Throbbing Gristle were an English music and
visual arts
The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...
group formed in 1975 in
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
by
Genesis P-Orridge
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson; 22 February 1950 – 14 March 2020) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmissions arti ...
,
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Carol Newby; 4 November 1951) is an English performance artist, musician and writer, best known for her time in the avant-garde groups Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey.
Tutti first performed under the name ...
,
Peter Christopherson
Peter Martin Christopherson (also known as Sleazy, 27 February 1955 – 25 November 2010) was an English musician, video director, commercial artist, designer and photographer, and former member of British design agency Hipgnosis.
He also found ...
, and
Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pioneers of
industrial music
Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...
. Evolving from the experimental
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
group
COUM Transmissions
COUM Transmissions was a music and performance art collective who operated in the United Kingdom from 1969 through to 1976. The collective was influenced by the Dada and surrealism artistic movements, the writers of the Beat Generation, and underg ...
, Throbbing Gristle made their public debut in October 1976 on COUM exhibition ''Prostitution'', and released their debut single "
United/Zyklon B Zombie
"United/Zyklon B Zombie" is the debut single by industrial band Throbbing Gristle. It was released in 7" vinyl format in May 1978, through the band's own Industrial Records.
Background
The single's A-side, "United", was called "one of the ...
" and debut album ''
The Second Annual Report
''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...
'' the following year. Lyrical themes mainly revolved around
mysticism
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
, extremist political ideologies, sexuality, dark or underground aspects of society, and idiosyncratic manipulation of language.
The band released several subsequent studio and live albums—including ''
D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle'' (1978), ''
20 Jazz Funk Greats
''20 Jazz Funk Greats'' is the third studio album by British industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in December 1979 by the band's label Industrial Records. It is known for its tongue-in-cheek title and artwork, and has been hailed ...
'' (1979), and ''
Heathen Earth
''Heathen Earth'' is a live album by the English industrial band Throbbing Gristle, released in 1980 through Industrial Records.
Background
Tracks 1–8 document their performance 16 February 1980 at the Industrial Records studio in front ...
'' (1980)—on their own record label
Industrial Records
Industrial Records is a record label established in 1976 by industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle. The group created the label primarily for self-releases but also signed several other groups and artists. The label gave a nam ...
, building a reputation with their
transgressive and confrontational aesthetics; they included the extensive use of disturbing visual imagery (such as ironic
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
and
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
symbolism and
pornography
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, ), as well as that of sound manipulation (noise and pre-recorded tape-based
samples) influenced by works of
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...
and
Brion Gysin
Brion Gysin (19 January 1916 – 13 July 1986) was a British-Canadian painter, writer, sound poet, performance artist and inventor of experimental devices.
He is best known for his use of the cut-up technique, alongside his close friend, the ...
.
Throbbing Gristle dissolved in 1981 due to interpersonal differences; the individual members went on to participate in other projects, such as
Psychic TV,
Coil, and
Chris & Cosey
Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and currently the sole surviving) members o ...
. The band was reformed in 2004, and released three more studio albums—''
TG Now
''TG Now'' is an album by English Industrial music, industrial band Throbbing Gristle. It was released in 2004 through the band's own record label Industrial Records and was their first album of original material since 1982's ''Journey Through ...
'' (2004), ''
Part Two'' (2007), and ''
The Third Mind Movements
''The Third Mind Movements'' is the final album released by British industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimiz ...
'' (2009)—before disbanding again after P-Orridge's departure and Christopherson's death in November 2010. P-Orridge later died in March 2020. The band's final studio project, a cover version of the 1970
Nico
Naftiran Intertrade Company Société à responsabilité limitée#In Switzerland, limited (NICO) is a Switzerland, Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC bu ...
album ''
Desertshore
''Desertshore'' is the third studio album by German musician Nico. It was released in December 1970 on the Reprise label.
Recording
''Desertshore'' was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Unlike its predecessor ''The Marble Index'' it incor ...
'' titled ''
The Desertshore Installation
''The Desertshore Installation'' is a box set that was released by Throbbing Gristle. The 12-CDr set documents the recording sessions of the cover version of Nico's third studio album, ''Desertshore''. These recordings were made as a document of ...
