Throbbing Gristle
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| Throbbing Gristle | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre(s) | Avant-garde Industrial Experimental Performance art Noise Dark ambient |
| Years active | 1975-1981, 2004-Present |
| Label(s) | Industrial Records Mute Records |
| Associated acts | Psychic TV, Coil, Chris & Cosey |
| Website | www.throbbing-gristle.com |
| Members | |
| Genesis P-Orridge Peter Christopherson Cosey Fanni Tutti Chris Carter |
|
Throbbing Gristle is a British industrial music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions. The band consists of Genesis P-Orridge (bass, violin, vocals), Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitars, cornet), Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson (tapes, found sounds, horns), and Chris Carter (synthesizer).
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[edit] History
[edit] First era: 1975 to 1981
Throbbing Gristle evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions, a group of performers centered around Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti. The final performance of COUM Transmissions in 1976 was the debut of Throbbing Gristle.
Throbbing Gristle's confrontational live performances and use of often disturbing imagery, including pornography and photographs of Nazi concentration camps, gave the group a notorious reputation. However the group always maintained that their mission was to challenge and explore the darker and obsessive sides of the human condition rather than to make attractive music. Throbbing Gristle pioneered the use of pre-recorded tape-based 'samples'[citation needed], and made extensive use of special effects to produce a distinctive, highly distorted background, usually accompanied by lyrics or spoken-word performances by Cosey Fanni Tutti or Genesis P-Orridge. Though they asserted they wanted to provoke their audience into thinking for themselves rather than pushing any specific agenda (as evidenced by the song "Don't Do As You're Told, Do As You Think" on Heathen Earth), Throbbing Gristle also frequently associated with the anarchist punk scene. They even appeared on the infamous Crass pamphlet Toxic Grafity, with a condensation of their own propaganda parody series, Industrial News.[1]
In 1977 they released their debut single United/Zyklon B Zombie, followed by an album, Second Annual Report. Although pressed in a limited initial run of 786 copies on the band's own Industrial Records label, it was later re-released due to high demand on Mute records, however this later release was reversed with all tracks playing backwards and in reverse order. This was followed by a series of albums, singles and live performances over a four year period.
On 29 May 1981, Throbbing Gristle performed at the Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco, California, USA. This concert marked the end of the group and its mission. As Cosey succinctly put it, "TG broke up because me and Gen broke up".
Genesis P-Orridge and Peter Christopherson went on to form Psychic TV, whilst Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter continued to record together under the names of Chris and Cosey and Creative Technology Institute. Christopherson later went on to become half of the band Coil with his partner and fellow Psychic TV member, the late John Balance. Meanwhile, Gen (now known as Genesis Breyer P-Orridge) subsequently formed Thee Majesty and PTV3 with the help of his wife, Jacqueline "Jaye" Breyer.
[edit] Reunion: 2004-Present
In 2004, Throbbing Gristle reunited for a brief while to record and release the limited album TG Now. On April 2, 2007, TG released the album Part Two which the group had finished recording in Berlin. With the exception of the limited release TG Now, it was their first studio album in 25 years. It was originally set to be released by Mute in September 2006 but was delayed for unknown reasons.
In March 2007 Side-Line announced Part Two's final release date, adding that a string of special live events would take place in 2007. [2]
A 7-disc DVD set, titled TGV, is currently available for preorder.[3] The set contains old and new footage of the band. "TGV" comes packaged in a deluxe box with a 64-page book, all designed by Peter Christopherson.[4]
Throbbing Gristle are currently recording a new album based on their interpretation of Nico's album Desertshore. [5]
Throbbing Gristle appeared at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday, April 19, 2009.
Throbbing Gristle are playing in San Francisco on Thursday, April 23, 2009. Project One Gallery is featuring a Throbbing Gristle art show and after party for the SF show.[6]
[edit] Live
Throbbing Gristle are noted for their live performances, which are often experimental and quite different from their recorded work. In addition to studio albums, a large number of recordings of live shows have been released.
[edit] Discography
During Throbbing Gristle's extensive career they have released numerous volumes of music including studio albums, live releases as well as box sets.
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ http://www.southern.com/southern/label/CRC/09407F.html
- ^ "Throbbing Gristle announce special live events to celebrate first new album in over 25 years". http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=21321_0_2_0_C. Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
- ^ http://www.throbbing-gristle.com/tg/tg.html
- ^ 7DVD box set for Throbbing Gristle
- ^ "Desertshore (new Throbbing Gristle album) planned for 2008". http://tg.greedbag.com/news/. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
- ^ "Project One Gallery)". http://p1sf.com.
[edit] Further reading
- RE/Search: Industrial Culture Handbook
- "Rip It up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984", Simon Reynolds
- "Wreckers of Civilization: The Story of Coum Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle", Simon Ford, Black Dog Publishing, 2001 [1]
- "Industrial Music For Industrial People", Éric Duboys, Camion Blanc, 2007 (In French) [2]
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Throbbing Gristle |
- Throbbing-Gristle.com Official website
- Throbbing Gristle at Brainwashed
- Genesis P-Orridge interview by Tony Oursler
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