According to an interview with the Canadian industrial music pioneers, Nivek Ogre and cEvin Key, in LA Weekly (published on November 30), Skinny Puppy will split up after this tour. Skinny Puppy formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group is among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crompton) while he was in the new wave band Images in Vogue, Skinny Puppy evolved into a full-time project with the addition of vocalist Nivek Ogre (Kevin Ogilvie).

Key acknowledges internal conflicts but emphasizes the joy and special nature of their last performances. Ogre from his side dismisses any notions of a future reunion: “People thinking that we’re gonna come back for a money grab in 10 years – it’s not gonna happen. In 10 years, I’ll be 70, so it’s definitely not gonna happen. But in five years or three years or whatever, it’s not gonna happen.”

The interview also reveals the complex dynamics between Ogre and Key, hinting at strained relations despite their mutual respect and admiration for each other’s talents. In the interview Key reflects on the band’s journey, expressing surprise at their longevity and satisfaction with their final tour. “I clearly remember saying in interviews back in the ’80s that there’s no way we’re gonna be doing this when we’re 60. So now we’re 60-plus, and it’s bizarre that we’re still going. (…) We have spent 40 years running that fine line between acrimony and getting work done.”

Talking about the past Key is quoted saying this about his work with the late Dwayne Goettel: “I only got to work with Dwayne for nine years, but we did manage to make a number of albums through that time. But the memory of working with him is unsurpassed.” As for highlights he mentions albums like “VIVIsectVI,” “Too Dark Park,” and “Last Rights” as creative high points.

Discomfort with the ‘industrial music’ label

Ogre shares his evolution as an artist and person since the band’s inception in 1983. Discussing the authenticity of his early work, he seems to be disillusionised with the current state of music, which he feels often prioritizes commercial success over genuine emotion.

Ogre and Key also discuss their discomfort with the ‘industrial music‘ label, noting how the genre has evolved and diverged from its original ethos. Ogre says more precisely this: “As far as the scene goes, it seems to have devolved into more of a metal vibe, for the most part. All of the stuff that I loved about industrial music that came out of Genesis, with industrial records, or even going back to Stockhausen, all of that kind of, just freedom to do whatever with whatever. That’s the thing that’s missing in industrial music.”

Despite their imminent split, both Ogre and Key have future projects lined up. Ogre is collaborating with Paul Barker and others on a new project, while Key has completed scoring for the video game “Silent Hill: Ascension” and is working on a new album with Bill Leeb.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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After parting ways with the post-punk powerhouse Public Image Ltd. in 1985, drummer Martin Atkins found himself in high demand, collaborating with numerous bands such as NIN, Killing Joke, and notably, William Rieflin of Revolting Cocks and Ministry. Together, Rieflin and Atkins embarked on their most ambitious project to date: an industrial music supergroup called Pigface, bringing together the talents of their various associates.

In 1990, Pigface released their debut album “Gub,” which includes the original version of “Suck” featuring Trent Reznor. Reznor later re-recorded this track for the 1992 NIN EP “Broken.” With contributions from artists such as Chris Connelly of Revolting Cocks, David Yow of The Jesus Lizard, Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Paul Barker of Ministry, En Esch of KMFDM, and Steve Albini, “Gub” has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the most daring sound recordings ever created.

Atkins reflects on the album, saying, “This was such a liberating time—bringing together this extraordinary group of musicians and not worrying about the outcome (although, of course, we did). We had the luxury of working in the legendary Chicago Trax studios with the talented Steve Albini to capture and convey it all. It’s fascinating to think that Trent’s involvement was even a topic of debate—NIN wasn’t well-known yet, and some suggested we could save $150 on a round-trip airfare from Cleveland by not involving him. I vetoed the idea. Bill Rieflin and I came up with the concept for the project during warm-ups for Ministry’s cage tour, and the immense contribution of Francesca Sundsten’s iconic artwork to the project cannot be overstated.”