'', was released in 2012 under the moniker X-TG.
History
First era: 1976–1981
Throbbing Gristle evolved from the performance art group
COUM Transmissions
COUM Transmissions was a music and performance art collective who operated in the United Kingdom from 1969 through to 1976. The collective was influenced by the Dada and surrealism artistic movements, the writers of the Beat Generation, and underg ...
, formed in
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
by a group of performers including
Genesis P-Orridge
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson; 22 February 1950 – 14 March 2020) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmissions arti ...
and
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Carol Newby; 4 November 1951) is an English performance artist, musician and writer, best known for her time in the avant-garde groups Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey.
Tutti first performed under the name ...
. The last known performance of COUM Transmissions—''Prostitution'', an exhibition held in October 1976 at the
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch, the ICA c ...
—was also the public debut of Throbbing Gristle.
Throbbing Gristle's confrontational live performances and use of often disturbing imagery, including pornography and photographs of Nazi
concentration camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
s, earned the group a notorious reputation, but they 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 and special effects to produce a distinctive, highly distorted background, usually accompanied by lyrics or spoken-word performances by Tutti or P-Orridge. Though they asserted that 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
''Heathen Earth'' is a live album by the English industrial band Throbbing Gristle, released in 1980 through Industrial Records.
Background
Tracks 1–8 document their performance 16 February 1980 at the Industrial Records studio in front ...
''), Throbbing Gristle frequently associated with the
anarchist punk
Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcor ...
scene. They appeared in the
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
''Toxic Grafity'', with a condensation of their own propaganda parody series, Industrial News.
In 1977, they released their debut single "
United / Zyklon B Zombie", followed by the album ''
The Second Annual Report
''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...
''. Although pressed in a limited initial run of 786 copies on the band's
Industrial Records
Industrial Records is a record label established in 1976 by industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle. The group created the label primarily for self-releases but also signed several other groups and artists. The label gave a nam ...
label, it was rereleased on
Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...
following high demand; 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.
In 1981, Michael Sheppard, concert promoter and founder of
Transparency Record label, brought Throbbing Gristle to Los Angeles. On 29 May 1981, Throbbing Gristle performed at the
Kezar Pavilion
Kezar Pavilion, located adjacent to Kezar Stadium, is an indoor arena in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, United States (US). Built in 1924, the Pavilion seats 4,000 people and is owned and operated by the C ...
in San Francisco in what would be the group's last performance until 2004. Throbbing Gristle announced their dissolution on 23 June 1981, mailing out postcards declaring that their "mission is terminated." In a 1987 interview, Tutti attributed the band's split to her own breakup with P-Orridge, saying, "TG broke up because me and Gen broke up."
P-Orridge and Peter Christopherson went on to form
Psychic TV, and Tutti and Chris Carter continued to record together under the names of
Chris & Cosey
Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and currently the sole surviving) members o ...
,
Carter Tutti and Creative Technology Institute. Christopherson participated in Psychic TV's first releases, and later joined
John Balance
Geoffrey Nigel Laurence Rushton (16 February 1962 – 13 November 2004), better known under the pseudonyms John Balance or the later variation Jhonn Balance, was an English musician, occultist, artist and poet.
He was best known as a co-founde ...
in the latter project
Coil. P-Orridge subsequently formed
Thee Majesty
Thee Majesty was a British industrial music group.
History
In 1998, Genesis P-Orridge was ending their association with the name Psychic TV, the band they created after the termination of Throbbing Gristle. At the same time, they began conce ...
and
PTV3 with the help of his wife
Jacqueline "Jaye" Breyer.
Second era: 2004–2010
In 2004, Throbbing Gristle briefly reunited to record and release the limited album ''
TG Now
''TG Now'' is an album by English Industrial music, industrial band Throbbing Gristle. It was released in 2004 through the band's own record label Industrial Records and was their first album of original material since 1982's ''Journey Through ...
''. On 2 April 2007, TG released the album ''
Part Two'', which the group had finished recording in Berlin. It was originally set to be released by Mute Records 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.
A seven-disc DVD set titled ''
TGV
The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
'' was issued in 2007. 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 Christopherson.
