How do you explain Industrial?

[Acid Paint]

When people ask me what kind of music I listen to, I assume they expect me to say something like 'Marilyn Manson' or 'Slipknot'. When I tell them I'm into Industrial IDM or that I'm a Rivethead, they assume I listen to 'Rammstein' and 'KMFDM'.

When I think Industrial, I think of an intelligent breed of music, meant to break out and showcase what is wrong with how we are living together with this planet, turning it into some kind of aluminum funhouse.

I realise that there are many sub-breeds, and cross-sections of Industrial (as there are with almost every avenue of musical composition), but I believe all industrial is a vent for the concerns and issues of our generation.

I believe Industrial is the future of popular music.  

[Captain Coldwave]

Like this!

Industrial =

1. Distortion of background soundscapes, vocals, and/or extreme distortion of instruments.

2. Moderate to heavy use of media samples, not just one at the beginning and end of a song.

3. Bizarre sounds or sounds from objects found lying around... like something that sounds like someone took an electric saw to a large metal slab or a steel pipe to the slab.

For Coldwave, just add some Rock/Punk/Metal elements... but not too much as to overpower the Industrial elements.

there...

Industrial Rock/Metal cannot exist outside of being Coldwave (but Industrial Rock can be an appropriate name), bands called Industrial Metal fall into 5 categories:

1. Rock or Metal bands that have little to no electronic, let alone Industrial, elements and just sound different from any of their counterparts, so they are just called Industrial because it's generally one of the most vague, intriguing, an unknown genres out there.

2. Rock or Metal bands with little Industrial or electronic elements, though, not enough to make them Industrial.

3. Rock or Metal bands with medium to heavy Electronic, but NO Industrial elements, in their music.

4. Black, Death, Stoner, Groove, Doom, Drone, etc, Metal bands with little (mostly) or medium Industrial or Electronic elements. It is usually made clear that they are an Industrial (blank) Metal band.

5. A Coldwave band...  

[Michael Jetfire]

i've tried to explain ebm to a few people. I always say its like a gothic form of techno (in which imho... it sounds like that to me). They just look at me wierd and then say that either it sounds gay or they hate goths or techno. Some people should just give it a chance. I am annoyed at how stupid some people in this world are.  

[_iWhorebag]

Industrial is gothic techno.
It's a metal-head's version of electronic music.
A raver's gross into musical gothic territory.

*Shrugs* Thats how I've explained it to people.  

[Captain Coldwave]

ImPunkRawk_x

Industrial is gothic techno.
It's a metal-head's version of electronic music.
A raver's gross into musical gothic territory.

*Shrugs* Thats how I've explained it to people.

Please stop explaining "Industrial" to people.  

[Michael Jetfire]

no need to be mean now... people can explain industrial the way they want to... or the only way they can think of at the moment.  

[Captain Coldwave]

Michael Jetfire

no need to be mean now... people can explain industrial the way they want to... or the only way they can think of at the moment.

Ignorant people shouldn't try to explain things at all.  

[RisqueLemonade]

I usually say it's a darker form of electronica... utilizing clips from other media....

But I think describing it as using a synthesizer and beating a washing machine that's running a load of nails/scrap metal is a funnier way.  

[Michael Jetfire]

nice.  

[melancolique]

They'd google it anyway, that's what one of them did actually. So I'd say "google it". It depends on person though. I could say something, like "industrial I listen to is, like, you know hardcore trance and all that right? It's, like angry hardcore trance and it sounds, like, dark and stuff, with angry vocals and there be robots!" though...

And they'd be, like, "Wha?"  

[Zed Melkor]

coriander18

How do you describe it?

I used to say "Kind-of like Ministry", but now a lot of people don't know who Ministry is. confused

I usually dumb it down a lot and say something like "Nine Inch Nails is the mainstream version of industrial". They usually understand what I'm talking about.

Other things that people seem to understand are things like "dark synth music" or "dark techno" or "evil dance music" or "techno metal". Something like that.