and art. William S. Burroughs and J.G. Ballard were key. Their bold, dark stories helped shape industrial music deeply.⁷

William S. Burroughs and J.G. Ballard

Burroughs made “cut-up,” mixing words randomly to find new sense. Many in industrial music used this method, creating something new from pieces. Ballard’s gritty, future worlds of tech and isolation also matched industrial music’s mood well.⁷

Brion Gysin and the Cut-Up Technique

Brion Gysin introduced the “cut-up” approach, mixing in the unexpected. This style brought a unique tension and mystery to industrial music. It helped give the music its daring edge.⁷

Literature and art’s effect on industrial music was huge. Burroughs, Ballard, and Gysin’s works played a big part in its development. Their ideas made industrial music stand out. They inspired its look and deep themes.⁷⁹

Aesthetics and Themes of Industrial Music

Industrial music is known for its unique sound and themes that push boundaries. At its core, it addresses provocative and transgressive topics. These include discussions on fascism, sexual actions considered unacceptable, and the occult¹.

Early industrial artists ventured into topics deemed aesthetically controversial. For example, there’s fascism, sexual perversion, and the occult¹. Their work often captured intense and frightening themes through dark textures and horror atmospheres. This approach is seen in the music of Nurse With Wound and Throbbing Gristle, for instance³.

Fascism, Sexual Perversion, and the Occult

The industrial music scene boldly addressed forbidden themes. Pioneers, including Throbbing Gristle, were known for their extreme and confrontational content. They were not scared to discuss fascism, sexual actions considered unacceptable, and the occult³. This attitude made industrial music stand out. It became a genre that questioned societal norms and explored the extremes of creativity¹.

Aside from its bold sound, industrial music was a space for deep social commentary. It provided solace for queer and other marginalized groups. These communities found in this music a way to embrace troubling realities of life³. So, industrial music’s impact goes beyond its unique audio style. It created a cultural movement with a strong social message.

Evolution and Subgenres of Industrial

Industrial music grew and mixed with many other genres, becoming very influential. One big step was adding industrial sounds to ambient music. This mix birthed “industrial ambient” or “dark ambient.”¹⁰

Ambient, Synth Music, and Noise Rock Fusions

Industrial music started crossing over with ambient, synth, and noise rock.

Bands and artists like Throbbing Gristle and Kraftwerk brought in new influences. They drew from krautrock, world music, and 1940s musique concrète’s spirit.¹

The merger of industrial’s grit with ambient’s textures gave birth to various subgenres. These included industrial techno and industrial pop. Artists like Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails made these fusions popular by mixing in mainstream dance and rock elements.

Noise rock bands like Whitehouse and Coil also had a big impact. They helped create genres like power electronics and post-industrial. These movements further pushed industrial music’s limits, exploring more complex and transgressive soundscapes.¹⁰

The journey of industrial music has shown its power to mix with and change many genres. From its rough, mechanical start in the 1970s to today’s experimental forms, industrial music still draws people in worldwide.¹

The Legacy of Industrial Music

Industrial music has had a big and lasting impact. At first, it was a small genre. But now, it influences many other types of music including electronic, metal, punk, and hip-hop. Its unique use of harsh sounds, clanging metal, and strong beats has deeply influenced music today. It even impacts genres like pop and hip-hop.³

Industrial music does more than just sound different. It also talks about social issues and welcomes those who feel outside. Bands like Throbbing Gristle and Nurse With Wound touch on scary themes. Acts like Suicide and Throbbing Gristle have made music that’s different and intense, shaping the genre’s sound.³

Its influence can be seen in many subgenres like power electronics and neofolk. Bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Rammstein, and Fear Factory have also made a big impact. With over 134 key bands in the genre, industrial music’s significance remains huge in the music world.¹¹

From musique concrète’s experimental start to Throbbing Gristle’s boldness and impact, industrial music keeps on innovating. It influences many artists, directing the paths of electronic, rock, and metal music for future ages.³

Conclusion

The industrial music story is about new ideas, wild creativity, and a forever change. It started with musique concrète’s experimental sounds and krautrock’s cold beats. Since then, it has kept redefining what music could sound like. It split into subgenres such as EBM, industrial rock, and industrial metal.

This music’s impact reaches from electronic and metal to punk and hip-hop. Industrial music has made a lasting impression on today’s music. It has inspired many artists to go beyond their boundaries. To look at the darker sides of life and sound.¹²

Today, the industrial music scene is well and alive. Bands like Funker Vogt, Wumpscut, and Suicide Commando lead the way. They carry on the daring spirit of this genre. Proving music’s power to change and challenge remains strong.¹³ The industrial music conclusion is proof of its lasting legacy. And of how its messages and style still matter in today’s music world.

Source Links

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_music
2. https://www.reddit.com/r/Cyberpunk/wiki/music/
3. https://www.treblezine.com/history-industrial-music-best-tracks/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_of_Coil
5. https://www.reggieslive.com/band/icon-of-coil/
6. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3393370
7. https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/industrial-according-to-demoniac-v2-0.83475/
8. https://www.christianforums.com/threads/industrial-goth-ebm.1711085/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_electro-industrial_bands
10. https://the-true-tropes.fandom.com/wiki/Industrial
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_industrial_music_bands
12. https://www.chaindlk.com/reviews/category/1
13. https://www.deviantart.com/electronicbodymusic/journal/EBMC-Update-247975273