Plug into Nitzer Ebb’s playlist of influential tracks

Welcome back to Selections, a series of artist-curated playlists from those in the know.

Nitzer Ebb can stake a claim to be one of the most influential acts in EBM. Initially formed by Vaughan ‘Bon’ Harris, Douglas McCarthy and David Gooday in Chelmsford in 1982, the Nitzer Ebb project has long been associated with the propulsive and industrial strain of electronic music, as well as other strands of hard-hitting dance music. “We started as school friends who enjoyed skateboarding, music and drinking cider,” mused McCarthy in a 2012 interview, adding that early influences encompassed “a fairly eclectic array of artists and styles – [40s] jazz, [50s] rock ‘n’ roll, disco, punk and the post-punk scene.”

Their debut single, 1985’s Isn’t It Funny How Your Body Works, was released via their own Power Of Voice Communications imprint – a joint venture with PWL producer Phil Harding. Successive singles, including Warsaw Ghetto and Get Clean, also landed via the label. It was their signing to Mute Records, however, alongside debut album That Total Age and time spent touring with label mates Depeche Mode, that propelled the group – whose current line-up also includes Simon Granger – onto the global stage. 

Their exclusive Selections playlist – shared ahead of a forthcoming Percolate Live gig in London – is made up of tracks that retain a similar intensity to their own sound, along with tunes from peers and early influences such as Siouxsie and the Banshees (“never a dull moment with the Banshees. Funny as fuck, hard-working, great”), Funkadelic (“inspirational band on so many levels. We have been grateful for George Clinton’s kind words over the years”) and The Pop Group (“intense production and delivery wins out from start to finish”). Much like the playlist itself, in many ways.