This topic was originally started at
www.noisefanatics.com. Topic died little by little after first wave of enthusiasm. Maybe things get added here. Material of list is made based on suggestions of several people, not only myself. Nobody is given credit.
For PE, listing could be still doable. Noise, experimental music of all types and such genres become so wide and massive, it's very hard to make any sense on it. In case of PE, it is even possible to collect if not all, then at least major amount of releases to form quite accurate picture of what has happened in past.
Revised introduction for
:CANON OF POWER ELECTRONICS:There was one other forum of other music, where people would be building list of bands & their albums, to create kind of canon of the music style. Not to be taken as biblical truth, but more like: In relation to literature, this term is half-seriously applied to those works generally accepted as the great ones. List in chronological order, as simple guide of the biggest influential milestones of the genre.
Not to be taking too seriously. More as fun to see the development & route of where genre started and were it has gone.
Any suggestion welcomed and list will be updated. No credits given to who suggested (so don't think I'm here promoting my own stuff is someone just happened to see it look suitable for list).
Please, no suggestions based on who is your friend and who is cool & great dude.
What kind of releases should be included?
1) Preferably on their relevance influencing whole genre and importance in some sort of landmarks.
2) Releases with high status based merely on success, and therefore their obvious influence in getting into ears of big number of people.
3) Releases with exceptionally good/original/unusual contribution, to musical or cultural climate of power electronics, even if they may not be at their time or at the moment high "commericial" success.
4) Releases with high local relevance. Local not meaning "you and your buddies", but for example domestic scene of your country.
Purpose of the list?
To observe & investigate the development of the genre, it's highlights, exceptional releases. Basically landmarks of genre from 1979 to 2008. To observe something like this, can't be merely list of top-3 or evern top-10 PE releases and biggest bands. Every release doesn't have to be equivalent of RIGHT TO KILL in musical style, legendary status or such. There is needed to be releases that show where genre went after the first and biggest impacts. And also releases, what are not necessarily milestones of genre as whole, but some fraction of it.
Every good release isn't needed to be listed. Otherwise it'll be just endless huge catalog. Releases what are clearly and without doubt a RESULT of something else, are not necessarily exception or even landmark -status worthy releases. In any musical genre, you will see the leaders and followers. Monuments and minor footsteps. If we are talking about "canon", it should be the greats of the genre, with the slightly loose grip (see the numbered basic guidelines above).
When making suggestions, some explanation why, IS required. Not all releases of every good band must be listed. Like in case of Con-Dom. Surely there follows amazing releases besides the first studio tape and first full length LP, but I'll see later what all of them should be added. Grey Wolves surely did impact already with 1st LP, raising politically motivated PE to quite brutal heights. But musically their few years later LP could be seen making bigger impact, perhaps?
How to measure what releases are influential is matter of discussion what follows here. Suggestions and debate is welcomed. Whole list is subject to change, if good enough "proof" is give.
THE CANON OF POWER ELECTRONICS (under process)
contributions from various people (nobody credited here)
1979:
*SPK "Factory" 7", industrial classic, what remains startinpoint & major influence for many bands, from Slogun to Sutcliffe Jugend and needless to say directly or indirectly to almost any band of genre out there.
1980
*Whitehouse "Birthdeath experience" LP, debute album of without doubt the most influential power electronics band.
1981
*MB "Symphony For A Genocide" LP. Originally LP on Sterile, to be re-issued numerous times on various labels on all formats. That alone should show its importance.
1982
*SPK "Leichenschrei" LP, industrial classic, what remains startinpoint & major influence for many bands, from Slogun to Sutcliffe Jugend and needless to say directly or indirectly to almost any band of genre out there.
*Whitehouse "psychopathia sexualis" LP, not any remarkable in bands career or highlights of year, but for coining the whole term power electronics.
*Sutcliffe Jugend "we spit on their graves" 10xMC box, release what is not only nearly unbeatably extreme in sound, but also massive in magnitude that even in form of chopped up sampler CD, remains classic of the genre.
*V/A "Neuengamme" LP, without doubt compilations are/can be important part of scene. This particular being one of the most legendary with insane line-up and being the first PE vinyl comps out there.
*NON "physical evidence" LP, one of the harshest NON recordings, compilation of tape noise live actions. Mono recording with utmost physical atmosphere.
*V/A "Für Ilse Koch" LP, together with Neuengamme, most legendary PE compilations. Whitehouse, Consumer Electronics, Leibstandarte SS MB, etc. And not only musical foundations, but culturally significant underlining the common themes, matters of interest and iconography to be widely characterize Power Electronics.
