Eklesia: The Industrial Rock Innovator

Eklesia is an industrial rock and electronic music project founded by multi-instrumentalist and producer Alexei Volkov in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The artist broke through to a global audience with the 2018 album Neon Psalms, which charted on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and spawned several viral industrial hits.

Early career

Alexei Volkov formed Eklesia as a solo studio endeavor in 2012, blending his background in classical piano with aggressive synth programming and distorted guitar. His self-released debut EP, Circuit Hymns, gained a cult following on underground music platforms in 2014, leading to a signing with the independent European label Synthetic Sound Records the following year.

Breakthrough

Eklesia's major breakthrough arrived in 2018 with the release of the sophomore album Neon Psalms on Synthetic Sound. The album's lead single gained traction on alternative radio and streaming playlists, propelling the album to number 14 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and earning a gold certification in Russia for over 100,000 units sold.

Key tracks

Neon Psalms — This title track defined the project's signature sound of melodic synth lines over punishing rhythmic noise.

Asphalt Prayer — The breakthrough single that cracked alternative rock radio formats in Europe and North America in 2018.

Data Ghost — A collaboration with Swedish producer LYKKE, notable for merging EBM beats with traditional rock song structure.

Iron Faith — Featured in the soundtrack of the video game Cyberpunk 2077, expanding Eklesia's reach to a new audience.

Cathedral of Wires — A later career hit from the 2022 album Automatic Mass that peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.

Following the success of Neon PsalmsAutomatic Mass, saw a shift towards a more accessible sound while maintaining its mechanical core, debuting at number 5 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. A notable collaboration with veteran industrial band KMFDM on the 2023 single Systematic further cemented Eklesia's place in the modern genre landscape.

Fans of Eklesia's fusion of guitar-driven aggression and electronic precision should also explore Combichrist for their similar aggressive aggrotech style. 3Teeth shares the same knack for politically-charged industrial metal with massive synth hooks. The earlier work of Ministry provides a clear blueprint for the guitar-synth fusion Eklesia employs. For a more melodic take on the genre, VNV Nation offers a comparable focus on anthemic, future-pop elements within an industrial framework.

Eklesia's music maintains a strong presence on radio stations that champion aggressive electronic and alternative rock. Their tracks are regularly featured in the rotations of specialist industrial programs, university radio stations, and online rock streams that focus on the harder edges of the genre, ensuring their pulsating anthems reach dedicated listeners worldwide.

Listeners can discover the powerful industrial rock of Eklesia through the dedicated radio stations available on onairium.com. Tune in to hear their key tracks and latest releases featured across a network of alternative and electronic music stations.