The American solo project Agitprop 666 has been active for several years and released its latest work at the end of 2024, featuring 12 tracks.

The approach remains consistent with previous releases—an intense and danceable fusion of ominous EBM basslines and pulsating beats. The music is skillfully structured with a gradual build-up, enriched by a signature element: spoken samples that take center stage. These samples, often extended with repetitive segments, replace traditional vocals while addressing current affairs and social issues such as drug use, AI, cyber warfare, the Mexican mafia, the war in Ukraine, the situation in Taiwan ao…

While the reliance on samples is effective, occasional vocal elements could add further depth. The album’s main shortcoming lies in its mixing and production—particularly the excessive use of fade-outs—which detracts from the overall impact. The content itself is strong, but a more refined mix and professional production could elevate it to an even higher level. (Rating:7).

Listen to “The Cartels”:

About Agitprop 666

Agitprop 666 is a self-released American EBM project built around spoken-sample-driven tracks addressing social and political themes. Its self-released catalog includes the albums “Penitentiary” (2018) and “Corruption” (2020).

“Cyber War”, released September 25, 2024, was followed by the album “Skynet” on February 12, 2025.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, Ambient-Body Music.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: American solo-project Agitprop 666 is back on track unleashing a new work featuring twelve songs. After the “Penitentiary” album released late 2018, this artist strikes back with a different theme, which is clearly inspired by major events in the US during 2020.

Content: First there’s the music, which remains inspired by good-old 90s Electro and some EBM formats. This is not hard EBM to dance to, but a rather evasive EBM format reminding me of projects like Ringtailed Snorter and Noise Unit. The songs are carried by a soft cadence while the composition is filled with bleeps and wafting Electro waves. The main characteristic of the work are the numerous spoken samplings dealing with important news facts from the past year. There’s of course a song about the pandemic, but also one about George Floyd. Other themes like politics, racism, corruption, religion have been treated as well.

+ + + : Agitprop 666 realized a great job here. The album makes me think of a kind of 2020 overview put on music. The samplings are essential to this work while the music is well-crafted. The entire production became more elaborated. Using spoken samplings from news and speeches isn’t new, but the way it has been accomplished here is original. You feel this album is clearly engaged.  

– – – : I think some aspects of the sound production –like the mixing, can be still improved, but “Corruption” is a noticeable work.

Conclusion: This work is without a shadow of a doubt, the most elaborated and successful album by Agitprop 666. The style is not that new and yet refreshing!

Best songs: “Chrome Koran”, “George Floyd”, “Malcom X”, “Santa Muerte”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: http://www.agitprop666.com

About Agitprop 666

Agitprop 666 is an American EBM and ambient-body music solo project based in Los Angeles. The project’s early releases include the CD-ROM “Mind Control” on its own label Agitprop 666 Recordings, and the album “Penitentiary”, released in late 2018.

“Corruption” followed as a twelve-track digital album, with track titles referencing events from 2020 including the Covid-19 pandemic, George Floyd, and police brutality. Agitprop 666 tracks have since appeared on the compilations “Face The Beat: Session 7” (2022) and “Electronic Bodies – Session 1” (2023).

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, industrial-body-music.

Background/Info: I got the opportunity to discover the L.A (California, USA) based Agitprop 666 by its debut work “Mind Control” (2002). The solo-project revealed an interesting old-school EBM sound. Because of an incarceration –which clearly inspired the title of this work, it took years to achieve “Penitentiary”. The album features 11 songs and is available as a free-download on Agitprop 666’s site.

Content: The main influences running throughout “Penitentiary” are once again taking us back to the great 90s decade of EBM. The multiple samplings featuring samplings from Nazi-propaganda, movie & documentary extracts and also a speech of Obama are classical elements from the 90s. The EBM style has something sophisticated, which might evoke early Mentallo & The Fixer, and also industrial sound treatments.

+ + + : Agitprop 666 is pure 90s nostalgia, but the album is not a cheap emulation. The songs are well-crafted, complex and reflecting certain intelligence. It makes this album different from the rest although supported by the spirit of 90s EBM. I like the complementarity between fine, bleeping sequences and pure bombast.

– – – : Complex music is not always the most accessible format and especially when it concerns EBM. You don’t hear me to complain, but there’s just one single cut (cf. “Peak Oil”) featuring guitar sounds, which sounds too different and less accomplished.

Conclusion: You’ve 80s and 90s nostalgics, but in the end this album brings an interesting retro-EBM format.

Best songs: “Firestorm”,  “Freedom To Fascism”, “Wall St.”, “Penitentiary”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.agitprop666.com / https://myspace.com/agitprop666

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com