The group performed a reinterpretation of their debut album ''
The Second Annual Report
''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...
'' twice in 2008 to mark 30 years since its original release. The performance in Paris on 6 June was issued as a limited-edition framed vinyl set titled ''The Thirty-Second Annual Report'', limited to 777 copies (though some sources claim that there were 785).
Throbbing Gristle worked to record an album based on their interpretation of
Nico
Naftiran Intertrade Company Société à responsabilité limitée#In Switzerland, limited (NICO) is a Switzerland, Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC bu ...
's album ''
Desertshore
''Desertshore'' is the third studio album by German musician Nico. It was released in December 1970 on the Reprise label.
Recording
''Desertshore'' was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd. Unlike its predecessor ''The Marble Index'' it incor ...
''. The group issued the entirety of the recording sessions for the album as a limited edition 12-CD set packaged in a custom CD wallet, ''
The Desertshore Installation
''The Desertshore Installation'' is a box set that was released by Throbbing Gristle. The 12-CDr set documents the recording sessions of the cover version of Nico's third studio album, ''Desertshore''. These recordings were made as a document of ...
'', which sold out via mail order from the group's website.
In April 2009, Throbbing Gristle toured the United States, appearing at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
and in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago. ''
The Third Mind Movements
''The Third Mind Movements'' is the final album released by British industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimiz ...
'', a new release, was made available at these shows, which was edited from jams recorded during the ''Desertshore'' sessions.
A collaboration with
Cerith Wyn Evans
Cerith Wyn Evans (born 1958 in Llanelli) is a Welsh conceptual artist, sculptor and film-maker. In 2018 he won the £30,000 Hepworth Prize for Sculpture.
Early life and education
The son of Sulwyn and Myfanwy Evans, Evans was born in Llanelli. ...
titled ''A=P=P=A=R=I=T=I=O=N'' was displayed at Tramway, Glasgow from 7 August to 27 September 2009. Throbbing Gristle contributed a multi-channel soundtrack that was played through 16 hanging
Audio Spotlight sound panels that Evans had incorporated into his sculpture.
In November 2009, Throbbing Gristle and
Industrial Records
Industrial Records is a record label established in 1976 by industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle. The group created the label primarily for self-releases but also signed several other groups and artists. The label gave a nam ...
released their version of the
Buddha Machine, titled Gristleism. It was designed by Throbbing Gristle and Christiaan Virant based on
FM3
FM3 (sometimes stylized as FM三) is the Beijing, China-based music duo of Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian. They are considered among the pioneers of electronic music in China. Since 1999, Virant and Jian have been creating meditative music by ...
's design. Gristleism offers more loops and almost twice the frequency range of the Buddha Machine. The player comes in three colours: black, chrome and red.
On 29 October 2010, Throbbing Gristle announced on their website that P-Orridge had informed them that they were no longer willing to perform with Throbbing Gristle and would be returning to their home in New York. Carter, Cosey and Christopherson finished the tour under the name X-TG.
P-Orridge's website stated that they had not quit Throbbing Gristle and had merely stopped participating on the current tour; it also said that an explanation would be released when all things were cleared up. However, on 24 November 2010, Christopherson died in his sleep at the age of 55, and the band subsequently dissolved.
Third era: 2011–present
In 2011,
Industrial Records
Industrial Records is a record label established in 1976 by industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle. The group created the label primarily for self-releases but also signed several other groups and artists. The label gave a nam ...
had an official "re-activation", as TG's contract with
Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...
had expired. Because TG has disbanded following the death of Christopherson, the label's plan is to re-release the original TG albums (''
The Second Annual Report
''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...
'', ''
D.o.A: The Third and Final Report'', ''
20 Jazz Funk Greats
''20 Jazz Funk Greats'' is the third studio album by British industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in December 1979 by the band's label Industrial Records. It is known for its tongue-in-cheek title and artwork, and has been hailed ...
'', ''
Heathen Earth
''Heathen Earth'' is a live album by the English industrial band Throbbing Gristle, released in 1980 through Industrial Records.
Background
Tracks 1–8 document their performance 16 February 1980 at the Industrial Records studio in front ...
