Throbbing Gristle: RFI

If you're looking for something that akin to synthpop, but just "off" enough, then "20 Jazz Funk Greats" is the one to get.

Something in between? "The Second Annual Report" or the others around it.

I have "TG1", but I don't listen to it often enough to make a recommendation.

Though they did coin the term "industrial", please PLEASE don't think of Throbbing Gristle as anything that approximates, say, Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb or Front Line Assembly or that lot. Not that I mind the latter groups (or most of them anyway), but the early 80s Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft records are a more direct influence on 80s and 90s "industrial" dance music... or the Wax Trax! era, or what have you.

I'm having trouble sleeping. ("Our aim is wakefulness.")

the records :

2nd Annual Report -- arguably their most revolting record, except that TG communicate that feeling quite effectively and quite deliberately -- you may not need to hear that record more than once and arguably might not wish to be caught owning it, but it certainly explains the initial public fuss, while cutting to the chase -- really three very well realised music sequences

3rd Annual/DoA -- more bitsy and a truer "report" of "experiments" in "rock music", like the situationalist "Death Threats" (left by members of the public on TGs answer phone), or the borish found art "IBM" (sound of TG jamming with a computer tape), "Hamburger Lady" (comment/song as expoitation tabloid trash) -- also includes a piece by each member on their own, and since they all went on to do diverse/perverse stuff, some insight -- lots of ideas

20 Jazz Funk Greats -- one of the first deliberate and self-conscious cringe/camp records -- quite cool subverted song forms, as has been noted in thread -- again lots of ideas

Heathen Earth -- attempted "honest" live in studio record -- goes on a bit, and with none of the immaculate cut'n'paste of previous records in the name of said honesty, not their best gig -- i don't think the songs really cut it

Mission of Dead Souls -- like if you'd recorded Rotten's last Pistols gig, this'd be it -- a real bad gig, badly recorded -- the ultimate "bad live album" -- like, if you buy it you're a completist, dummy

and then the campy "Greatest Hits" collecting the wacky singles like Zyclon B Zombie, Subhuman, Adrenalin, Discipline etc. (how handy) -- the mute re-issues of the 5 "classic" TG records listed above appended most of these singles anyway, if you really need to ..

and then all the posthumous smelly corpse stuff -- out-takes, live successes, ie more of the same, but not concept albums, not part of the "classic 5", with the exception of "TG1", one of the very first "alternative" CDs released to the new and very slowly emerging CD market, and so collectible -- listening to it will drive you mad bored if you do not have ADHD -- flogging the horse via new format cash-in

all designed to present a truly alternative view of record buying and collecting fashions, fetishes, follies ...

all in all a brief (4 years I think) but well constructed performance art commentary on the record industry (studio name "Death Factory") naff seediness and useful/negative real rock music as commentary on Thatcher, sex crimes, some peoples lives are _really_ shitty etc.. -- like one of the more intelligent things to ride on the punk wave

industrial music -- TG coined the phrase in '76-'77, written on the notes to 2nd Annual Report -- mocking the big "industry" surrounding what's meant to be "art"

these days the "industrial" niche market represented at it's most cynical by Nine Inch Nails types is just frustrated-adolescent music and if it does say anything about "music", well it's already been said

conclusion: listen to TG records and CDs and the offshoots like Chris&Cosey, PTV, Coil at some rabid collector's house -- why have an art installation on permanent repeat in yr living room, especially if the "art" is so rooted in its times and the "truths" aren't so pretty ?

I own it on vinyl. I've heard it once.

Introduction/ Very Friendly (I.C.A., London, 18th October 1976)
Forced Entry (Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, 7th May 1977)
Assume Power Focus (Rat Club, London, 17th December 1977)
IBM/ It's Always The Way/ Hamburger Lady (Goldsmiths College, London, 18th May 1978)
Mother Spunk (Industrial Training College, Wakefield, 1st July 1978)
New After Cease To Exist Soundtrack (London Film Makers Co-Op, 6th July 1978)
Introduction/ Whistling Song (The Crypt Club, London, 11th November 1978)
Weapon Training/ See You Are/ Convincing People (The Factory, Manchester, 18th May 1979)
Russ (Goldsmiths College, London, 13th March 1980)
Trained Condition Of Obedience (SO36 Club, Berlin, 7th November 1980)
Auschwitz (Rafters, Manchester, 4th December 1980)

Note how they drop off towards the end of the group's existence. Psychic TV were an embarassment. Coil and Chris/Cosey are merely dull.

