Early Trax
Encyclopedia
Early Trax is a compilation album from industrial metal
band Ministry
. The album was released in October 2004. It contains either released or (previously) unreleased songs from 1981 through to 1984, as well as some remixes of those songs (roughly half of the album by time is made up of remixes of songs also on the album). The album is thus similar to the 1987 compilation album Twelve Inch Singles
and contains much of the same material. Most of the songs on the album were initially released on the Wax Trax!
label. As can be expected from Ministry's early work, the album features a strong synthpop
and New Wave
flavour - Ministry moved more definitively into the industrial metal genre later into their career (post Twitch). The album also shows Ministry's early gothic rock
beginnings, with the two mixes of "I'm Falling" and "Overkill" being some of their earliest tracks.
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
. The album was released in October 2004. It contains either released or (previously) unreleased songs from 1981 through to 1984, as well as some remixes of those songs (roughly half of the album by time is made up of remixes of songs also on the album). The album is thus similar to the 1987 compilation album Twelve Inch Singles
Twelve Inch Singles
* Tracks 1 and 3 are originally from the All Day single.* Track 2 is originally from the single The Nature of Love.* Tracks 4 and 8 are originally from the Cold Life single.* Track 5 is originally from the Halloween single....
and contains much of the same material. Most of the songs on the album were initially released on the Wax Trax!
Wax Trax! Records
Wax Trax! Records was an independent record label in the United States. Wax Trax! began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado opened by Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher. They sold the store in 1978 and, in November of that year, opened a new one under the same name at 2449 North Lincoln Avenue in...
label. As can be expected from Ministry's early work, the album features a strong synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
flavour - Ministry moved more definitively into the industrial metal genre later into their career (post Twitch). The album also shows Ministry's early gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
beginnings, with the two mixes of "I'm Falling" and "Overkill" being some of their earliest tracks.
Track listing
All tracks by Al JourgensenAl Jourgensen
Alain David Jourgensen , is a Cuban-American musician best known as the founder and frontman of the industrial metal band Ministry. He is sometimes credited as Alain Jourgensen, Alien Jourgensen, Hypo Luxa , Dog, Alien Dog Star and Buck Satan...
- Tracks 8, 9, 11, 12 were previously unreleased
Personnel
- Al Jourgensen - vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(10-12), keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Stephen GeorgeStephen George- External links :**...
- percussion (3, 4), drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(10-12) - Brad Hallen - bass (3, 4)
- Patty Jourgensen - additional vocals (3-6)
- Richard 23 - additional vocals (5, 6)
- John Davis - keyboards (10-12)
- Marty Sorenson - bass (10-12)
- Paul Taylor - keyboards (10-11)
- Lawton Outlaw - art direction & design