Tag: sanctum

Logically, it makes no sense to fuse ambient music and industrial music. One is the softest, most minimalist form of electronic music; the other is the loudest and harshest. Yet the marriage of the two can create satisfying and interesting results. Swedish artists seem particularly good at it. We’ve featured Azure Skies in the past (which also featured members of Mental Destruction and Sanctum). Parca Pace is also known in the fusion style, and of course, our featured artist Haus Am Rand. It should be no surprise then that Jan Carleklev is involved in all three of these projects, not to mention EBM act November Commandment, gothic-industrial hybrid Sanctum, and a handful of other acts.… Continued →

It’s time for some industrial! But not the guitar-heavy metallic brand. The November Commandment (or often Nov*Com) were doing EBM/electro before it was trendy–or even before it was called that. Hailing from Sweden, the band emerged with an independent cassette in 1988 called Complete Structure. The tape featured a minimalist sound driven by synthesizers, not too unlike Coil and some of Wire’s more experimental material. They released another cassette in 1991, this time a 5-song EP. The band made their appearance in the consciousness of American fans via the fantastic SLAVA compilation, Voice of the People, co-released through Blonde Vinyl Records.… Continued →

It’s hard to believe this release is nearing 20 years old. Although I’ve been hearing about it for years, I only recently acquired a copy for myself, and it sounds just as innovative and fresh now as it must’ve done when it first dropped. I’m not sure how many industrial music fans we have at IVM, but this is the real deal. It’s not metallic industrial, nor dance stuff, just harsh, sonic, rhythmic experimentations. And what really caught me off guard was how much this album infuses ambient sounds.… Continued →

Instrumental music and Christianity have always shared a wonderfully curious relationship, adding a twist to the age old question, “what makes music Christian (or not)?” While attempting to answer that questions is always interesting, and dare I say, fruitful, it would take up much more time and space than what we are afforded here. Nonetheless, it seems appropriate to quote Johann Sebastian Bach: “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”… Continued →