So haunting it’s damn near a suicide dirge. Former Swans co-vocalist Jarboe performs one of the most bleak, desolate covers of this classic torch song penned by Arthur Hamilton.
Industrial
[Music] Z’ev – Wipe Out (1982)
Z’ev was one of the kings of the early post-Industrial/experimental music scene. Starting off as a normal drummer in the 1960s, he began experimenting with all sorts of found objects, studying their percussive qualities. In a rather bizarre experiment, here he is covering Wipeout by The Surfaris.
[Music] Kismet – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Every time I go to Skopje, there is always someone who asks why on Earth I’d bother to come and stay such long periods of time in what they feel is an insignificant city in the heart of the Balkans. You can thank this song, the disc it came on, and a friendship with Gorazd Capovski and Ilija Stojanovski, for this.
I had worked at Tone Casualties records as an A&R Manager, and came across this disc while at my evening job, buying weird music for Aron’s Records (RIP). I had passed through what was then Yugoslavia a few years past, and knew a bit about Macedonian music, but the combination of goth/darkwave and an ethnic, Byzantine sound, came as a huge revelation. I never, in a million years, thought Love Will Tear Us Apart would sound perfect with bagpipes. A pleasant surprise which still strikes a chord after 20 years.
[Sample] Standgericht – Scrape Through My Skin (Preview)
Many thanks to Diana of Standgericht, who sent me some material she’s working on for an upcoming album release. If you have a passion for Electronic Body Music of a more brutal type, this will be worth waiting for.
[Video] SPK – The Garden Of Earthly Delights
SPK had an incredible beginning as one of the brutal first wave of Industrial Music, then dissolved into a dance mess with a couple of utterly forgettable albums. Their swansong, however, is about as sublime as Dead Can Dance was at their best. Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine Flowers would be a bridgeway for Graeme Revell to go into soundtrack music, which he is still doing to this day.
[Video] Lead Into Gold – A Giant On Earth
Though Ministry was always seen, rightly or wrongly, as Al Jourgensen’s band, it’s not fair to say that he was the only talent in the group. Bassist Paul Barker used Lead Into Gold as a vehicle for his own creative output. It’s a shame he didn’t do more with it.
[Video] Camerata Mediolanense – Il Lupo
I was first exposed to Camerata Mediolanense around 1995, thanks to a distribution company sending some promos from New York. This Italian band ended up becoming one of the leading lights of the Martial Industrial movement.
[Video] Current 93 – When The May Rain Comes
No May Day parade rubbish for me, thanks. Just a bit of apocalyptic folk to pass the beginning of the month.
It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been 30 years since I first heard Current 93. David Tibet’s voice still sounds as spry and mystical as ever.
Thanks to Thomas Bittner, who posted this in the Current 93 Fan Group over on Facebook.
[Video] Throbbing Gristle – Hot on The Heels of Love
Since when is Industrial Music supposed to be romantic? When it’s performed by it’s inventors. Here’s Throbbing Gristle in a sublime moment.
[Video] Irfan – Otkrovenie
Dead Can Dance are responsible for a flowering of ethereal music. From labels like Projekt Records to incredible bands, like Irfan, who hail from Bulgaria, they’ve opened the doors to some truly beautiful music.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 