Gerardo Iacoucci

At the beginning of the 70s, in Italy, the revolutionary surge of 1968 was beginning to turn into something grimmer (and definitely not linked to left-wing ideology) but the concept of “factory” still had a key role in the economic and social life of the country. It was not just an alienating workplace, where you often spent your whole life, but also – and overall – the place where demands were made and political struggles took place. Therefore, a feasible imaginary soundtrack for the factory was the daily noise of machines, tools, hammers: an idea that, years later, would be embraced by dozens of industrial bands all over the world. But, in 1972, that reality was documented by Gerardo Iacoucci: “We went into factories and workshops and recorded the noise of the machines, then we put on it special musical effects and did an accurate mix”, he tells in the liner notes. Industria N.1, divided in Fabbrica on the A side and Impianti meccanici on the other side, is an amazing work mixing field recordings and experimental music, proving how you can combine political commitment, art, avant-garde and pioneering noise music in a brave record.