Electro-industrial is a music genre drawing on EBM and post-industrial that developed in the mid-1980s. While EBM has a minimal structure and clean production, Electro-industrial has a deep, complex and layered sound. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and other groups, either from Canada or the Benelux. In the early 1990s, the style spawned the dark electro genre, and in the mid-/late-1990s, the aggrotech offshoot. The fan base for the style is linked to the rivethead subculture.

Characteristics

After the EBM movement faded in the early 1990s, Electro-industrial increasingly attained popularity in the international club scene. In contrast to the straight EBM style, Electro-industrial groups use harsher beats and raspy, distorted, or digitized vocals. In contrast to Industrial rock, Electro-industrial groups mostly avoided guitars, other than Skinny Puppy, who used E-Guitar Elements since the mid 80s in Songs like Testure or Dig It.

Electro-industrial was anticipated by 1980s groups such as SPK,Die Form, Borghesia, Klinik, Skinny Puppy, and Front Line Assembly.