Artist
Mental Anguish
Mental Anguish, an industrial artist from the United States, crafts abrasive soundscapes through 20 cassette releases since 1982.
About
Mental Anguish emerged from the United States in 1982, sculpting soundscapes as abrasive as their name suggests. Across 20 cassette releases, they constructed a body of work that is mechanical and relentless, yet imbued with dark ambient textures. Their sonic evolution was documented through a network of underground labels such as Harsh Reality Music, Deaf Eye, and Korm Plastics, where each tape served as a chapter in their industrial narrative. The 1989 release, "A Potentially Damaging Impact," on Deaf Eye, stands out as a critical moment in their discography. It captures the essence of their distorted rhythms and experimental tape manipulation. "Misty," released in 1990 through Alternate Media Tapes, further solidified their position in the scene with its atmospheric textures and harsh soundscapes. Mental Anguish's music was functional and dystopian, echoing the influences of contemporaries like SPK and Minamata, yet maintaining a unique approach to sound design. The titles themselves — "Panic In The Sun," "The Masking Of Truth," "Hellhole" — evoke a world in decay, a fitting backdrop for their mechanical approach to composition. This was not music for the masses. It was targeted, deliberate, and crafted for those who delved into the experimental depths of the industrial underground.
