THE STORY
In 2018, inspired by the lawless, collaborative spirit of Chicago’s iconic 80s and 90s Wax Trax! Records industrial scene, musician/producer Dan Milligan set out to curate a modern collective of his own. In less than a single year, his vision blossomed into The Joy Thieves…a lethal, ever-evolving supergroup of industrial, alternative, and rock icons from across the globe.
Today, the group’s 80+ member roster boasts musicians who have shared stages and studios with foundational icons like Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, and Killing Joke, alongside underground legends from Pigface, RevCo, KMFDM, Machines of Loving Grace, and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult.
At the epicenter of this chaotic creative army are its founders, and chief sonic architects: Milligan, and audio engineer/bassist James Scott. Working as Joy Thieves Productions, the duo has perfected the art of distilling the raw, chaotic musical ideas of dozens of artists into one singular, powerful vision.
The result is a sound that belongs entirely to The Joy Thieves: the sound of more than 80 musicians actively defying the nostalgia of their legendary pasts by aggressively looking toward the future. It is a monolithic wall of sound that Milligan perfectly captures in a single paradox: “It’s created by all of us. And yet, none of us.”
