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CONTRASTATE (UK)
Founded in 1987 by Stephen Meixner and Jonathan Grieve, the Contrastate formation boasts with one of the richest experience pool among the groups of early industrial movement. Initially embedded firmly in the tradition of industrial music, the band experimented with the limits of sound, volume, and frequency. The purpose? Physical confrontation with the possibilities of sound. Contrastate did not cease to evolve, however, and slowly moved away from extremes and towards the more balanced, subtle compositions. Their current style is situated somewhere in the realm of the avant-garde variety of dark, ritual ambient music combined with elements of experimental noise. Their diverse musical heritage exhibits unique electronic manipulations combined with theatrical monologues—all embedded in heavy, surreal industrial background. The sheer complexity and genuine nature of their sounds is worth applause and admiration. Their tracks are filled with recurrent themes that perpetually—and radically—change their sound, the frequency can jump from the lowest scale to the highest tones, and the trance rhythm is interwoven with multi-level ambient backgrounds. Contrastate is indeed a prime example of experimentation in music—its artists constantly feel the need to try out different ideas, different ways of recording and different ways to use instruments.