Street Sects

Example Album: End Position

Location: USA

Years Active: 2013-present

Style: Sample-based post-industrial, synth punk, scrap metal accents

    Formed in 2013 by Austin, Texas DIY veterans Leo Ashline and Shaun Ringsmuth, Street Sects are a sample-based post-industrial project that truthfully share more in common with 00’s hardcore than most modern variations of industrial. Their specific brand of cacophonous plunderphonic-esque composition is equal parts blast beat overwhelm and pop hook mastery with song structures that swing violently between throat tearing screams backed by whirlwind metallic percussion and blissfully melodic walls of synth and post-punk guitars cascading over steady programmed rhythms. Though mangled scrap metal samples are prevalent across their work, they are rarely the focus and often serve the role of ear candy as a sort of “blink and you’ll miss it” sonic accent. This said, the scattered manner in which these scrap metal accents are layered and rarely repeated makes for a singular listening experience worth the time of any post-industrial fan. 

    The dense nature of their production makes their seamless song structures and dynamic range all the more commendable as their wide array of extreme music influences shine through in just the first quarter of any given track. Ringsmuth’s frantic compositions are complemented beautifully by Ashline’s tendency to oscillate between pained screams and dissonant vocal melodies as he delivers narrative driven lyrics recounting the effects of gentrification, systemic abuse and poverty. Although they occasionally flirt with the tropes of mainstream 90’s industrial acts (primarily on their Kicking Mule LP) they never end up falling prey to imitation or true homage.

    If you’re looking for a genuinely unique take on sample-based extreme music that draws influence from nearly every era and subset of industrial there is no better act to check out than Street Sects.