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| Justin Broadrick | |
|---|---|
| Name | Justin Broadrick |
| Birth date | 1969 |
| Birth place | Birmingham, England |
| Occupations | Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, remixer |
| Genres | Industrial metal, post-metal, shoegaze, ambient, dub, grindcore, electronic |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, drums, bass, keyboards, sampler, drum machine |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | Relapse Records, Earache Records, Hymen Records, Hydra Head Records, Mute Records |
| Associated acts | Godflesh, Jesu, Napalm Death, Final, Techno Animal, Head of David, Cathedral, Broadrick projects |
Justin Broadrick is an English musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and remixer known for pioneering contributions to industrial metal, post-metal, electronica, and experimental music. Emerging from the Birmingham scene in the 1980s, he has led and collaborated with influential acts that bridged extreme metal, noise, dub, and electronic subcultures. His work spans bands, solo projects, production roles, and label management, impacting artists across metal, electronic, and experimental communities.
Born in Birmingham, England, Broadrick grew up amid the industrial landscape that shaped scenes around Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and the broader Midlands music culture. As a teenager he was influenced by the DIY ethos of Anarcho-punk venues and records from labels such as Crass and Peaceville Records, attending shows by bands like Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, and Godflesh predecessors. Early associations included local groups such as Head of David and encounters with figures from Merciless and the broader UK extreme music network. He developed technical skills on guitar, drums, and early samplers, inspired by producers and engineers linked to studios in Sheffield and Leicester.
Broadrick first gained prominence as a founding member of projects connected to the rise of grindcore and industrial scenes alongside artists from Napalm Death and Earache Records alumni. He co-founded a seminal industrial metal group that released albums on Earache Records and toured with acts like Sonic Youth, Ministry, and Fear Factory. Mid-career he shifted toward slower, more textured forms with a project that explored shoegaze and post-rock aesthetics, collaborating with labels such as Hydra Head Records and Relapse Records. Concurrently he maintained electronic outlets, producing ambient and dub-influenced work for labels including Hymen Records and Mute Records.
Broadrick's projects span extreme metal, electronica, ambient, and experimental collaborations. Notable bands and projects include the industrial metal outfit often associated with Guitarist Justin Broadrick's early profile, the post-metal/shoegaze project that released records with Ivo Watts-Russell-era influences, and numerous electronic aliases that connected him with producers from Ambient and IDM networks. Collaborative efforts feature partnerships with members of Napalm Death, producers from Trent Reznor's era of industrial rock, remix exchanges involving Godspeed You! Black Emperor-adjacent artists, and joint ventures with figures linked to Coil, Current 93, Autechre, Squarepusher, Jello Biafra, Justin K. Broadrick collaborators across scenes. He has guested with Cathedral, contributed remix work for Nine Inch Nails-era contemporaries, and performed with artists tied to Sub Pop and Rough Trade Records networks.
Broadrick's style fuses heavy guitar textures, machine-like rhythms, dub production techniques, and shoegaze atmospherics, drawing influence from bands and producers such as Black Sabbath, Swans, My Bloody Valentine, Public Image Ltd., Throbbing Gristle, Public Enemy production aesthetics, and dub pioneers associated with King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry. He cites inspiration from experimental composers and electronic acts including Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, Can, Kraftwerk, and Fela Kuti for rhythmic and textural approaches. His production sensibility reflects engineers and studios linked to Steve Albini, Martin Bisi, Conny Plank, and collaboration networks around Martyn Young and Paul Barker.
Selected releases include early grindcore and industrial records on Earache Records and other independent labels; post-metal and shoegaze-influenced albums on Hydra Head Records and Relapse Records; ambient, dub, and electronic records on Hymen Records and Mute Records. Notable formats span LPs, EPs, singles, and remix compilations issued through distributors connected to The End Records, Season of Mist, Southern Lord, and Peaceville Records. He has also contributed to compilations and split releases alongside artists from Napalm Death, Godflesh contemporaries, Jesu peers, and electronic acts associated with Warp Records and Ninja Tune.
Beyond performing, Broadrick has produced records for bands across metal and experimental scenes, working in studios tied to figures like Steve Albini and engineers associated with Electrical Audio and Rockfield Studios. He has remixed tracks for artists signed to Mute Records, 4AD, and Island Records, and released material through imprints that collaborated with Relapse Records distribution networks. His label-related activities include curating releases, co-running small independent labels, and contributing to archival reissues connected to Earache Records and Hydra Head Records catalogs.
Broadrick is widely regarded as an influential figure in crossover genres linking industrial music and extreme metal with ambient and electronic innovation, cited by musicians in scenes around post-metal, shoegaze revival, blackgaze, and industrial rock. Critics from publications aligned with Pitchfork, The Wire, Decibel Magazine, Kerrang!, and Metal Hammer have documented his impact, and academic discussions in texts about contemporary music and sound studies reference his role in genre hybridization. His work continues to be sampled, covered, and referenced by artists on labels such as Relapse Records, Southern Lord, and Hydra Head Records, affirming a legacy across multiple musical communities.
Category:English musicians Category:Record producers