Industrial Records

Industrial Records is a British independent record label founded in 1976 by Throbbing Gristle, the experimental music and visual-arts group whose work helped define the industrial music aesthetic. The label was created primarily as a vehicle for releasing Throbbing Gristle's own recordings outside the conventional music industry. Its activities nevertheless extended beyond the group's discography, providing a platform for a range of experimental, electronic, avant-garde and confrontational artists. The label's importance is both musical and conceptual. Industrial Records operated in an era when many experimental artists found the standard record-business system poorly suited to abrasive sound, nontraditional performance and politically provocative imagery. Throbbing Gristle used the label to control the production and presentation of its work, issuing recordings in deliberately austere or unsettling formats. The label's name subsequently became associated with the industrial music genre, although the genre developed through a wider network of artists, labels and scenes. Industrial Records' first LP was Throbbing Gristle's The Second Annual Report. The original edition was limited to 786 copies and used a stark, bootleg-like presentation: a plain white card sleeve with photocopied information strips attached to it. This combination of limited production, unconventional packaging and hostile or challenging subject matter became part of the label's identity. Its logo, a low-definition image depicting an Auschwitz crematory, further emphasized the group's use of disturbing historical imagery and helped establish Industrial Records as a particularly provocative label brand. Beyond Throbbing Gristle, releases associated with the label included work by Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA, SPK, Thomas Leer and Robert Rental, The Leather Nun and Monte Cazazza. The catalogue also extended into unusual spoken-word and soundtrack-related territory, including auditory works by author William S. Burroughs, a solo album by Throbbing Gristle member Chris Carter, and Elisabeth Welch's performance of the blues standard “Stormy Weather,” taken from Derek Jarman's film The Tempest. These releases show that the label was not restricted to a single sound, even though its public identity was strongly tied to industrial and experimental music. Industrial Records was officially reactivated in 2011 after Throbbing Gristle's contract with Mute Records expired. Following the permanent end of Throbbing Gristle after the death of member Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson, the reactivated label's stated plan was to reissue the group's principal albums. The proposed programme covered The Second Annual Report, D.o.A: The Third and Final Report, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, Heathen Earth and Greatest Hits. The initial release schedule was disrupted by a fire at a Sony DADC warehouse in London. A revised plan called for weekly chronological releases beginning on Halloween 2011 and concluding with Greatest Hits on 28 November. Available reference material does not establish a subsequent programme of new recordings or a broader continuation of releases by other artists. Industrial Records is therefore best understood as a historically significant artist-led label rather than a conventional large-scale record company. Its legacy rests on giving Throbbing Gristle control over its recordings, helping establish the vocabulary and reputation of industrial music, and documenting a network of artists working across experimental sound, performance, electronic music, spoken word and film-related culture.

Industrial Records emerged from the activities of Throbbing Gristle, a British group that combined experimental music with performance and visual art. Established in 1976, the label was intended mainly to allow Throbbing Gristle to release its own material. This self-release model gave the group greater control over recording, manufacturing and presentation at a time when conventional record companies were generally less receptive to radically experimental work. The label's earliest and most influential release was The Second Annual Report, Throbbing Gristle's debut LP. Its first edition was restricted to 786 copies and presented in a deliberately crude package consisting of a plain white card sleeve and glued-on photocopied information strips. Rather than imitating polished commercial packaging, the record presented itself as an austere document or artefact. The label's black-and-white logo, based on a low-definition photograph of an Auschwitz crematory, reinforced its unsettling visual identity. Although Throbbing Gristle remained the central act, Industrial Records also issued or became associated with recordings by other artists working in experimental, electronic and avant-garde fields. These included Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA, SPK, Thomas Leer and Robert Rental, The Leather Nun and Monte Cazazza. The catalogue also included auditory works by William S. Burroughs, a solo release by Chris Carter and Elisabeth Welch's recording of “Stormy Weather” from Derek Jarman's film The Tempest. The latter represented a marked departure from the label's usual industrial orientation and demonstrated the breadth of its interests. Industrial Records' cultural significance expanded beyond its individual releases. The label's name became a major reference point for the industrial music genre, even though that genre encompassed many artists and developments outside the label itself. Its combination of harsh sound, limited editions, independent production, provocative imagery and interdisciplinary artistic practice helped establish a model for later experimental labels and artist-run projects. In 2011, Industrial Records was officially reactivated after Throbbing Gristle's agreement with Mute Records expired. By that time, Throbbing Gristle had permanently disbanded following the death of Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson. The reactivation was therefore focused on archival activity rather than the continuation of a functioning band. The planned programme centered on new editions of The Second Annual Report, D.o.A: The Third and Final Report, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, Heathen Earth and Greatest Hits. A fire at a Sony DADC warehouse in London disrupted the original plan to release the titles simultaneously on 26 September 2011. The revised schedule proposed one album each week, beginning with The Second Annual Report on Halloween and ending with Greatest Hits on 28 November. The available reference material does not document a later programme of new Industrial Records recordings or additional releases by the label's earlier associated artists. Its documented historical role is consequently concentrated in the 1970s and early 1980s catalogue and the 2011 Throbbing Gristle reissue initiative.

