Recession, Repression, Regression

Photo © Alexei Monroe

Your tyranny
I was part of
Is now cracking
On every side
And your own life
Is in danger
Your empire
Is on fire

Front 242 - Gripped by Fear

For some time now this 1991 track by Front 242 has seemed increasingly relevant, above all because of the opening line: Recession, Repression, Regression. What better description could there be of the current situation in Britain and beyond? Ever since its emergence in crisis-stricken 1970s Britain, industrial music has had an uncanny knack of putting its finger on present and imminent social, political and economic tensions. Inspired by this we decided to compile a list of tracks which seem especially relevant now. Some of these are from first-wave industrial groups and have found their time yet again. Others are from second and third-wave industrial groups but we have cast the net wider to draw in tracks from related industrialised genres: EBM, Digital Hardcore, Speedcore Techno, 'Rhythm n Noise' and Power Electronics. This is an initial collective list compiled by ICRN friends and members, but it will doubtless grow, particularly as the crisis inevitably intensifies and becomes more severe.

A Challenge of Honour - Here We Go Again

Absolute Body Control - Figures, Is there an Exit?

Alec Empire - Nobody Gets Out Alive!, Burn Babylon Burn

Black Leather Jesus – Manipulating the Masses

Bleiburg - Oil in their Eyes

Brandkommando - Economy of violence, Neokolonializm, War War War, U S Aggression, War and Occupation, Storm in Europe, Suicide, The End

Brighter Death Now – No Tomorrow

Cabaret Voltaire – Kneel to the Boss, This is Entertainment,

Consolidated - Friendly Fascism

Contrastate - The End of History?, Extinction

Coph Nia - Holy War

Cyborg Attack - Blutgeld

Death Funk - The New World Order

DJ 6666 feat. The Illegals - Welcome To The Shit Generation

Fad Gadget - State Of the Nation

Front 242 – Gripped by Fear, Welcome to Paradise

Gerechtigkeits Liga - End of the Present, Controlled Europe

The Grey Wolves - Red Terror Black Terror

Laibach – Wirtschaft ist Tot, Das Spiel ist Aus, Das Ende, Now You Will Pay

Low Entropy - Urban Uprising

Materialschlacht – The End of Depression

Ministry - Fear Is Big Business

Sektion B – The World is on Fire

Severed Heads- Petrol

SOL INVICTUS - Media

Sonic Subjunkies - Railton Road Blues
Test Dept. - 51ST State Of America, Pax Americana

Thorofon – Riotdictator, Digital Human Kontrol, You Vote/ We Choose, Humans As Product

Toroidh - Europe Is Dead

Tyske Ludder - Khaled Aker

Winterkälte – Genetic Imperialism