industrial music – Queen City Sounds and Art

Dis Fig’s Mix of Ancient and Industrial Sounds on “Psaltery” Generates a Great Sense of Discomfort and Catharsis

Dis Fig centers a sound like hammered dulcimer but is In fact a plucked zither that gives the title on “Psaltery.” In the beginning we hear that sound alongside textural sounds flowing in the background. Then her vocals come in also tracing the emotional edges of the song and building a framework within which the emotional weight of the song can expand. Felicia Chen’s voice nearly cracks with the force of feeling as the song progresses and the sounds of organic percussion in wood and metal join what feels like a ritual procession of sound. Soon enough low end bursts seem to dominate the space preparing us for Chen’s caterwaul and cascade of cathartic release in relentless shocks of vocal outpouring. The song combines the ancient with the modern but to evoke primal feelings that link vast periods of human history and experience and shakes the listener out of any state of comfort in a time when when comfort can be a luxury. Listen to “Psaltery” on Spotify and follow Dis Fig on Instagram. The album What To Make Of These Mortal Hands releases October 23, 2026 via Thrill Jockey Records for digital download, LP and streaming.

“FRISSON” by 1201770 is an Industrial Ambient Lament For a Fallen Civilization

The distorted streaming sounds echoing throughout “FRISSON” by 1201770 are like the voices of a forgotten subway bemoaning the neglect and seething in its accumulated environmental memory. Or the soundtrack to a near future urban exploration video in which intrepid urbexers travel through the tunnels and streets of cities abandoned in the wake of humanity’s folly and abuse of the environment resulting in mass depopulation of parts of the world once teeming with activity that can only be speculated about from accounts gleaned from still extant media artifacts. The industrial ambient sounds of the song have a melancholic menace and urgency that suggest a warning against the kinds of civilizational habits that lead to tragic widespread collapse. It’s a thought-provoking track that embodies a full expression though less than two minutes in length. Listen to “FRISSON” on Spotify and follow 1201770 on Instagram.

Velatine Injects Industrial Post-Punk Grit and Darkness Into “Whisper Park” and Its Exploration of Spiraling Inner Dialogues

Melbourne’s Velatine returns with the more industrial-tinged single “Whisper Park.” In the music video the band looks like they’re hanging out in an Australian equivalent hideout that Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston from Only Lovers Left Alive would have fled to for a sequel. The guitars are darkly gritty and the slight echo on the vocals lend them a haunting and haunted quality even as they bridge moods introspective and declarative in its words about being trapped by your own personal demons and inner monologue, an experience that anyone with any sensitivity and ability to reflect deeply has likely had.. It’s like the band took the industrial darkness and moody attitude of Sisters of Mercy, mixed it with a touch of the griminess of The Birthday Party and infused that into a unique flavor of modern post-punk. It’s an update of the original 2022 iteration of the song that was more darkwave to give it more presence and physicality and a truly inspired rework. Watch the video for “Whisper Park” on YouTube and follow Velatine at the links below.

Velatine on Facebook

Velatine on TikTok

Velatine on Instagram

Cry9c’s Darkly Moody and Enigmatic “Play Pretend” is Reminiscent of Modern Avant-Post-Punk and Early Ambient Industrial

“Play Pretend” has a kind of icy moodiness, enigmatic energy and imaginative production that makes you wonder if Cry9c is tapping into the same frequency of creativity as more left field post-punk bands like The Serfs, Kaput and Luna Honey. The interweaving layers of rhythm, minimal guitar riffs, drones, distorted harmonics and lightly echoing vocals are reminiscent of an update of late 70s and early 80s proto-industrial pop like the members of the band listened to a lot of Cabaret Voltaire, Indian Jewelry and Drab Majesty at the same time. But the song has its own wonderfully dark resonance like the more accessible band at the noise show or the startling refreshingly different arty Witch House band at a more generally conventional post-punk show. The energy of the music is reminiscent of late 2000s American DIY scene with an elusive air of mystique and that’s a rarefied quality these days. Listen to “Play Pretend” on YouTube and follow Cry9C at the links below. The self-titled EP released October 16, 2025 and is available for digital download, streaming and on cassette.

Cry9c on Bandcamp

Sell Farm’s Pressure is a Genre Swapping Masterpiece of Industrial Darkwave Dub

Forget the images the name Sell Farm might bring to mind. Pressure might be described as an industrial darkwave dub album but it also has as much in common with ambient music and the avant-garde pop music Phil Elverum has been making for over 20 years including his time with Old Time Relijun, Microphones and Mount Eerie. There is no attempt to stick to genre convention or instrumentation. Imagine an album made by later 90s era Swans through the lens of indie pop. “Fools” introduces us with lush and lo-fi soundscapes produced by distorted white noise and repeating motifs of stringed instruments and processed drones giving a sense of grittiness like an old and decaying film print of a stranger’s 8 millimeter reel of a family holiday celebration. Though there is a mysterious accessibility here the whole album sounds like a long lost cassette culture industrial product out of the 80s underground. The vocals even when they’re at their most melancholic reveal some roots in the influence of R&B via Prince and D’Angelo. But you could also hear this on the soundtrack of a future David Lynch film, especially the brooding and foggy “Ideas and Missiles.” The album ends with the propulsive title track that hits like a dub-infused EBM song akin to an older Nitzer Ebb track circa That Total Age. Live all of these songs have such a startling power, particularly “Pressure,” but even on these recordings you have to wonder when these songs were written and recorded which is a testament to Sell Farm’s ability to free associate styles across decades. Listen to Pressure on Bandcamp and pick up one of the limited edition cassettes if you’re so inclined.