*LXSS "Twist And Decease" tape, next of the Italian PE projects after MB. Band merely published couple tapes and LP, also published on Broken Flag compilations.
1983
*Whitehouse "right to kill" LP, album that is legendary due its difficult availability and legendary status, and being one of the most distribing and violent PE recordings.
*Ramleh "return to slavery" LP, actually a split LP, but one of early masterpieces.
*Ramleh "The Hand of Glory" 7", reverb drenched simple yet disturbing p.e. Showed that you didn't have to yell and scream to be creepy as fuck, later re-issued as 12" with heavier sound.
*V/A "white power" tape, Iphar label classic. Consumer Electronics, Ramleh, Kraang, Club Moral, MB, Sutcliffe Jugend. With line-up of the utmost classic bands and the more obscure projects giving some of their best contributions, release and its crude presentation is essential when considering pure PE of the era.
*RJF "Greater Success In Apprehension & Convictions" LP, the first swedish postmortem release, with huge impact on national level, and hints of shock waves around the world. CD re-issue in 2008 made it known to whole new generations.
1984
John Duncan "riot" LP, masterworks of shortwave radio, military signals etc. Pioneering industrial artists/performance artists, who crossed borders of accepted to create something very unique.
1985
*Controlled Bleeding "Knees And Bones" LP, one of the utmost classics. And the material of session has been recycled extensively, and with success, like "Plegm Bag Spattered" cd 5 years later, which could be even stronger?
*Blackhouse "hope" LP, debute LP of american band who in response of Whitehouse's extreme violence and sex delivers christian religious message through the rhythmic industrial, which has more in common with some early days Esplendor Geometrico etc than some disco/powernoise/EBM stuff.
*Whitehouse "great white death" LP, seems like this release really changed the vocal/lyrical style in a monumental way. Pre-GWD, most PE tracks had vocals processed to incomprehensibility, lyrics only able to be deciphered through by reading them in some fanzine. Also, just the cadence, the slightly more declamatory gestures, and especially, the largely unprocessed vocals, allowing CLEAR and PRECISE ENUNCIATION of every word, seems like a pretty defining moment in the history.
*Ramleh - "Awake!" 6x tape box set, collection of rare/live/different versions, another showcase of exaggerated magnitude of early power electronics.
*Mauthausen Orchestra "Anal Perversions" tape, one of the many MO tapes, creating the legendary status of italian filthy PE. Later bootlegged as LP.
*Le Syndicat "corrumpate" tape, later re-issued on CD. Extensively distributed among tape scene of the time.
1986
*Le Syndicat "rectitude" tape, later re-issued on CD. Extensively distributed among tape scene of the time.
*GRIM "folk music" LP, release of one of the obscure projects with White hospital and Vasilisk connections. These days high priced collectors item has been made available as CD on western label.
1987
*Con-Dom "Have faith" tape, early studio tape on Broken Flag.
*NON "Blood & flame" LP, his full of tape-noise screech, in simplicity and energy fitting what we call power electronics.
*Boy Dirt Car "winter" LP, full length vinyl LP of American band who operated from industrial rock to extreme crude sounds.
*Eric Lunde "Expositions of the Virus " tape, BDC mastermind with his solo work.
*ULTRA "Youthful Pleasures" LP, perverse american band, which musically often do not fit under strict definition of power electronics, but their approach walks hand in hand in many levels.
1988
*The Sodality "Orgies Of Crime " 12", following their year earlier full length, great example of dramatic and composed power electronics, also forging the image of italian PE's violence & sexual sadism.
1989
*Genocide Organ "Leichenlinie" LP, debut LP of German band which quickly rised among one of the legends of genre. Also one of responsible of the more old school industrial wibes back in the sound. Tightly connected with Tesco Organization, their slogans like "back to basics", were response against academic & artsy abstract noise, back into themes and sound of earliest industrial music and power electronics what would flourish in germany in upcoming decade.
1990
*Brighter Death Now "great death" LP, debut LP from project which alone forged image of what many call death industrial.
*Mauthausen Orchestra "5 years of Slaughter" LP, best of the early tapes. Don't know how many copies of early tapes were originally sent out, but possibly this leading bands extreme works to hundreds of new listeners.
1991
*Con-Dom "eight pillar" LP, first full length LP by Con-Dom. Already back in 1991, sounding more modern & experimental and groundbreaking than many bands after it. Band that is highly praised and worshipped, but never managed to be copied!
