Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The three best EBM bands of the past decade

When most people think of EBM (Electronic Body Music, the staple style played at many goth / industrial clubs these days), they think of the old stalwarts of the genre such as Front 242 and Leather Strip. Or they may have been swept up in the "futurepop" craze that came later when bands like VNV Nation, Covenant and Assemblage 23 dominated dancefloors. However there are a few bands that've proudly carried the EBM flag and produced some awesome music over the last ten years.

Neuroticfish
I wasn't very impressed with Neuroticfish's debut No Instruments when it came out in 1999. However the Velocity single follow-up was pretty damn catchy and I decided to give them another chance when they put out Le Chansons de Neurotique in 2002. It turned out to be one of the best EBM albums ever made. If you are even a bit interested in electro-industrial music, you simply must have this album. It features a fairly stripped down sound, great vocals, and some very catchy songs including the classic single Prostitute. In 2005 they released Gelb, which was a good album but not as good as their previous work. Neuroticfish have sadly announced the project is closed, marked by "A Greater Good" 2cd retrospective.
Signature songs: M.F.A.P.L, Velocity, Prostitute
Defining album: Le Chansons de Neurotique

Seabound
This German band grabbed a lot of attention in 2001 with their strangely named album "No Sleep Demon", released on the powerhouse German label Dependent Records. Striding a fine line between classic German EBM and some very catchy synthpop, it remains a solid album and a very impressive debut. In 2004 they put out Beyond Flatline, which showed a definite maturity. The sound quality was better, the lyrics more serious, and a few songs were showing a darker, harder edge. I still love this album and listen to it regularly. 2006 saw the release of Double Crosser. This is a continuation of the sound on Beyond Flatline, but the album is possibly even darker; it even included the beautifully venemous song Traitor (previously buried as a b-side on the Poisonous Friend single). Recently they put out When Black Beats Blue, a collection of rarities and remixes, which is simply stunning.
Signature songs: Hooked, Poisonous Friend, Domination
Defining album: Beyond Flatline

Mind.In.A.Box
A friend whose music opinion I respect urged me a few years ago to listen to a band I'd never heard of, Mind.In.A.Box and their album "Dreamweb". So I did. It took me a few listenings to realise it, but it turns out I had come across the best EBM album ever made. This masterpiece both revives and redefines the genre. It combines old and new, soft and hard, simple and complex. Dreamweb was their second work; I quickly bought their first album Lost Alone, and it was fantastic (though not as good as Dreamweb). Recently they put out Crossroads, which is an amazing album and almost as good as Dreamweb (the opening track has to be heard to be believed). This humble and little-known Austrian duo with their roots in Amiga computer game music are putting out some of the best electronic music on the planet at the moment. They may not have many "club hits", but they write music that puts their peers to shame.
Signature songs: Lost Alone 2, Machine Run, Into the Light.
Defining album: Dreamweb

1 comment:

  1. I agree with those three bands. I was going to say, X Marks Th Pedwalk pushes Neuroticfish from the list. Then I checked on discogs, their last album was released in 1996. Damn that's a while back, and talking about X marks, rumor is, they are currently producing a new album!!!

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