DESSAU is the musical output mainly of one John Elliott. Mining a similar artistic vein as Nitzer Ebb and early Ministry, DESSAU delivered powerful, rhythmic industrial dance tracks that translated better to the dancefloor than to the home stereo. Songs like "Suffer", "Sun 90", "Unshakeable" and of course, "Isolation" are well known amongst the scene's "older" aggro fans.

Elliott began his musical career in 1979 as drummer for Nashville punk rock outfit Cloverbottom. Elliott later experimented with electronic percussion as a member of Actuals, later known as Factual. After becoming fed up with the stagnant Nashville rock scene, Elliott moved to Chicago in the fall of 1981, joining Stations and working with Manchester producer Martin Hannett (Joy Division, New Order). He also gained valuable friendships with Ministry's Al Jourgensen and Steve Albini (Pixies/Nirvana). Returning to Nashville in 1983, Elliott formed DESSAU and worked again with Martin Hannett on DESSAU's first 12" EP, RED LANGUAGES.

Working with veteran Nashville rockers Skot Nelson (guitar), Mike Orr (bass) & Barry Nelson (bass), DESSAU would release a series of dance-oriented 12" EPs through the latter half of the '80s, including HAPPY MOOD in 1986. The 1988 Mad Hog EP 12" featured a remix of the dance floor hit "Unshakeable" by Ministry's Al Jourgensen. Both Jourgensen & Paul Barker would contribute to the 1988 cover of Joy Division's "Isolation" which would become DESSAU's dancefloor break-through. The album, EXERCISE IN TENSION, which followed in 1989, included "Isolation". The CD version included "Beijing", DESSAU's third dance track hit.

During the '90s, Elliott turned toward other projects which included Passafist, Rebecca St. James, Final Cut, Lick, Pyskosonik & writing the theme music for the Wax Trax! Black Box DVD with Chris Randall of Sister Machine Gun. Re-forming DESSAU with guitarist Norm Rau, Elliott released the heavier, less dance-oriented DETAILS SKETCHY in 1995, collaborating with members of Ministry, Die Warzau, Pigface, & Filter. Mausoleum / BMG Records would later buy the rights to the DESSAU back catalog; the MAD HOG EP, "Isolation" & 5 unreleased Paul Barker 1990 produced tracks highlight the label's 1995 release DESSAU.

DESSAU has worked with a virtual "who's-who" of "Industrial" including Paul Barker and Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Jason McNinch (Lick), Van Christie / Jim Marcus (Die Warzau), Luc Van Acker (Revco), Richard Patrick (Filter) and many others. DESSAU has toured with Nitzer Ebb, Pigface, Urban Dance Squad & Die Warzau. DESSAU has remixed Chemlab "Monkey God" & Croc Shop "Order + Joy".