1992
*Final Solution - do as you're told 7" (USA PE. In liner notes Mark Solotroff explains its influence to Intrinsic Action synth driven material. Despite often blamed to be nothing but WH clone, one can see it's relevance in influencing generation of USA PE, directly or indirectly)
*Intrinsic Action "Sado-Electronics" CD, after demo tapes and 7"s, major release on Tesco Organization Germany.
1993
*Anenzephalia "Fragments Of Demise" LP, debute album of German project on RRR. Still showing early stages of projects sound, but in its raw industrial-pe fusion sound, definitely one important project underlining power shift of attention to many German projects.
1994
*Sutcliffe Jugend "s/t" CD, material dates back to early 80's, but this is one of the very few official releases at this point of the rare materials on cd format and it came in 1994. Bands works of that era remains in very top of violent power electronics. In themes, lyrics, sounds, in every way presenting level what very few have reached since.
*Streicher "Legion St. George" tape. Later to be re-issued as LP. Band never succeeded in "commercial" way. Operating in times when publicity and distribution was still very hard and limited. Distributed by many of the major noise distributors of the time (RRR, Artware etc). However, the style and atmosphere of Streicher and its home label Zero Cabal took the original 80's power electronics and twisted in into another extremes. Its influence can be still heard today, even in form of tribute tapes. Streicher possibly also one of the early project presenting skinhead culture in their art and lyrics.
1995
*Taint "indecent liberties" LP, debut vinyl of project showing new levels of violence
*Genocide Organ "mind control" LP
*Macronympha "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" LP, one could always argue what is noise and what is power electronics, but when you have some of the strongest noise packaged in huge poster of hanged man by KKK, released by German power electronics label, it's qualified. Debut full length vinyl LP of band, without doubt a landmark in their own discography as well as harsh noise.
1996
*Grey Wolves "Catholic Priests Fuck Children" LP
*Law - Pariahs Among Outcasts LP, one of proofs of bands being able to innovative and different, yet still fall into PE category. Supreme artwork and some of the most tasteful texts included with the booklet.
*Operation Cleansweep "power hungry" LP, another landmark of german power electronics.
*Con-Dom - sermon series. At least one out in previous year, but most are in 1996. As a limited edition set of 25 copies is a proof of nearly divine insanity, and musically some of the most original, personal and different power electronics.
*MURDER CORPORATION "New Crimes" CD, in middle of bands career, first CD release after 3 years of small edition tapes, made band more known. The obsession of italia lo-fi death lust remains for the limited fanbase due sheer difficulty & unpleasant production values, but one of the bands who kept this approach alive while many others aimed for clearer and heavier production.
1997
*Genocide Organ "remember" 2xLP, possible the strongest landmark of Genocide Organ, and one of the most important records to build their international reputation they have. Most violent and aggressive of their releases, collected from various live shows. Including endless stream of now classic tracks which are like anthems of german power electronics!
*Thorofon "Maximum Punishment Solutions" LP, despite band took quick turn to another direction, their debut LP made strong impact in the scene at the time, making the whole era dominated by German power electronics.
*Death Squad "theological genocide" CD, 1000 copies cd and extensive touring around the world during this and previous/following years made more impact than project gets credit for. Many of the earlier tapes were too limited to create bigger scale attention, but are worshipped trophies of industrial/pe fanatics. Band with huge charisma and content what (if world would be fair would-) put it up there with the legends of industrial music.
*V/A "War Against Society" 3xLP. There might have been compilations before and after. There has been attempts to create some to-be-classic special collector trophy box-sets, but very few, if any, match to the ultimate superiority of War Against Society. Militia, Con-Dom, Grey Wolves, Law, Streicher, Victim Kennel. One side each. And everybody, at their best! Anyone without this, couldn't say their record collection would be "complete". So try to be one of the 750. It still goes to ridiculously small amounts of money!
1998
*Haus Arafna "Children Of God" CD, 2nd album of Haus Arafna where they basically reached the logical development from their previous 7"s and LP. Analogue synthesizers, vintage drum machines, structured songs between PE and industrial.
*PROIEKT HAT "Lebensunwertes Leben" LP, obscure project on Cold Meat industry, one of leading higher profile names in the 90's tape obsessed power electronics realms.
1999
2000
*Strom.ec "Dogs Of Total Order" LP (in times when Finnish pe vinyl were kind of rarity, it delivered the goods. Bringing international attention to
Strom.ec and the whole Finnish scene in general)
*SLOGUN "Kill To Forget" CD, out of many excellent albums, this would clearly be one of the utmost highlights in history of Slogun. Release to define what many people understand as american power electronics.
