Noise Unit is a Canadian industrial band, founded by Bill Leeb of Front Line Assembly as a side project.[3][4] The band has seen several changes in line-up, with Bill Leeb being the only permanent member.

Noise Unit
Recording sessions for Noise Unit "Grinding Into Emptiness"
Recording sessions for Noise Unit "Grinding Into Emptiness"
Background information
OriginVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
GenresIndustrial,[1] EBM,[2] Electro-industrial
Years active1989 (1989)–present
LabelsWax Trax!, Antler-Subway, Dossier, Cleopatra, Off Beat, Metropolis, Artoffact
MembersBill Leeb
Rhys Fulber
Past membersMarc Verhaeghen
Chris Peterson
Jeremy Inkel

History

edit

Noise Unit's first album, Grinding into Emptiness, arose from the collaboration between Leeb and Marc Verhaeghen of Belgian industrial band Klinik.[5][1] It was released in 1989 through Wax Trax!, and Antler-Subway.[citation needed]

The 1990 album Response Frequency included Rhys Fulber. After the completion of the album, Verhaeghen left Noise Unit for several years.[6] Fulber remained with the band for the next three releases, including the contemporary techno album Decoder in 1995.[7]

Verhaeghen resumed his collaboration with Noise Unit for the 1996 album Drill, which also featured members of German industrial band Haujobb.[8]

After an eight-year hiatus, Leeb teamed with former Front Line Assembly member Chris Peterson in 2004 to release Voyeur in 2005.[3] Jason Filipchuk and Michael Balch also contributed to the album.[9] The album peaked at #4 on the German Alternative Charts (DAC) and ranked #26 on the DAC Top Albums of 2005.[10]

In 2016, Canadian label Artoffact reissued the albums Grinding Into Emptiness, Response Frequency and Drill on vinyl and CD.[2]

Deviator

edit

In May 2020, it was announced that Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb were working on a new Noise Unit album, the first in 15 years.[11] On November 24, 2020, album title Deviator and cover were revealed. The cover art was created by Dave McKean.[12] In May 2021, Artoffact scheduled the release date for September 17 the same year and made the second album track "Body Aktiv" available to the public via Bandcamp.[13] The album contained ten tracks and featured Raymond Watts on the track "Atrocity Obsession". In July 2021, Artoffact released a lyric video for this track on their YouTube channel.[14]

Cheeba City Blues

edit

In July 2022, Artoffact announced the release of a new Noise Unit album titled Cheeba City Blues for October 21, 2022. The announcement coincided with the release of the single Alone Again, co-written by former member Jeremy Inkel before his death in January 2018.[15] One month later the band followed up with the release of the second single Dub it Up.[16]

Discography

edit

Albums

edit
  • Grinding Into Emptiness (1989, Wax Trax!, Antler-Subway)
  • Response Frequency (1990, Antler-Subway)
  • Strategy of Violence (1992, Dossier, Cleopatra)
  • Decoder (1995, Dossier, Cleopatra)
  • Drill (1996, Off Beat, Metropolis)
  • Voyeur (2005, Metropolis)
  • Deviator (2021, Artoffact)
  • Cheeba City Blues (2022, Artoffact)

Singles

edit
  • "Deceit" / "Struktur" (1989, Wax Trax!, Antler-Subway)
  • "Agitate" / "In Vain" (1990, Antler-Subway)

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Ankeny, Jason. Noise Unit at AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Van Isacker, Bernard (August 1, 2016). "3 new Noise Unit to be re-released as deluxe vinyl sets". Side-Line. Belgium. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Noise Unit". Metropolis. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  4. ^ Michael Barclay; Ian A. D. Jack; Jason Schneider (2011). Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance, 1985-1995. ECW Press. pp. 707–. ISBN 978-1-55490-968-1.
  5. ^ "Two classic EBM albums of Noise Unit back on vinyl". Peek-a-boo. Belgium. November 22, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  6. ^ "Noise Unit". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  7. ^ AllMusic. Noise Unit Decoder at AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  8. ^ Mercer, Matt (1997). "Noise Unit Drill". Ennui. 2 (2). Kent, Ohio: 38.
  9. ^ Carlsson, Johan (June 13, 2005). "Noise Unit: Voyeur". Release. Gothenburg: Release Musik & Media. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  10. ^ "DAC Top 50 Albums 2005". Trendcharts oHG. AMC Alster Musik Consulting GmbH. 2006. Archived from the original on 23 April 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  11. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (May 5, 2020). "Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb working on a new Noise Unit album". Side-Line. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  12. ^ mindphaser, jon. "New Noise Unit". mindphaser.com. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Yücel, Ilker (May 7, 2021). "Artoffact Records announces first new Noise Unit album in over 15 years". ReGen Magazine. Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  14. ^ Yücel, Ilker (July 7, 2021). "Artoffact Records releases lyric video for latest single from Noise Unit, featuring Raymond Watts of PIG". ReGen Magazine. Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  15. ^ Yücel, Ilker (July 22, 2022). "Bill Leeb honors bandmate Jeremy Inkel with latest Noise Unit album, revealing first single". ReGen Magazine. Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Van Isacker, Bernard (August 16, 2022). "Industrial act Noise Unit lands brand new single 'Dub it up'". Side-Line. Retrieved August 21, 2022.