A stirring double A single from industrial music pioneers Black Tish, Industrial Tribute is precisely that — an ode to other trailblazers within the genre. The release comprises covers of “What a Day” by Throbbing Gristle and “Zerstörte Zelle” by Einstürzende Neubauten. True to the innovation of Black Tish — and band leader Bob Coecke and bassist Bruce Warner — they put new twists on these classic songs, rather than staying close to the original; it’s a delightful, fitting pursuit, one representative of a project that has impressed with its inventiveness since their 1988 formation.
While both covers retain the originals’ structural tendencies, their textural vigor is quite different. “What a Day” moves in with expressively wordless vocal call-outs, clanking percussion, and budding distortion — enjoyably unsettling in its direction, and differentiating from the original’s minimalism, instead expanding into a heavier, grimier delectability.
Meanwhile, “Zerstörte Zelle” captures the original’s climactic drive, which swelled from murmuring guitars and whispered vocals into a finishing ferocity. Black Tish’s version injects a more involved initial haunting — particularly in its choral-like vocal eeriness and effects. Screeching guitars appear more prominently at mid-point, and culminate in an impactfully ardent finale, reflective of the original in its structural evolution. Industrial Tribute is a stirring showcase in quality industrial music yet again from Black Tish.
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“What a Day” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
