Mentallo & the Fixer: Pioneers of Dark Electro-Industrial

Mentallo & the Fixer is an American electronic music project known for its dense, atmospheric, and often aggressive soundscapes. Hailing from Texas, the duo has built a dedicated following within the industrial and dark electronic genres through a prolific and influential catalog of albums.

Early career

The project was formed in the late 1980s by brothers Gary and Dwayne Dassing. Operating from their home state of Texas, they began crafting a unique blend of harsh electro-industrial, dark ambient, and experimental electronics, initially releasing material on cassette through the underground tape-trading network.

Breakthrough

Mentallo & the Fixer's first major breakthrough came with the 1992 album Where Angels Fear to Tread, released on the German label Zoth Ommog. This album, and its 1994 follow-up Revelations 23, solidified their reputation for complex, layered production and apocalyptic themes, establishing them as key figures in the 1990s electro-industrial scene.

Key tracks

Vengeance Is Mine - This track from their debut album exemplifies their early aggressive, sample-heavy electro-industrial style.

Ecclesiastes - A defining song from Revelations 23, showcasing their skill at merging melodic synth passages with pounding rhythmic structures.

Fathom - This later work demonstrates the group's evolution into more atmospheric and dark ambient territories while retaining an industrial edge.

Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Mentallo & the Fixer continued to release albums on labels like Metropolis Records, exploring darker, more experimental, and sometimes IDM-influenced directions. Their work remains a touchstone for fans of intricate and shadowy electronic music.

Listeners who appreciate the textured, dark electronics of Mentallo & the Fixer might also explore the work of Skinny Puppy, whose pioneering industrial sound shares a similar experimental spirit. The rhythmic intensity of Front Line Assembly also parallels their earlier work, while the atmospheric depth of Download explores adjacent sonic territories.

The music of Mentallo & the Fixer is featured on various online radio streams specializing in industrial, dark electro, and alternative electronic genres. Their catalog provides a compelling journey through the shadows of American electronic music.

You can discover the dense sonic world of Mentallo & the Fixer through the radio stations available on onairium.com, where their influential brand of dark electro-industrial music is regularly featured.