Consumer Electronics

About

Consumer Electronics, birthed from the bleak landscapes of the United Kingdom, was a short-lived yet impactful project active from 1982 to 1983. Philip Best led the charge in crafting a sound that was as abrasive as it was mechanical. The releases, all on cassette, were raw documents of industrial noise: Tease (1983), Leathersex (1982), and Public Attack 3 (1982) each deliver relentless blasts of distorted vocals and tape manipulation. The group’s output was characterized by its lo-fi production and aggressive rhythms, echoing the brutalist ethos of contemporaries like Whitehouse and Ramleh. Leathersex, released through Iphar, stands out as a hallmark of the era's underground scene, while the self-released Public Attack 3 exemplifies their DIY ethos. Tease, the 1983 release, further cemented their influence in the industrial soundscape, leaving a lasting impression despite their brief existence.