Monte Cazazza, the artist and musician who coined the term “industrial” to describe progressive electronic rock music, has died at the age of 68.
Cazaza’s fellow musician and collaborator Meri St. Mary announced his passing on Twitter. “It is with great sadness and love that I have to let Monte go,” she wrote. “He was very ill and in pain so I take comfort that this part is over but I miss him already! Wherever we go I’m sure he’s going to cause trouble in his own way, RIP the one and only card Zhazha Mountain.”
Born on November 13, 1954, Kazazza began his career in California, creating gritty images by creating work of shock value. He was expelled from CalArts after completing his first sculpture assignment, where he created a cement waterfall that rendered the class building’s main staircase unusable.
Kazaza is best known for his sound collages and has released eight solo albums during his career. He was an early signer of Throbbing Gristle Industrial Records, and his phrase “industrial music for industrial people” – intended to describe the loud, experimental sound manipulations the label specialized in – led to the genre being named industrial .
In addition to his solo work, Cazazza has collaborated with bands such as Factrix, Chaos of the Night, The Atom Smashers, The Love Force and Esperik Glare. He has produced nine albums for Psychic TV, the group founded by Throbbing Gristle’s Genesis P-Orridge. his last album, cynic, Arrived in 2010.
It is with great sadness and love that I have to let Monte go. He was very sick and miserable, so I take comfort that that part is over, but I miss him already!Wherever we go, I’m sure he’ll make trouble in his own way, rest in peace the one and only Mount Casazza pic.twitter.com/SWoOjqQHz8
— Meri St Mary (@MeriStMary) June 30, 2023