06/07/2025
This month, 37 years ago in July 1988, we finally got the name EBM or Electronic Body Music to be established and institutionalized from a marketing-aspect via the compilation-Lp "This Is Electronic Body Music" released via Play It Again Sam
The name for the concept and its release was given by Manfred Schütz of SPV distribution who wanted to have a name for electronic bands from belgian to be released in Germany and that were part of the PIAS-Universe.
Maybe he remembered Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk using that term in 1978 in an interview to describe "Man Machine" or Gabi Delgado of DAF talking about Body Music in 1981 or maybe he remembered the inner-sleeve of Front 242 "No comment" in which the band described their music as Electronic Body Music.
I dont know, but I know that July 1988 finally gave us a name for a genre of music for certain bands
The Compilation also contained a few bands you cant really link to the EBM genre as we know it today such as PARADE GROUND and being more Cold Wave but they were a belgian electronic band and closely linked to Front 242 releasing on the same labels such as MASK Another Side and New Dance and in 1987/88 on Play it Again Sam
Their three records from 1987/88 need to be in every collection of Cold-Wave Music Fans. Alternatively Josh of Dark Entries released two compilation-2Lp's already, one in 2011 and one recently.
Highly recommended