"20 Jazz Funk Greats" is a fun album, very clever and eclectic - recommended for beginners while lacking the ferocity of primetime TG.

'heathen earth' is really good. kraftwerk's evil cousin.

This would seem to be the main thing a book about T.G. should struggle to avoid. Oh well.

c'mon jess...persuasion and hamburger lady get there too!

there's one way though, that you'll never convince people
and that's when you try to be someone who's not telling
and who's trying to compel, who is trying to tell you of what to be convinced of

I can't stop listening to 20 Jazz Funk Greats. I haven't heard anything else by Throbbing Gristle. DoA is next on the list, but what else should I check out by other groups? Did anyone else ever come close to sounding this good?

start with SPK's leichenschrei. there's lots of good industrial from that time period. early cab voltaire, test dept, einsturzende. there's gotta be a thread, no?

also, you need TG's very friendly.

all ILMers are courteously invited to attend:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2416070319_f47d621bf8.jpg

this will be a Very Friendly DJ set and book reading.

Looks like a good gig, I wish I could attend.

I bought the DVD box :)

Ok, so everyone knows not to expect Front Line Assembly when they pick up TG. Still, inevitably in a discussion about TG, one gets the impression that they were just some proto-power electronics ugly pig-fucking noisefest. Even people who listen to them, or at least are familiar with the music, seem to carry this impression. I was glad to see the new(est) record destroy that legend- because even in the older material, there's as much Kraftwerk and Martin Denny influence as there is pipe-welding guitar and klangklang tape loops. My favorite record is probably DOA: The Third and Final Report. The solo tracks grew on me where they didn't catch me right away (especially "Weeping" - Gen's pathetic suicidal solo), there's the infamous weirdness of "Hamburger Lady," the solid pop of "United," the ceaselessly hilarious "Death Threats," along with the painful "Walls of Sound" and "Blood on The Floor." I mean, you just can't go wrong when you shutup and listen.

buddha gristle machine

http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/gristleism215__.jpg

2010 dates!!

23rd OCTOBER LONDON VILLAGE UNDERGROUND, UK

30th OCTOBER PRAGUE ARCHA THEATRE, Czech Republic

2nd NOVEMBER BOLOGNA THEATRE ARENA DEL SOLE, Italy

6th NOVEMBER PORTO CASA MUSICA, Portugal

TG WILL PERFORM AN ALL NEW SET USING NEW EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT,
SPICED WITH A COUPLE OF OLD FAVOURITE TRACKS.

THESE SHOWS ARE THE ONLY LIVE PERFORMANCES TG ANTICIPATE PLAYING THIS YEAR.

did anyone go to the london show?

Looks like it may have been their last, they have split up again

from twitter :

@chris_carter_ Chris Carter
⚡ ⚡ ⚡ we are about to make a SIGNIFICANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THROBBING GRISTLE ⚡ ⚡ ⚡

NOOOO they're supposed to be playing gy!be ATP in December :(

Throbbing Gristle official statement:

In the evening 27th October T.G. members and their associated managements received two emails from Genesis P-Orridge stating s/he was no longer willing to perform in Throbbing Gristle.

Cosey, Peter & Chris are therefore forced to understand that currently Throbbing Gristle has now ceased activities again as a live entity.

Therefore, and with deepest apologies, T.G. must cancel their scheduled performance at Archa Theatre, in Prague, Czech Republic on 30th October, it being too short notice to offer an alternative set.

