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Unrealworld82 · 3rd January 2010

Hrmmm.. I spent a long time making "industrial" music. I like to think that by now I have evolved beyond it, whatever it is.

I think the underlying ethic behind "industrial", broadly speaking, is to do the unexpected. Take instrument A and try to turn it into instrument B. Effect things not usually effected. Distort things not normally distorted. At this point, by way of NIN, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, old KMFDM, hell even a lot of old Marilyn Manson, it is hard to make a "new" industrial sound using distortion.

Since you did ask for some insight, I can tell you that I read a Guitar World interview with Trent Reznor from 1994 in which he detailed some pretty cool tricks he had used on Broken and TDS (the two most "industrial" NIN albums:

1. Using tape machines - He would record some rhythm tracks at normal speed, then slow the tape down and tune his guitar down to compensate. He would then record guitar parts at slow speed, then raise the tape speed back up. This would, of course, artificially raise the pitch back to standard. This causes the guitars to have a supersaturated, inhuman quality. I think he cited "Last" from Broken as an example. You can do similar stuff with tape speed controls in your DAW (I use Reaper, which is great for this). It also is an old trick used to allow a guitarist to play a complex part more slowly, then speed up to shred speed.

2. Can't believe no one has mentioned it yet - plug a fuzz or "metal" distortion straight into the board. Be careful.

3. Arpeggiators are your friends. The synth line in "Heresy" is such a classic industrial arp.

4. Sampling from movies - the opening song on TDS, "Mr. Self Destruct" is preceded by a sample lifted straight out of THX1138. If you watch it, you can't miss it.

5. Noise - many NIN/industrial songs have ambient layers of straight white or pink noise. In many cases this noise is "pitched" or "timed" in reference to the song - but often (as is the case with "Hurt") it's just an obscure, subliminal blanket in the background.

That only a small fraction of the numerous unconventional techniques used in by NIN. Hope it at least fulfills your question.

3rd January 2010	#48
Unrealworld82 Gear addict Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 388	Hrmmm.. I spent a long time making "industrial" music. I like to think that by now I have evolved beyond it, whatever it is. I think the underlying ethic behind "industrial", broadly speaking, is to do the unexpected. Take instrument A and try to turn it into instrument B. Effect things not usually effected. Distort things not normally distorted. At this point, by way of NIN, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, old KMFDM, hell even a lot of old Marilyn Manson, it is hard to make a "new" industrial sound using distortion. Since you did ask for some insight, I can tell you that I read a Guitar World interview with Trent Reznor from 1994 in which he detailed some pretty cool tricks he had used on Broken and TDS (the two most "industrial" NIN albums: 1. Using tape machines - He would record some rhythm tracks at normal speed, then slow the tape down and tune his guitar down to compensate. He would then record guitar parts at slow speed, then raise the tape speed back up. This would, of course, artificially raise the pitch back to standard. This causes the guitars to have a supersaturated, inhuman quality. I think he cited "Last" from Broken as an example. You can do similar stuff with tape speed controls in your DAW (I use Reaper, which is great for this). It also is an old trick used to allow a guitarist to play a complex part more slowly, then speed up to shred speed. 2. Can't believe no one has mentioned it yet - plug a fuzz or "metal" distortion straight into the board. Be careful. 3. Arpeggiators are your friends. The synth line in "Heresy" is such a classic industrial arp. 4. Sampling from movies - the opening song on TDS, "Mr. Self Destruct" is preceded by a sample lifted straight out of THX1138. If you watch it, you can't miss it. 5. Noise - many NIN/industrial songs have ambient layers of straight white or pink noise. In many cases this noise is "pitched" or "timed" in reference to the song - but often (as is the case with "Hurt") it's just an obscure, subliminal blanket in the background. That only a small fraction of the numerous unconventional techniques used in by NIN. Hope it at least fulfills your question.