*IRM "Oedipus Dethroned" CD, band that caused stir already from first demo tape. To expand the sonic and artistic approach of power electronics into personal directions. After this 2nd full length, band had launched excellent additions to discography without any failures.
*V/A "DEGENERATING FINLAND" CD. Before this compilation, Finnish scene was barely exposed to rest of the world. Presenting the leading line-up of late 90's, compilation opened many doors for following releases of many of the projects. Small 300 copies pressing might have more national importance.
2001
*CON-DOM "Colour Of A Man's Skin" 2xLP + 2x7", S/Sided, studio releases of Con-Dom are always exceptional. This release is long worked out project, where some of the tracks originate from very early days, and early versions may be heard on some of his live assaults. But another great example, how landmark releases are made. 100% unique in sound, presentation, magnitute of efforts in concept, packaging, time and money.
2002
*Nicole 12 & Taint "Candyman" CD, unapologetic examination of the flesh market and pedophilia. Attacks the subject matter from different perspectives and opened up the subject for other artists. Originally extremely rare CDR releases with very explicit artwork.
*Prurient "The History Of Aids" CD. One of bands milestone releases, without doubt being major influence for a lot of new artists. Often matter of debate whether project or its followers are what people call power electronics, but vocals, noise, electronics, sexual disease, mental depression, all the elements are there.
*NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES "The Church of Dead Girls" 2xCD, high profile release, where direction, ideas and style of earlier releases was pushed to logical continuum, but presented on high profile label with unusual packaging. Modern american power electronics.
2003
*Deathpile "G.R." CD, the end of long career of US PE band, shows them stopping at the top level of US violent crime electronics.
*Whitehouse "bird seed" CD, out of all the "new era" of whitehouse, this album, with supreme stand-out track Wriggle Like A Ficking Eel, showed that band was still able to go for new heights. In lyrics, in innovative music as well as while losing maybe some of the "PE purists" appreciation, gaining unsees popularity.
*Atrax Morgue "Death - Orgasm Connector" CD, it could be said that from different styles and eras of AM, this is purely a personal choise of myself. AM was always AM, but this album is a example of insanity of such level, that there just isn't anyone doing ever remotely close. One could always throw some WH New Britain references, but the fact is that razor sharp execution of PE right there in border of insane vs. ridiculous manages to go into direction nobody else has.
2004
*TAINT "Misogynist Lust" CD. One of the modern day bands who was able to capture violence and sexual overtones of early PE, with credibility and authenticity. Also existing as tape and LP format.
2005
*INSTITUT "The Struggle Never Ended" CD, 3rd album of swedish band, showing them at their best.
*BLOOD OV THEE CHRIST "mastercontrol" CD, band that back in 80's remained in knowledge of very few, often Swedish collectors. Re-issue of ultra limited tape not only made wide amount of people aware of the project, but also boosted project to resurrect into live actions and new releases on Swedish and foreign labels.
2006
*RASTHOF DACHAU "prison poems" LP/CD, long time active Austrian band, perhaps culminating their style, very representative for big part of Austrian/Steinklang team, mixing euro PE with industrial beats and controversial IRA poetry.
*GRUNT "seer of decay" 2xCD. Depending on how you look at it, this is possibly the first "real" full length CD of Grunt, already been active almost 15 years before its release and countless releases in the discography. Also culmination of two styles, the more complex composed PE as well as obsessive use of metal junk.
2007
*BIZARRE UPROAR "Unsafe And Insane" LP, the long operating finnish band, after c. 15 years with this Japanese debut full length LP seems finally rised into wider public knowledge. Their recent years extensive release schedule is impressive and high wanted among die hard filth & violence fanatics, but as obvious, vinyl LP often is the culmination of work.
2008
*STROM.ec "Divine Legions Beyond Psyche CD", still pushing the boundaries of PE into new realms. Further incorporating bizarre concepts and sounds and making stylistic changes that one may not have thought acceptable.
*HALFLINGS "Cough It Up" CDR, Defining the American power electronics scene as going in a different direction then where pe from other parts of the world seem to be going. More of a punk feel but still quite esoteric and original, reaching new levels of aggression and raw power. New wave of american PE often under debate whether it even qualifies as PE, but the new breed like this, might be the ones known from the PE of next decade. Perhaps far from its roots(?), but expressing the cultural climate of the time.
*STRICT "kiss" 12", legendary projects which is often topic of discussion and praise, but hardly managed to make wide spread solo release. Years later of its recordings, this 12" still remains as stand-out due sheer volume of violence and sadism.
to be continued...
