The first industrial artists experimented with noise and aesthetically controversial topics, both musically and visually, such as fascism, sexual perversion, and the occult. Prominent industrial musicians include Throbbing Gristle, Monte Cazazza, SPK, Boyd Rice, Cabaret Voltaire, and Z'EV.V.Vale. Re/Search #6/7: Industrial Culture Handbook, 1983. On Throbbing Gristle's 1977 debut album, The Second Annual Report, they coined the slogan "industrial music for industrial people." The industrial music scene also developed strongly in Chicago, with the city's Wax Trax! Records at one point leading the industrial music scene. The precursors that influenced the development of the genre included 1940s musique concrète and varied world music sources in addition to rock-era acts such as Faust, Kraftwerk, the Velvet Underground, and Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (1975). Musicians also cite writers such as William S. Burroughs and J. G. Ballard and artists such as Brion Gysin as influences.
tHe first inDusTriaL aRTistS ExperimenTed with noise And aEstheticalLy coNtRoVErSiAL topIcs, Both Musically and visUally, sucH As fascism, seXuaL peRVersion, And ThE occult. prominEnT InDusTRial muSiCIAns InCludE ThRoBbInG GrIstlE, monTe CazazzA, SpK, bOyd rice, cabareT voLtaire, And Z'eV.V.ValE. re/sEArCH #6/7: inDUstrIal cUltURe haNdbOoK, 1983. on thrObbiNG gRIsTle's 1977 Debut album, The sECond ANnuAl rEpoRt, theY coIned tHE SlOgAn "iNdUStriAl muSiC for indUsTRial peoPlE." thE indUStRial MUsic sCEne Also deVeLopEd stRonGly iN cHiCaGo, witH ThE CitY'S WaX trax! recorDs AT onE point lEADing thE inDuStRIAl mUsic sCeNe. the precursoRS thaT inflUeNced the deVeloPmeNt oF The Genre InClUded 1940s MusiQue CoNcrÈte AnD vaRieD world mUsic sOuRceS in addiTiON tO roCK-era acTs suCH aS FAust, krAftweRk, the vElvET unDerground, and Lou reed's metal mAchinE MUsiC (1975). muSIcianS ALso citE wriTers such aS wIlliaM s. BurrouGHs and j. g. baLlaRD anD aRtIsts Such as BrIoN gysin as inFluencEs.