Industrial Reconstruction of Self

Industrial Music.

Hard-edged, rough and hollow sounds, most of the time with dark, smashing, in-your-face lyrics from bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, KMFDM, Thrill Kill Kult, and Front 242.

 

When I hear these powerful sounds from my favorite Industrial bands, my insides quake, making me want to not only dance but to become introspective and examine where in my life I need an overhaul – an industrial reconstruction of myself.

It’s a call to greatness that I cannot quite explain. Industrial and Electronic Beats have this effect on me. This music forces me to think and take action and to use my creativity.

If my mixed media art had a sound, it would be Industrial. Some of my works of art are named after songs like Headhunter, Mindphaser, and Assimilation. My art is loud and raucous and refuses to be ignored.

When I am in the clubs and hear my favorite songs, I do not hesitate to get out on the dance floor, even if I am the only one there. The music transforms me into another version of myself, where I do not care if all eyes are on me, for my thoughts are within myself.

Yet as I write this, I am sitting in the middle of a college town coffeehouse and the music they are playing is perfect for me any other day – classic alternative and new wave – but not today. I crave an edge, something harder, blunter to match my mood… so I slip on my headphones and I am transported immediately where I need to be in this moment.

Wanting to get lost in the beats and silence the white noise in my brain, I surrender all fantastical thoughts and look for the concrete, the solid, and the steel hidden deep inside of me.

I turn the music on my headphones up louder, drowning out the sounds around me, taking myself on a mind trip like no other. Louder until the beats are bouncing off all areas in my head.

 

 

The thumping beat of my heart joins in and I slip into a thought spiral that will lead me to where I need to be in this given moment. I close my eyes for a moment, savoring this momentary void of thought until the moment of extreme clarity hits me.

 

Moments like these are my “Eye of the Tiger” times…

 

I know people laugh at and mock me, but I don’t care. I know I have the strength inside to overcome any obstacle that may fall into my path.

And I have… I’ve endured so much that at times I want to give up because I’m so tired of fighting to survive this wicked world. Then I hear the music…

Sometimes I think I’m wired differently than others until I plug into music. It gives me a connection like none other I’ve ever experienced, and I know if I feel that connection, there have to be others who feel the same way. It not only connects me to those strangers in the world, but it also connects me to the artists themselves on a cellular and spiritual level.

 

I am never alone when I am with music – there is an invisible thread of connection to the world.

 

Louder, still I turn the music up, a little Wumpscut to drown out the world around me. I feel the music all over inside and out. It takes me away from who I am and at the same time shows me the same thing. My playlist starts coming together.

As odd as it may sound, these powerful songs alter my brain waves and give me a direct line into the logical center of my mind.

Sometimes when I am at the clubs and hear the drowning bass, I am inspired to write thoughts down. Thoughts, nothing more. They aren’t seeds, but fruit picked that needs a little more time to ripen. I will come back to these thoughts later and make wonderful things with them.

 

This is the music of the strong, the confident, the powerful – all the qualities I strive to be daily.

 

I’ve found there is a flip-side with Industrial – the music encourages me to nurture the darker side of myself. You cannot have light without dark. My shadow side responds well to the deep musical tones and sometimes darker lyrics, reminding me to never lead a tepid life.

Normally, this time of year my playlists are fun, playful, and much lighter in nature, filling my days with Classic Alternative, New Wave, and Post-Punk artists, but I’m being pulled into these darker sounds right now. 

I cannot ignore this calling, so I go willingly to discover just what it is I need to concentrate my focus.

Whatever it is, I will let you know when I come out the other end…

 


 

  1. Lucretia My Reflection – The Sisters of Mercy
  2. So What – Ministry
  3. Get Down Make Love – Nine Inch Nails
  4. Headhunter – Front 242
  5. Waiting for Mommie – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
  6. Join in the Chant – Nitzer Ebb
  7. Ringfinger – Nine Inch Nails
  8. This Corrosion – The Sisters of Mercy
  9. Rigor Mortis – A Split Second
  10. Godlike – KMFDM
  11. New York (Double New York Mix) – MCL
  12. No Name No Slogan – Acid Horse
  13. Physical – Nine Inch Nails
  14. Swallow It – Fad Gadget
  15. Mindphaser 12″ mix – Front Line Assembly
  16. Testure 12″ mix – Skinny Puppy
  17. Stainless Steel Providers – Revolting Cocks
  18. Rubber Glove Seduction – PTP
  19. Dogstar Man Helter Skelter – Meat Beat Manifesto
  20. Stigmata – Ministry
  21. Money – KMFDM
  22. The Days of Swine and Roses – My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult
  23. Sin – Nine Inch Nails
  24. Dominator – Human Resource
  25. Physical – Revolting Cocks
  26. Thieves – Ministry
  27. Mother (Maternal Instinct mix) – Wumpscut
  28. Circling Overland – Front 242
  29. Assimilate – Skinny Puppy
  30. Supernaut – 1000 Homo DJs