In order not to further disappoint fans of the old quartet, and with the kind support of the associated event producers, Cosey, Peter & Chris will perform live under the name "X-TG" at the currently sold out show at Arena Del Sole, Bologna, Italy on 2nd November, & at Casa Musica, Porto, Portugal on 5th November.

We hope fans will appreciate and enjoy this new project and the trio is looking forward to performing exciting new and radical electronic musics together.

Full refunds are available at the point of purchase if required.

X-TG hope to be able to come to play in Prague very soon .

END

this has been online at the prague venue website for 2 hours now, so the word is already out...

So they're playing sans-gen at the next couple of shows, but i'm pissed off as i already have my hotel booked and travel arrangements for prague tomorrow....

doubt the atp thing will happen tho..

Curiouser and curiouser - here's a statement from Gen:

GENESIS BREYER P-ORRIDGE – HAS NOT QUIT TG !

Dear Friends,

We have seen and heard various inaccurate, erroneous, even sometimes libelous speculations about why we felt compelled to drop out of the current Throbbing Gristle tour. As a result we intend to address these matters in full as soon as possible. We hope that what we state now, and later, will be clear, will not fan the flames of destructive gossip, will not seem negative and will reduce an somewhat dramatic situation into a simpler story. We want to make it clear right now that we did not, and have no wish to quit TG. Obviously there is more involved than just that simple statement. Personally, at this point of my life, my position is that the inner workings and dynamics of any band, but especially of TG, are as intimate, unique and most of all complex as they are within any family. Unfortunately, even at the level TG occupy in popular culture, band business becomes potentially everyone’s business. We all know the internet has amplified the speed of distribution of “information” almost as fast as it has accelerated the decline of accuracy worldwide. We have no interest in pointing fingers (or is it claws?) at various people or sites and accusing them of letting the cat out of the bag. Bickering is never attractive, not one on one nor within the realms of an ever expanding media fueled by smart phone technologies and laptops. As soon as we have composed a written version of what series of events we believe led to my feeling unable to remain part of THIS short tour by the re-grouped TG that feels acceptable we will post it here.

smoke screen

The credits on the page made me laugh - Sleazy as played by Mr Peter Christopherson

Surprised to see Spydee Gasmantell is still being played by Spydee Gasmantell though.

Shame it's the usual BBC 60 minute edit and not the full 80 mins runtime...

bump - tonight

no way to see the 80 minute version?

I enjoyed this. So many hairy people!

welp it's about time to jump in.

20 Jazz Greats, here we go

jealous. i'd love to be hearing it for the 1st time.

good choice. definitely in my wheelhouse.

what should I go to next?

either DOA or Heathen Earth imo

was this the first TG you heard? def interested in your thoughts

i'd go Heathen Earth next. also interested to hear your thoughts.

Heathen Earth seconded.

I really enjoyed it. Especially the noisier,more abrasive stuff, like "Still Walking". I'm a dude who used to enjoy listening to our old beat up lawnmower as a kid because of its weird buzzsaw sound so I like that angle.

More traditional tuneful stuff like "Hot on Heels of Love" and "Walkabout" were great too. And I like the stoney stuff as well. Definitely my wheelhouse (and def my first TG!)

Droney not stoney lol

decided to do both DoA and Heathen Earth

"IBM" is off to a great start

"Dead on Arrival", yes yes YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

"Hamburger Lady" is the thing of beautiful nightmares, that creepy quiet drumbeat underneath barely contained chaos. I guess this is one of their most famous ones?

surprised I slept on TG so long.

But now you understand the greatness. Anyway, read Drew's book now.

Something I've been wondering for a while now - how did they get away with the images of children on the sleeve and booklet of DOA? Now I don't know what the legal definition of child porn is exactly but I would not be surprised if it would be possible to make a case that those images count. As far as I know nobody's ever tried to stop them being distributed.

