Canon of Power Electronics

[excruciation]

I would like to add FFH "Make Them Understand" to this. Similar to Deathpile "G.R." this was a watershed moment in US power electronics and has really grown in legend since it came out. It's highly sought after and could really use a reissue, it definitely would do well.

[Zeno Marx]

2012 - Sutcliffe Jugend - Blue Rabbit CD - First known exploration of "quiet power electronics" where typical pe concepts and lyrical content appears over electroacoustic atmospheres and marking a new shift for the legendary project.

Yea, I'll back this suggestion. Didn't sound like a lot of other material at the time, at least in my experience and as far as I recall now. Not exactly Death Industrial but something a little different, a little newer, I though anyway. I think you can hear the influence of this sort of thing in later projects like She Spread Sorrow.

I don't follow SJ with much dedication, so I've only heard this album a single time.  The vocals, dramatics, and overall dark and brooding vibe had me thinking of Contrastate, which is of the highest order of compliment, while also having me scratch my head about only going to it once.  Some of the organic acoustics (dried woods and stones?) had me in that JGrzinich or Seth Nehil frame too, which is another high caliber association.

[Into_The_Void]

The first Macelleria Mobile di Mezzanotte "Profilo Ottimale delle Ferite" came a few days ago to my mind. Released in 2001, it's their first and only industrial output before switching toward a cinematic / avantgarde direction (which is still sometimes good, sometimes less, still interesting). I consider this one a little milestone in the italian industrial underground, taking up the thread of the italian "giallo" atmosphere and mixed with the morbid aura of Atrax Morgue, Mauthausen Orchestra, etc..great record, for sure the best they (at the time the project consisted, if I remember correctly, of only Adriano) did.

[BatteredStatesofEuphoria]

Back on topic: How do people feel about Sound of Sadism as a canonical release? I'm not that knowledgable about PE specifically but I picked this up from Hospital in a sale a while back. The original CD was 1000 copies and it got a LP reissue through Hospital. Tracklist has heavy hitters like Deathpile, Taint, Atrax Morgue, Con-Dom etc. Interested to know how this is viewed by the community.

That was always one that for whatever reason I felt didn't live up to what it should have. Which might just be that a few of the names on there, while being well regarded generally, never did much for me. But even with the projects I liked, I had this feeling that, contra the title, they were holding something back. The counterargument, though, is with those aspects, I always felt it would work as a good intro to the genre for those curious about it.

If nothing else, the fact that it got an LP reissue proves it was well thought of, so its worthy of consideration.

Some other comps from around that era that might merit inclusion: Estheticks of Cruelty on Cold Meat, and the massive Don't Hunt What You Can't Kill on L-White, which is pretty much a Who's Who of the big names at the turn of the millenium, with many still going strong.

[Andrew McIntosh]

Estheticks of Cruelty on Cold Meat

I definitely second this. Canonical.

[Kaaoskultti]

2012 - Sutcliffe Jugend - Blue Rabbit CD - First known exploration of "quiet power electronics" where typical pe concepts and lyrical content appears over electroacoustic atmospheres and marking a new shift for the legendary project.

Yea, I'll back this suggestion. Didn't sound like a lot of other material at the time, at least in my experience and as far as I recall now. Not exactly Death Industrial but something a little different, a little newer, I though anyway. I think you can hear the influence of this sort of thing in later projects like She Spread Sorrow.

I don't follow SJ with much dedication, so I've only heard this album a single time.  The vocals, dramatics, and overall dark and brooding vibe had me thinking of Contrastate, which is of the highest order of compliment, while also having me scratch my head about only going to it once.  Some of the organic acoustics (dried woods and stones?) had me in that JGrzinich or Seth Nehil frame too, which is another high caliber association.

Oh, thanks for the reccomendations! I have yet to listen to Contrastate, which is a project I strongly value based solely on what I've read about it, but didn't know the other artists mentioned. It is hard to keep up with everything Tomkins and Taylor have  been releasing for the past two decades (I mean, shit, don't they ever rest? Each time I find out about a new release I remember the one I still need to listen to).

Sutcliffe Jügend – Blue Rabbit (2012)

Guess I've already written on some thread about how Blue Rabbit is a cult-classic for me, yet with little to none influence on further artists within the zone. Not that I've heard of. And of course, you got plenty of Electroacoustic experimentation being crafted really well, but nothing that actually sounds like it was influenced by afromentioned album. Maybe 'tis me to release such music when I can.

I believe that good music has a unique quality of sounding fresh even after thousands of listens, and that's exactly how I feel whenever I blast any of the Whitehouse albums from Great White Death onwards (except for Peter Kürten). For me, they're unparalleled and genuinely the best power electronics project out there. There are other albums that evoke a similar feeling, but not as much with SJ. In my view, most of their albums feature a mix of really great tracks alongside some weaker ones, which disrupts the overall experience—though Death Mask, and of course, Blue Rabbit, are exceptions. Blue Rabbit is perfect: a surreal blend of electroacoustic exploitation that feels like a dream (or perhaps schizophrenia), unlike anything else. It definitely has tracks with a similar vibe—"Death of a Post-Christian Humanist" is a masterpiece—but the experience of listening to this album for the first time was unmatched. I remember being awake at 5 a.m., smoking because I couldn't sleep, when "Solace" began. It was such an experience that I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

That being said, since the goal of this thread is not just to gather opinions but to keep the canon true, maybe Blue Rabbit doesn't belong here at all. I don't think it's due to its volatility. It might seem logical that fans of academic musique concrète wouldn't be interested in serial-killer-worshiping maniacs experimenting with a vast range of styles—or vice versa, where fans of traditional noise and analog recordings see modern Whitehouse and SJ as mere 'techno' laptop acts. On the contrary, it seems to me that there's significant acceptance for the incorporation of different musical styles within the scene. So, it's strange to me, even though this release has received a lot of praise. Perhaps, as time goes on, we'll see if it becomes a cult classic.

[Cranial Blast]

Sutcliffe Jugend has always been one of those projects that I've never been that interested in from the very beginnings, but developed a stronger appreciation in the later part of their discography. I think the best Sutcliffe Jugend album was The Hunger double CD. I like the more dark ambient/experimental approach with that material and I'm sure the Blue Rabbit album was a template for that style to come. I think if Sutcliffe Jugend wasn't Sutcliffe Jugend, I'd think most noisers could give a shit about what new material is presented now, but fortunately or unfortunately, to whom it may concern, I think Sutcliffe Jugend has developed it's name beyond a cult appreciation to a place of "can do no wrong" to those mildly interested. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but for my own selfs opinion, I think new Sutcliffe Jugend material is far more interesting than the beginnings.