Throbbing Gristle

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Ever heared it? a collection of some of the previously unreleased early works released in 94.
I heared "Lucifer" and "Christ" so far and i think they're AMAZING!!
what can you say about this release?

― rex jr., Thursday, 6 March 2003 10:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it worth searching for?

― rex jr., Thursday, 6 March 2003 11:02 (twenty-three years ago)

"As It Is" features samples and Genesis talking about his first memories and creepy childhood...the record is hypnotizing, and could be the soundtrack to some of your weirder dreams. "Exit" consists of numerous electronic sounds backed by a galloping (maybe palm muted or just poorly made/battered) bass guitar. The production values of "Lucifer" seem a little different, like the song was recorded in a hall, with a much more pronounced guitar-sound, although this never becomes as overt or angry as say "Heathen Earth." "Jehovah" is a slightly more menacing followup to "Lucifer," extending to 21 minutes, while "Satan" is an almost static piece built up almost exclusively from sine waves or some similar ring modulator sound which slowly raises in volume and pitch until reaching a peak...then a nice rhythm punctuated by fuzzy bass keeps pace in the right speaker while the waves in the left speaker seem to float like a kite, cleanly and with a hint of delay. "Christ" has a similar separation of channels, except the left speaker is much more abrasive when it first pops to life, and then sounds like a bowed instrument of some sort...meanwhile electronic coffee percolates in the other speaker. Eventually the rhythm drops out of the left and turns to electronic bird sounds. The ideas are simple, but the textures are spacious and varied. "So Be It" returns to the production values of "Lucifer" with an even more pronounced "live" sound. There is a churning sound in the background, and ever so faint vocals (like they were recorded without a mike, although you can clearly make out that it is Genesis).

Overall, it seems like this album consists of two distinct sessions, which are quite different in terms of the colors, textures, and production values. They work seems more abstract, inwardly directed, yet less cerebral than some of their other records.

The cover art and liner notes are interesting. The album is billed as "A Children's Story," and talks about the freedom that killing someone else, especially senselessly give an individual from time and from their own mortality. "Satan," "Christ," "Lucifer," and "Jehova" are all reasons a person makes up AFTER THE FACT...rationalizations or explanations which bind the killer to the world. Silence is the preferred state (possibly why Genesis talks so little on this release?), as it is a reflection of the perfect unification between killer and victim...before thought. This allows the killer to understand human death completely without experiencing it directly I guess.

Fun, huh?

I reccomend this release.

I bought my copy off of either ebay or gemm.com
A brief google search has it turn up for £13 here: http://www.musica.co.uk/musica/screen__PRODUCT/shop__MUS/affiliate__INTGOOGLE/category__PP429057.htm

― Ryan McKay (Ryan McKay), Thursday, 6 March 2003 13:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks a Million for the review Ryan! i'm even a Hundred times more Intrigued about the release than i was befor!

― rex jr., Thursday, 6 March 2003 13:38 (twenty-three years ago)

the freedom that killing someone else, especially senselessly give an individual from time and from their own mortality. "Satan," "Christ," "Lucifer," and "Jehova" are all reasons a person makes up AFTER THE FACT...rationalizations or explanations which bind the killer to the world. Silence is the preferred state (possibly why Genesis talks so little on this release?), as it is a reflection of the perfect unification between killer and victim...before thought. This allows the killer to understand human death completely without experiencing it directly I guess.

=exactly why I lost all interest in Throbbing Gristle. "Dude, serial killers are, like, so intense!" Feh.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 6 March 2003 14:41 (twenty-three years ago)

John's favorite performer ever = Boyd Rice!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 March 2003 14:44 (twenty-three years ago)

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Ned you are just tryin' to get me started ;)

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 6 March 2003 14:45 (twenty-three years ago)

you have to be careful with some of these early 90's releases.... especially some of the releases on Dossier...

Many of these are not TG recordings per-se, more like some old crappy rehearsal tapes and/or archive rubbish mixed in with newer recordings and/or Gen spouting some rubbish about some subject or other...

You can hear similar stuff on the "Grief" 'bootleg'.. these were just knocked up by Gen during his hard-up days in the early 90s

― jack battery-pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Thursday, 6 March 2003 15:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I like Grief though. I think it works surprisingly well. I haven't heard it for a while so it's hard for me to say much about it, but I like the distorted psychedelic mix it creates.

― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 6 March 2003 15:10 (twenty-three years ago)

"Dude, serial killers are, like, so intense!" Feh.

haha. well that just shows how far TG have gone to glorify their 'Trouble Make' status ever further. you should not fall victim in thinking they actually belived in that.

― rex jr., Thursday, 6 March 2003 15:52 (twenty-three years ago)

it's their artistic expretion thats so Grand about them. sure sometimes the output comes out just plain and pointless, but if it isn't, it sure as Hell comes out Grand to my ears.

― rex jr., Thursday, 6 March 2003 16:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm actually a big PTV fan, but it's clear that Genesis never got over his "it's outside the mainstream = it's good even if it's obviously lame" adolescent kneejerk phase -- isn't it?

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 6 March 2003 16:11 (twenty-three years ago)

re to jack: well it's strange. i downloaded these two tracks, then ran to AMG to check the release and get no review. non reviewd albums means their shit right, but oddly thoughs two tracks just work perfect fr me.

― rex jr., Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Ned you are just tryin' to get me started ;)

Only because I'm mean and cruel. ;-)

non reviewd albums means their shit right

It usually means I haven't gotten there yet.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 March 2003 17:41 (twenty-three years ago)

it's clear that Genesis never got over his "it's outside the mainstream = it's good even if it's obviously lame" adolescent kneejerk phase -- isn't it?

J0hn Darne1lle, maybe Genesis needs to spend some time on ILM?

― Rockist Scientist, Friday, 7 March 2003 03:37 (twenty-three years ago)

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