In a year when one of Sydney’s more iconic underground eighties band, The Crystal Set, is reforming with a series of gigs with fellow jingle jangle exponents Ups & Downs (see news piece here) as well as a series of headlining gigs later in the year, it is fitting that a rather obscure related band from the nineties should be released as a fitting accompaniment.
The band Sex Industrie was formed by The Crystal Set’s singer Russell Kilbey and provocateur and free-thinker David Thrussell (Snog, Black Lung and Soma) after Kilbey moved to Melbourne following the demise of The Crystal Set. According to the band, they were highly influenced by KLF at the time and read the infamous KLM manifesto ‘How To Have A Number One Hit’. While Sex Industrie may not have succeeded in achieving that particular goal, the result was a body of work that incorporated some of KLF’s approach to music (with a little element of the electroclash sounds of Sigue Sigue Sputnik or Pop Will Eat Itself).
The album is a fascinating collection of industrial electro-pop tracks wrapped in innovation and creativity – an avant garde approach to synth pop, with an arched eyebrow and a studied pose. It contains and was possibly most known for its cover of AC/DC’s ‘Jailbreak’ with more than a touch of postmodern irony, but this is by no means the touchstone for the album. From the opening track ‘Get Lost’ there is a vibrant electronic thrum throughout, an injection of rap, sampling, soaring vocals and indelible melodies. And a whole sack full of swaggering attitude.
I am reminded a little of the great The Beloved too in the mix of electronics with its danceable throb and acoustic elements, and Massive Attack with the operatic female vocals. Tracks like the title track are thrilling and exciting with more than a hint of psychedelia, while ‘The Girl Who Overdosed on Dreams’ introduces dynamic instrumental sounds. Sampling features greatly – for example the uses of hilarious spoken snippets (‘God Is Big Business’ and ‘Dirty Laundry’). The album is threaded with a sense of humour (redolent of say, Alabama 3) – see for example the jingle jangle of ‘Nineteen Neo-Nazis’ where Kilbey’s distinctive vocals recall his style in The Crystal Set.
This is album is an absolute gem and a worthy addition to your collection.
You can get a copy in red vinyl here along with an 18 track CD with extensive liner notes The album has been remixed by Thrussell and remains as fresh and vital today – it hasn’t aged one iota.
Appearing on the album are:
Guitar: Michael Harris/ John Phillips/ Jeremy Butterworth.
Vocals: Russell Kilbey/ Jules Clark/ Sandi Chick/ Opi Nelson
Programming/ Beats/ Samples: Russell Kilbey/ David Thrussell