'' and ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'') on the label. Originally intended to be released on 26 September 2011, they had to delay due to a Sony DADC warehouse fire in London. The plan changed to issue each album chronologically once per week starting on Halloween 2011 with ''The Second Annual Report'' and ending 28 November with ''Greatest Hits''.
Industrial Records announced that a double album, titled ''Desertshore/The Final Report'', would be released on 26 November 2012. Chris and Cosey produced the album, with the participation of guest vocalists
Anohni (from
Antony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni and her collaborators.
Career
British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro label ...
),
Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld (born Christian Emmerich, 12 January 1959) is a German musician who has been the lead singer of the band Einstürzende Neubauten since its formation in 1980. Bargeld was also a founding member of the Australian rock band Nick Cave a ...
(from
Einstürzende Neubauten
(, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The group is currently composed of founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals; guitar; keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments; perc ...
),
Marc Almond
Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He ...
(from
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...
), film director
Gaspar Noé
Gaspar Noé (, ; born 27 December 1963) is an Argentine filmmaker based in Paris, France. He is the son of Argentine painter, writer, and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé.
In the early 1990s, Noé along with his wife Lucile Hadžihalilović were ...
and former pornography star
Sasha Grey
Marina Ann Hantzis (born March 14, 1988), known professionally as Sasha Grey, is an American actress, model, writer, musician, and former pornographic actress. Grey began her acting career in the pornographic film industry, winning 15 awards for ...
.
A group decision had been made before Christopherson's death that the album would be recorded afresh because they were not satisfied with the ICA recordings. Christopherson had been the driving force behind the project and had been working on the record in Bangkok with
Danny Hyde
Danny Hyde is an experimental musician and remix artist. Hyde has contributed to production and mixing on many Coil albums, including ''Horse Rotorvator'', ''Love's Secret Domain'', ''The Remote Viewer'', '' Black Antlers'',''The Ape of Naples'', ...
, even getting custom instruments made to use for the album. "It was Sleazy's project, then Cosey and Sleazy's, then I came in on it", Carter said in an interview with ''
The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quiet ...
''. After Christopherson died, the ''Desertshore'' instruments were given to Carter and Cosey, and they began combining the recordings he had been making with the work they had done themselves. They announced plans to debut the album live at
AV Festival
AV Festival is an international festival of contemporary art, film and music, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. A biennial event, the Festival is thematically curated across contemporary artistic practice and wider society.
History
AV Festival 2014 ...
on 17 March 2012 accompanied by a screening of
Philippe Garrel
Philippe Garrel (; born 6 April 1948) is a French director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor, and producer, associated with the French New Wave movement. His films have won him awards at Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival.
...
's film ''The Inner Scar'' "for which ''Desertshore'' was the soundtrack and inspiration".
On 14 March 2020, P-Orridge died.
Legacy
The band is widely viewed as having created the
industrial music
Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...
genre, along with contemporaries
Cabaret Voltaire. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of
Industrial Records
Industrial Records is a record label established in 1976 by industrial music and visual arts group Throbbing Gristle. The group created the label primarily for self-releases but also signed several other groups and artists. The label gave a nam ...
by
Genesis P-Orridge
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson; 22 February 1950 – 14 March 2020) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmissions arti ...
and
Monte Cazazza
Monte Cazazza is an American artist and composer best known for his seminal role in helping shape industrial music through recordings with the London-based Industrial Records in the mid-1970s.
Career
Cazazza, based primarily in San Francisco du ...
; on Throbbing Gristle's debut album ''
The Second Annual Report
''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...
'', they coined the slogan "industrial music for industrial people".
The first wave of this music appeared with Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire.
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
included Throbbing Gristle in their 1996 list of "100 underground inspirations of the past 20 years."
''Wreckers of Civilization'', a survey on COUM Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle's original run written by Simon Ford, was published in 1999;
its title is a reference to the ''Prostitution'' exhibition controversy.
''
Other, Like Me: The Oral History of COUM Transmissions and Throbbing Gristle'', a documentary on both projects consisting of archival footage and photos and interviews with their members, was co-produced by
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...
and aired on
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002 in December 2021.