• 2011

  Official reactivation

  [1]Industrial Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label resumed official activity after Throbbing Gristle's contract with Mute Records expired, with a plan to reissue the original Throbbing Gristle albums.

• 2011

  Reissue schedule is revised after warehouse fire

  [1]Industrial Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  A fire at a Sony DADC warehouse in London delayed the planned reissue launch and led to a revised weekly release schedule.

• 1977

  The Second Annual Report becomes the label's first LP

  [1]Industrial Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Throbbing Gristle's debut LP was issued in an original edition limited to 786 copies and presented in deliberately austere, photocopied packaging.

• 1976

  Industrial Records is established

  [1]Industrial Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Throbbing Gristle established Industrial Records as an artist-led label for self-releasing the group's experimental recordings.

Artist-led independent label centered on experimental, industrial and avant-garde music, with a strong emphasis on self-release, unconventional presentation and cultural provocation.

• LP / experimental music · 1977

  The Second Annual Report

  Throbbing Gristle's debut LP and the first LP issued by Industrial Records. The original edition was limited to 786 copies and used a plain white card sleeve with glued-on photocopied information strips, giving the release a stark, document-like appearance that became emblematic of the label's early aesthetic.

• Experimental music album

  D.o.A: The Third and Final Report

  A Throbbing Gristle album identified in the label's 2011 reissue programme. It belongs to the core archival catalogue that Industrial Records planned to restore and reissue after its official reactivation.

• Experimental music album

  20 Jazz Funk Greats

  A Throbbing Gristle album included among the principal titles selected for the 2011 Industrial Records reissue programme. Its inclusion reflected the label's focus on preserving the group's original album catalogue.

• Experimental music album

  Heathen Earth

  A Throbbing Gristle album named as part of the planned 2011 reissue series. The title represents the label's archival emphasis during its later reactivation.

• Compilation album

  Greatest Hits

  A Throbbing Gristle compilation included as the concluding title in the proposed chronological 2011 reissue schedule.

• 2011Industrial Records reactivation and Throbbing Gristle reissue campaign

  United Kingdom · International

  Following the expiration of Throbbing Gristle's contract with Mute Records, Industrial Records returned to official activity with a campaign focused on reissuing the group's principal albums.

  Outcome. The original simultaneous release plan was delayed by a Sony DADC warehouse fire. A revised weekly schedule was announced, but the available reference material does not document the campaign's complete execution or subsequent label activity.

  Source

• 2011

  Reactivate the label for archival reissuesStrategy

  Background

  Industrial Records returned to official activity after Throbbing Gristle's contract with Mute Records expired and after the group's permanent disbandment.

  Action taken

  The label planned to reissue five principal Throbbing Gristle albums, initially as a simultaneous release and later as a chronological weekly series.

  Aftermath

  A Sony DADC warehouse fire delayed the initial launch and required a revised schedule. No later programme of new or non-Throbbing Gristle content is documented in the supplied reference material.

  Source

• 1976

  Create an artist-controlled self-release labelStrategy

  Background

  Throbbing Gristle established Industrial Records primarily to release its own experimental recordings rather than depend entirely on conventional record companies.

  Action taken

  The group used the label to control the production and presentation of its recordings, including limited editions and unconventional packaging.

  Aftermath

  The label became closely associated with the development and naming of industrial music and later provided a platform for other experimental artists.

  Source

1. 1Industrial Recordsen.wikipedia.org