The term was coined in the mid-1970s,[1] and precursors included acts such as electronic group Kraftwerk, experimental rock acts such as The Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa, psychedelic rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix, and composers such as John Cage.

AllMusic defines industrial as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music"; "initially a blend of avant-garde electronics experiments (tape music, musique concrète, white noise, synthesizers, sequencers, etc.)

In North America in particular, electro-industrial music is often termed industrial dance, and since the late 1980s industrial music festivals often attract industrial fans termed rivetheads or cybergoths,[3] with other countercultures such as cyberpunk and goth appearing as well.

The rivethead dress code that emerged in the late 1980s[4] is militaristic with hints of punk aesthetics and fetish fashion,[5] while cybergoth fashion from the late 1990s combines rivethead industrial aesthetics with a style associated with "gravers" (gothic ravers).

[4] Focusing on more atmospheric acts and a darker aesthetic, it has been held in a renovated monastery.