Cover versions
Artists which covered songs by Throbbing Gristle include
Marc Almond
Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the synthpop/ new wave duo Soft Cell where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He ...
,
Esplendor Geométrico,
Peaches
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fuz ...
,
The Horrorist,
Merzbow
is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by , best known for a style of harsh, confrontational noise. Since 1980, Akita has released over 400 recordings and has collaborated with various artists.
The name Merzbow comes from the German dada ...
,
Electrosexual
Electrosexual is a French electronic musician, composer, performer, record producer and music video director living in Berlin.
Career
Electrosexual's passion for early electronic engines and primitive sounds from analog synthesizers inspired hi ...
/
Hanin Elias
Hanin Elias (born 31 May 1972) is a Syrian German industrial/techno artist. She was a member of Atari Teenage Riot and is now a solo artist.
After Atari Teenage Riot's non-definitive break in 2000, and the subsequent death of Carl Crack fro ...
,
NON Non, non or NON can refer to:
* ''Non'', a negatory word in French, Italian and Latin
People
*Non (given name)
*Non Boonjumnong (born 1982), Thai amateur boxer
* Rena Nōnen (born 1993), Japanese actress who uses the stage name "Non" since July ...
,
Der Blutharsch
Der Blutharsch was an Austrian martial industrial, neofolk and psychedelic rock project created in 1996 by Albin Julius.
Group leader Albin Julius died on 4 May 2022.
History
Originally a side project to The Moon lay hidden beneath a Clou ...
,
Propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
and others.
Members
*
Genesis P-Orridge
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson; 22 February 1950 – 14 March 2020) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmissions arti ...
– bass guitar, violin, vocals, guitar
(1976–1981, 2004–2010; died 2020)
*
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Carol Newby; 4 November 1951) is an English performance artist, musician and writer, best known for her time in the avant-garde groups Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey.
Tutti first performed under the name ...
– guitars, cornet, vocals, tapes
(1976–1981, 2004–2010)
*
Peter Christopherson
Peter Martin Christopherson (also known as Sleazy, 27 February 1955 – 25 November 2010) was an English musician, video director, commercial artist, designer and photographer, and former member of British design agency Hipgnosis.
He also found ...
– tapes, sampler, found sounds, cornet, electronics
(1976–1981, 2004–2010; died 2010)
*
Chris Carter – synthesizers, tapes, electronics, programming
(1976–1981, 2004–2010)
Discography
During Throbbing Gristle's extensive career they have released numerous volumes of music including studio albums, live releases as well as box sets.
Studio albums
* ''
The Second Annual Report
''The Second Annual Report'' is the debut album by English industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in November 1977 through Industrial Records. It is a combination of live and studio recordings made from October 1976 to September 19 ...
'' (1977)
* ''
D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle'' (1978)
* ''
20 Jazz Funk Greats
''20 Jazz Funk Greats'' is the third studio album by British industrial music group Throbbing Gristle, released in December 1979 by the band's label Industrial Records. It is known for its tongue-in-cheek title and artwork, and has been hailed ...
'' (1979)
* ''
Journey Through a Body
''Journey Through a Body'' is the fourth studio album by industrial music pioneers Throbbing Gristle, released in Germany in April 1982 through record label Walter Ulbricht Schallfolien.
Background
The album was recorded in Rome in March 19 ...
'' (1982)
* ''
CD1 (untitled)'' (1986)
* ''
TG Now
''TG Now'' is an album by English Industrial music, industrial band Throbbing Gristle. It was released in 2004 through the band's own record label Industrial Records and was their first album of original material since 1982's ''Journey Through ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Part Two: The Endless Not'' (2007)
* ''
The Third Mind Movements
''The Third Mind Movements'' is the final album released by British industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimiz ...
'' (2009)
* ''Desertshore / The Final Report'' (2012) (as X-TG)
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{Authority control
Cassette culture 1970s–1990s
Ableton Live users
British industrial music groups
British electronic musicians
British experimental musical groups
English post-punk music groups
Dark ambient music groups
Musical groups from London
Musical groups established in 1975
Musical groups disestablished in 1981
Musical groups reestablished in 2004
Musical groups disestablished in 2011
Noise musical groups
Performance artist collectives
Industrial Records artists