| Throbbing Gristle |
Throbbing Gristle performing live in 2008 |
| Background information |
| Origin |
Kingston upon Hull, England |
| Genres |
Industrial, avant-garde, electronic, experimental, performance art, noise, dark ambient, noise rock |
| Years active |
1975–1981, 2004–2010 |
| Labels |
Industrial Records
Mute Records |
| Associated acts |
Psychic TV, Coil, Chris & Cosey, Carter Tutti, Soisong, SplinterTest, Monte Cazazza |
| Website |
www.throbbing-gristle.com |
| Past members |
Peter Christopherson
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Chris Carter
Genesis P-Orridge |
Throbbing Gristle were an English industrial, avant-garde music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions. The band consisted of Genesis P-Orridge (born Neil Megson - bass guitar, violin, vocals, vibraphone), Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitars, cornet, vocals), Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson (tapes, found sounds, horns, piano, vibraphone, synthesizer), and Chris Carter (synthesizers, tapes, electronics).
History
First era: 1975 to 1981
Throbbing Gristle evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions, which was formed in Kingston Upon Hull, England, by a group of performers centered on 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 made extensive use of pre-recorded tape-based 'samples'[1] and 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 appeared in the fanzine Toxic Grafity, with a condensation of their own propaganda parody series, Industrial News.[2]
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".[citation needed]
Genesis P-Orridge and Peter Christopherson went on to form Psychic TV, while Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter continued to record together under the names of Chris and Cosey, Carter Tutti 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 late wife, Jacqueline "Jaye" Breyer.
Second era: 2004–2010
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 TG Now, it was their first studio album in twenty five 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.[3]
A 7-disc DVD set, titled TGV, was issued in 2007.[4] The set contains old and new footage of the band. "TGV" came packaged in a deluxe box with a 64-page book, all designed by Peter Christopherson.[5]
The group performed a re-interpretation of their debut album The Second Annual Report twice in 2008 to mark thirty years since the original release.[6] The performance in Paris on the 6th of June was issued as a limited edition framed vinyl set entitled The Thirty-Second Annual Report, which was limited to 777 copies (as the group claim the original was, although other sources claim that there were 785[7]).
Throbbing Gristle worked to record an album based on their interpretation of Nico's album Desertshore.[8] The group issued the entirety of the recording sessions for this album as a limited edition 12CD set packaged in a custom CD wallet, The Desertshore Installation, which sold out via mail order from the group's website.[9]
In April 2009, Throbbing Gristle toured the United States, appearing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. A new release was made available at these shows, The Third Mind Movements, which was edited from jams recorded during the Desertshore recording sessions.
A collaboration with Cerith Wyn Evans titled A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N was displayed at Tramway, Glasgow from the 7th of August to 27 September 2009. Throbbing Gristle contributed a multi-channel soundtrack that was played through sixteen hanging Audio Spotlight sound panels that Evans had incorporated into his sculpture.[10]
In November 2009, Throbbing Gristle and Industrial Records released their version of the Buddha Machine called Gristleism. It was designed by Throbbing Gristle and Christiaan Virant based on FM3's design. Gristleism offers more loops and almost twice the frequency range of the Buddha Machine. The player comes in three colors: black, chrome and red.[11]
On October 29, 2010, Throbbing Gristle announced on their website that Genesis P-Orridge had informed them that he was no longer willing to perform with Throbbing Gristle and would be returning to his home in New York. Chris, Cosey and Peter would finish the tour under the name X-TG.
However, Genesis P-Orridge's website stated that he had not quit Throbbing Gristle and had just stopped participating on the current tour, it also said that an explanation would be released when all things were cleared up. However, on November 24, 2010, Peter Christopherson died in his sleep at the age of 55, and the band subsequently dissolved.[12]
In 2011, Industrial Records had an official "re-activation" as TG's contract with Mute Records had expired. Since TG has permanently disbanded following the death of Sleazy, the label's plan is to re-release the original TG albums (The Second Annual Report, D.o.A: The Third and Final Report, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, Heathen Earth, and Greatest Hits) on the label. Originally intended to be released en masse on September 26, 2011, they had to delay due to a Sony DADC warehouse fire in London. The new plan is that each album will be released chronologically once every week starting on Halloween 2011 with The Second Annual Report and ending November 28 with Greatest Hits.[13][dated info]
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.
Discography
During Throbbing Gristle's extensive career they have released numerous volumes of music including studio albums, live releases as well as box sets.
See also
References
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]
- 20 Jazz Funk Greats (33⅓) (Paperback) "20 Jazz Funk Greats by Drew Daniel for 33⅓ music series"
External links
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Throbbing Gristle (TG)
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