UK-based percussionist and electronic music innovator, John Russell built a distinctive career spanning multiple genres since the early 1980s. A founding member of industrial pioneers SPK and post-punk experimentalists The Associates, Russell established himself as a versatile collaborator, working extensively with avant-garde acts including Death In June and composer Ollie Olsen. His percussion work became integral to the darker, more experimental corners of electronic and industrial music.
Throughout his career, Russell pursued numerous solo projects that showcased his range across electronic, industrial, and experimental soundscapes. His contributions to the UK underground music scene—both as a performer and sonic architect—helped define the aesthetic of post-industrial and experimental electronic music from the 1980s onward. Based in Berlin from 2006, Russell remained an influential figure in electronic music until his death in 2015.