The album is now receiving a deluxe reissue from Cleopatra Records, showcasing Francesca Sundsten’s restored artwork and a gatefold image of Pigface’s original promotional picture, assembled by Chris Connelly. This reissue also offers bonus remixes and extra track versions for the first time in a single release. The CD edition comes in a premium digipak, while the vinyl version is available in an array of colors.

The tracklist:

1. Tapeworm with Steve Albini
2. The Bushmaster with Trent Reznor & David Yow
3. Cylinder Head World
4. Point Blank with Steve Albini, Chris Connelly
5. Suck with Trent Reznor & Paul Barker
6. Symphony For Taps
7. The Greenhouse with Chris Connelly
8. Little Sisters with Chris Connelly, William Tucker
9. Tailor Made with Steve Albini, Paul Barker
10. War Ich Nicht Immer Ein Gutter Junge? War Ich Nicht Immer Schoen Und Nett? Ich Zerpfluckte Niemals Eine Spinne-War Neimals Frech Und Stahl with En Esch
11. Blood and Sand with Chris Connelly, Matt Schultz
12. Weightless with Chris Connelly
13. Tonight’s The Night (Little Sisters Remix)
14. Winnebago (Induced Tapeworm Remix) with Nivek Ogre
15. The Bushmaster (Bushmaster Remix)
16. War Ich Nicht Immer Ein Gutter Junge? War Ich Nicht Immer Schoen Und Nett? Ich Zerpfluckte Niemals Eine Spinne-War Neimals Frech Und Stahl (Remix)
17. Suck (VX Remix)
18. Suck (Reverse Sitar Mix)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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UPDATE: PledgeMusic looking for outside investors to keep the boat afloat, co-founder Benji Rogers back on board

A lot of artists have chosen to go the indie way, some leave their label and start things up themselves, distribution, production etc. others look for an extra buck by getting outside funding. All fine until your funding solution becomes a true nightmare. And that’s exactly what a lot of bands using PledgeMusic are facing including ohGr.

The electro-industrial band ohGr for instance launched a funding campagn via PledgeMusic in 2017 for its fifth full-length album, “TrickS”. Via the service Nivek Ogre wanted to cover recording costs and this by offering exclusive updates an direct pre-sales of the album. 8 months after ohGr’s campaign ended, the band is still waiting for PledgeMusic to pay almost $100,000 in funds. Funds it needs to pay for production of merchandise its fans have already purchased. As a result the only thing that has been available was a digital version of the album on July 18 2018, not really great when you also started a tour without being able to offer the actual album for sale.

ohGr is in the meantime also trying to explain the situation to its funders as you can see below.

As it seems many other bands also face a similar experience. Billboard contact the company who said this: “We accept responsibility for the fact that we have been late on payments over the past year. PledgeMusic is working tirelessly on this issue, and we are asking our community for their continued support and patience.” The problem with PledgeMusic is actually that it invested the funds gathered by band’s back into the company instead of using seperate funds for this. A clear breach of trust as PledgeMusic’s terms and conditions clearly stipulate that funds collected by PledgeMusic for a campaign “will be held on account for the Artist.”

PledgeMusic also released a full statement:

PledgeMusic has always been committed to serving artist and fan communities. It was established by artists and was born of a need to change the way in which the traditional music industry operated. It was designed to help artists and their teams at every level, and we believe that PledgeMusic has become an essential part of the evolving landscape of the music industry.

That said, we deeply regret that recently we have not lived up to the high standards to which PledgeMusic has always held itself. We acknowledge that many artists have and continue to experience payment delays. These delays to artists are unacceptable–not only to them, but to us.

Since its beginning, PledgeMusic has successfully serviced over 45K artists from emerging acts to some of the biggest names in the industry. We’ve supported 60 Grammy-nominated artists and helped springboard 100s of unsigned bands to successful careers. Our efforts have assisted over 375 artists with chart position on the Billboard Top 200. Our platform has provided close to $100m of revenue to its artist community.