I got the 2011 reissue of this album when I was working in the civil service and had it posted to my work. Freaked out a bit when I got it home and realised that I'd just arranged for pictures of semi-naked kiddies to be delivered to a government building

it was the daughter of a friend of GPO iirc. i have the OG vinyl but maybe i'm missing an insert or something as there are no semi-naked pics in my copy.

looking on discogs i see it originally came with a calendar that contains aforementioned image. i guess whomever owned my copy originally kept that.

foiud online -

in a RE/Search book P-orridge remarks that he enjoys the idea that everyone has re-interpreted the photo as having a pedophiliac subtext because he didn't intend that when he took the photos. it fits well within their position on how art is subjective and says more about the viewer than the artist. "We're interested in information, and the fact that your view of things can totally alter depending on how you look at it, or by what people tell you about it afterwards."

found

oh yeah, i have that re/search book. it's the one with burroughs on the cover, split in thirds between burroughs, gysin and TG (really mostly about genesis)

snapped a pic of the relevant page w/ my phone, can scan the article if you like but assume this is prob enough for you

https://i.ibb.co/qxr7qWG/2-FF6847-F-11-F4-4-D37-9-B53-B1195-D0744-CF.jpg

Ta, I did know that the wee girl was a daughter of a Polish friend and that TG put them in to raise questions about context and interpretation and all that stuff. Just surprised nobody tried to ban the artwork or made more of a fuss about it

well, it was quite a small initiasl pressing - 3000 copies and 1000 of those were sold by TG directly, and only those 1000 contained the calendar image.

i must have bought this circa 1984 (second hand without calendar image, as previously mentioned) and it never crossed my mind at all that there was anything about it that was shocking. maybe that says something about my teenage naievety but i also think that was probably the general concensus at the time and also that the audience who would ever have even seen a copy would not be the types to go about trying to have it banned.

however, i do remember a friend showing me the og sleeve to the scorpions virgin killer album around this same time and being very shocked by it.

i think i may have devloped middle age dyslexia.

As confrontational as TG wanted to be they were never as shocking as Loverboy.

similar to stirmonster I had the DOA album in the 80s and never gave a second thought to it, lending it out to friends etc. maybe they were less naïve and thought I was a creep with my creepy albums!
the Hatsunekaidan album (a collab between Hatsune Miku and Hijokaidan) has a cover which parodies the Scorpions one
https://www.discogs.com/release/8171232-Hatsunekaidan-Noisy-Killer

Not seen that Scorpions cover before, fuck me

Amazing that weirdos will try to trick people into paying £7 for an AI-written essay, check the cover out though.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61GNTsue6YL._SL1499_.jpg

gahhhhhh

Gen looking like an extremely ugly version of Mick Tucker from Sweet there.

... or Andy Scott, one of the two.

a film student from Austin Texas made horror film in 1980 and asked Throbbing Gristle to record the soundtrack

"But how does a film student in Texas get a radical and enigmatic British band to score his debut film? He sent them a letter via their UK label, Industrial Records. Not really expecting anything, he was shocked when a month later he got a reply. “I got a letter from [founder and singer] Genesis P-Orridge and it said, ‘Sure, send us $50.’ So I sent them a $50 bill in an envelope, and a month later the reel came in the mail. Just like that. It was like, what the fuck?”

Years later, he would find out via an interview with the British music press that they’d actually recorded it on Pink Floyd’s studio equipment. What they sent him was what he called “the most coherent piece of music they ever wrote. … It’s got this boom-boom-boom-boom and when I first heard it I went, ‘That’s pretty good music.’ It was spectacular, and the theme was perfect for a horror movie.”"

https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/new-version-of-seminal-austin-horror-brings-a-lost-throbbing-gristle-soundtrack-to-light/

!!!

Damn!

wow!

What a combination of factors!

Awesome. Would love to hear it.

This is wild!

The original short is available on the director's yt channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cK-Nlp3vyg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xICQbdbruM

It's got boom boom boom alright

So GP-O sent him a copy of "See You Are" from the Factory gig in Manchester in May 1979 and pocketed the $50?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee8tyPvro-c

Seems a fair price tbf

ha, nice find! xpost

It's got boom boom boom alright

― willem, Thursday, 6 November 2025 bookmarkflaglink

It sure does!