Electronic body music, or simply ‘EBM,’ as it is usually referred to by fans, is an underground genre of electronic music that originated in the early 1980’s in Europe. Today the genre’s fan base remains centered in Europe, though it also retains a substantial following in North America, Japan and Australia.
EBM combines the attitude of industrial music with sounds borrowed from other electronic subgenres to create aggressive and harsh yet danceable beats and melodies. Kraftwerk is attributed with the creation of the term ‘electronic body music,’ though stylistically their music would not generally fall under the accepted definition of EBM today.
EBM has changed in many ways since its creation in the early 80’s, though it has retained many of its original elements as What Is An Industry Development well. Countless bands have contributed to the genre over the years; a few of the most influential ones are profiled below.
Front 242
Though ‘electronic body music’ may owe its name to Kraftwerk, no other band has done more to define the genre’s sound than Front 242. Heavily influenced by electro-industrial acts of the 1970’s, Front 242 was formed in 1981 near Brussels, Belgium and created a much more accessible and danceable sound than had previously been known in industrial music. The self-proclaimed ‘fathers of EBM’ – Front 242’s sound is now often seen as the textbook example of EBM at its purist. The band has remained active since the early 1980s and its members have also participated in numerous side projects. In addition to having played a key role in the development of EBM, Front 242 is also one of the most well-known music projects ever to come out of Belgium.
Nitzer Brand Analysis Model Ebb
Next to Front 242, Nitzer Ebb is one of the most influential EBM bands in the genre’s history. The band started out in the early 1980s in Essex, England. More militaristic in their sound and imagery than Front 242, the band found a large following both in England and abroad. Nitzer Ebb broke up in the mid 90’s but reunited for a world tour in 2006 and have since resumed recording of new material.
Combichrist
Originally formed in 2003 as a side project of the synthpop group Icon of Coil, Combichrist has since become one of the most well-known EBM acts of all time. Combichrist draws influences from techno and rhythmic noise to create hard-hitting tracks popular in EBM clubs around the world. More distorted than its predecessors, Combichrist has defined the modern sound of EBM.
In just a matter of a few years, the band rose from being relatively unknown to one of the most popular alternative electronic projects in the world, and has since played shows around the United States, Europe and Australia and even supported Rammstein on their 2010 tour.