Mid 2017, new investors came into PledgeMusic with the goal of strengthening the company and improving the value proposition for artists and fans. After substantial investments in the business over the past 18 months, we believe we have made good progress to that end, but it hasn’t been enough. That said, the company has cut its operating expenses nearly in half over the past year. We’ve overhauled key parts of our financial and operating systems, while adding talent to our roster and making enhancements to the platform like our Vinyl Store, D2C artist store-fronting and our data analytics.

While the company has made progress, we still haven’t reached our goals. PledgeMusic has been in discussions with several strategic players in the industry who have interest in the PledgeMusic platform. We are evaluating a number of transactions with those potential partners, and we plan to announce details of this in the next 60 days. It is our expectation that payments will be brought current within the next 90 days.

We accept responsibility for the fact that we have been late on payments over the past year. PledgeMusic is working tirelessly on this issue, and we are asking our community for their continued support and patience.

A story which is to be continued…

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Bad luck for Nivek Ogre who was attacked and beaten unconscious hours before his show as ohGr in Philadelphia on September 11th. Ogre suffered a broken jaw and other injuries.

Ogre revealed what happened when it was time for the encore, as you can hear below. ohGr are currently touring in support of their latest album “Tricks”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out in a week from now is a six-song live documentation of Ministry’s 1989-90 North American tour, ironically titled “In case you didn’t feel like showing up”. The EP is being released on vinyl and if you want one of the limited copies, place your order right here.

The material on “In case you didn’t feel like showing up” is drawn exclusively from the two albums which are considered to be their best (namely “The Land of Rape and Honey” and “The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste”). The live lineup itself includes some special guest namely Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Martin Atkins of Pigface, and singer Chris Connelly. Connelly for example is singing lead vocals on “So What” while you can hear Ogre roaring in front on “Thieves”.

All the songs have been given an extra guitar sound wall compared to their studio counterparts. Here are the 6 songs featured: “The Missing”, “Deity”, “So What”, “Burning Inside”, “Thieves”, “Stigmata”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Ketvector, created by Justin Bennett (Skinny Puppy / Askew) and Stefano Rossello (Banter / Detune-X), is back with the follow-up to it’s 2008 debut “The Infinite Regress”. The new album “Fig. 23” is described as being a conceptual voyage through jazzy electro noir, trip-hop inspired psychedelia, and experimental noise sculptures.

Unlike the first release, this new offering features vocal and musical collaborations by other artists such as Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Edward Ka-Spel of The Legendary Pink Dots, Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Ryan Wildstar and Doriandra Smith of EXP, and many more.

This very limited set is available right here on vinyl (with an attached CD holding 4 bonus tracks).

Below is a track from this album:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy and Skinny Puppy’s Nivek Ogre will star in “BlackGloveKiller”, a horror film to be directed by Canadian-based filmmaker Chris Alexander. The film should be out somewhere in 2016. With an estimated $1,000,000 budget the filming will start later this year. The plot is based around the adventures of a female predator named Miranda who hunts for prey at night. Murphy will be starring as a ‘man’ and Ogre as a driver.

Murphy will also be writing the film score.

Chris Alexander previously made the horror pic “Blood for Irina” (2012) – which won the Best Experimental Feature Film award at the 2013 PollyGrind Film Festival – , the vampire film “Queen of Blood” (2013) and “Female Werewolf” (which has not yet been released).

Fellow Canadian Gabriel Carrer – who in the past has shot video for such bands as Swollen Members, Kottonmouth Kings, Hed PE, Brokencyde and Slipknot – will be taking care of the cinematography.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Expected to be out on September 25 is the vinyl re-release of “The Ghost of Each Room”, Cevin Key’s second solo effort and the follow-up to “Music For Cats”. Included on the 10-track album are Phil Western, Edward Ka-Spel, Ken Marshall, Nivek Ogre, Justin Bennett, Ryan Moore, and others.

The vinyl reissue of “The Ghost of Each Room” comes in a gatefold sleeve with thick spine on high-quality vinyl. The music is on 3 sides of wax, with a fourth side etching of the famous cover painting from Haunted Rose Hall (Jamaica).

100 copies come on maroon-pink wax, 200 copies on ghost blue and black is also available. You can get all 3 versions right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com