This article appeared on number 113 of Blow Up, October 2007 . from the atrocities of the 70 performing acts of provocation postal mail art of the period from birth of the "music Industrial concettosità the esoteric Temple Ov Psychick Youth infatuation for the rave culture to the practices of body modification with no return: Genesis P-Orridge is basically an encyclopedia of all (or almost) the currents that have innervated the underground pseudoavanguardista the end of the '60s to today. A cultural engineer, as he likes to be defined, whose contribution to the European tradition out in the first place is invaluable, because it is true that almost never is to him that we owe the insights, discoveries that have made him well known, it is also undeniable that him through these insights have become more than parlance, a breeding ground for a myriad of subplots still ongoing. That is the centrality of Genesis P-Orridge in the pop landscape of the century / millennium: in his act as a catalyst, theoretical, popularizer of all that is, by definition, insult and affront to have seen / heard, no matter trespassing, especially during the "heroic period" in bad taste as in the provocation beautiful and good.
From 1969 to 1976, along with Cosey Fanny Everybody throws confusion into the channels under the name of international gallerist COUM Transmissions, which is one of the worst experiences of performance art throughout. Here are a thing of the period taken from the Italian version (Shake exit in 1998) original Industrial Culture Handbook weblog Re / Search: "Usually I attack different things like chicken heads on the penis and masturbate then I pour over the worms. In Los Angeles, in 1976, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (...) I did enemas with blood, milk and urine, and I've sprayed the ass on the floor in front of Chris Burden and various other artists. Then I licked all over the floor (...). Amsterdam (...) Cosey and I have spit on him, licked off the spit, licked her genitals and had a sexual relationship while she burned her hair with candles. There were almost 2000 people. "
Conlusasi experience more properly "artistic", it was the turn of Industrial Records and Throbbing Gristle. Again with Cosey, Sleazy and together with Peter Christopherson and Chris Carter (from their existing supporters of COUM) Gen breaks in the history of pop music with a series of records incalculable influence, although none of them is a masterpiece. Beyond the language used (foley electronics and annihilating understood, precisely as "industrial music", though the term has undergone over the years, countless uses and nuances), the importance of TG is in having coined, in the middle ages punk, shock, a kind of mythology that far outstrips all the faces of Johnny Rotten. All groups of the original industrial scene - Cabaret Voltaire, SPK, the same Monte Cazazza that you must, by the way, the slogan "Industrial music for industrial people" - were talking in a perfect metamusicale, drawing heavily from suggestions and subjects "extreme", or at best conflicting explicitly. The TG of this movement were the ringleaders, a theoretical and Gen Prince. Birth of a new pantheon, a gallery of tutelary deities ranging from William Burroughs to Charles Manson through Aleister Crowley, whose purpose is clearly twofold: da una parte si sdogana una precisa fascinazione per tutto quanto è controverso, ambiguo, oppure direttamente impresentabile: serial killer, psicopatologie criminali, campi di sterminio ecc, i “peggiori istinti” di un Occidente di cui la cultura industriale è nemesi, estremizzazione e lato oscuro. Dall’altra, il riferimento pedissequo ad antenati spendibili ancorché maledetti (il feticcio Burroughs, per dirne una), più che un tentativo di nobilitazione posticcia è un chiaro retaggio avanguardista: già i surrealisti si cimentarono in alberi genealogici e discendenze vere o presunte, e in questo porsi consapevolmente all’interno di una tradizione data, la cultura industriale tradisce un elevato tasso intellectualism, which will necessarily result in caricature, parody involuntary scimmiottatura the grotesque. The endless string of "apocalyptic" that still play to get in sadomasochistic poses, wearing Nazi uniforms, or to evoke mass killings and destruction, are indeed the result of a degeneration of almost more often than the ridiculous, but they are also emblematic of what the original shock guerrilla strategies have proven to be successful if only on the image plane, have taken root deep in broad sections of subcultural up to lead weight into the mainstream.
In retrospect then, it is clear why the Throbbing Gristle in 1981 declared "mission is terminated , arriving at the final dissolution before the recent comeback. It is also unclear why, in the years to come, Jan refuse to sponsor the outcome of reflux more empty post, if anything, preferring to immerse themselves in reflections seemingly distantissime from the original intentions of the end of '70. Already the project for 80 years to collect the inheritance of the TG, Psychic TV, traveling parallel to dive more and more decided in the depths of the occult and esotericism of breaking through the foundation of a real order parareligious, the Temple ov Psychick Youth (T.O.P.Y.). Tanto Crowley quanto certe non meglio identificate pulsioni sataniche avevano infiammato la cultura industriale sin dagli esordi, arrivando negli ’80 a esplodere in una pletora di citazioni e luoghi comuni senza freno. Il Temple of Psychick Youth però si situa in posizione laterale rispetto al grande revival paracrowleyano di quegli anni, posizionandosi semmai nel pieno di quella chaos magic che se vogliamo rappresenta, per il mondo esoterico, l’equivalente del punk per il mondo musicale (perlomeno stando a un’analogia molto amata dai caoti stessi). Impossibile riassumere qui il senso di una saga che lega assieme Discordianesimo e Robert Anton Wilson, Brion Gysin e Lovecraft, teorie sul caos and magic "do it yourself." Also because the TOPY is a unique and peculiar heresy within another heresy, with the result that never as in this case the waters are mixed in un'inquinatissima mixture-based game, provocation, real occult activism and the media / political. However, if the ups and downs of Psychic TV continue to this day (the last album, on behalf PTV3, is "Hell Is Invisible ... Heaven Is Her / e", see review on BU # 109), Jan leaves the TOPY in the 90s, while struggling with another of his enthusiasms: one for the house music and for the emerging rave culture.
I tentativi di inserirsi all’interno del nuovo underground elettronico e di contribuire col consueto bagaglio controcultural/antropologico, sono spesso goffi, ma avranno ugualmente una loro incidenza. Questo vale soprattutto sia per certe derive freak della rave nation inglese, sia per le crudissime esperienze (veramente) industriali della controparte continentale, Italia in testa. Se il fenomeno dei rave parties esaurisce la propria carica sovversiva in un lasso di tempo a conti fatti brevissimo, è altresì vero che le frange più consapevoli della scena si richiameranno esplicitamente alla ormai vecchia industrial culture , spiazzando e superando a sinistra Remnants of the corpses "apocalyptic." In this context, it is obvious that the figure of Genesis P-Orridge continue to exert strong attraction, becoming godfather as a new generation of neo-pagan. But time, never in recent years, runs quickly, so here is the changeover in January 2000 celebrating the Internet and the Internet, revising the contents of the regular trail magic / utopian, and finally here it is land, aided by his new influenza muse Lady Jaye, on what he calls pandroginia: an experiment in the first person to exceed the genders and not only that surgery in January conducted through ad hoc (transplantation of the breast) that would transform it - in his own words - A h to a (a) s / he .
said that you find everything on Throbbing Gristle on number 2 of Hydrogen Jukebox, and a thorough examination on a signature discography Psychic TV is in line at number 96 in Blow Up, telephone interview following Genesis P-Orridge has been revealed for what it still is: a very kind person and solar power, keen and enthusiastic, found that despite certain "greenhouse" never does things by accident. His reasoning, his theories, his studies, may appear from time to time can not be shared or daring, but they are always the result of tireless research, also carried out in the first person and, as they say, putting his face (and also something else, to tell the truth). The conversation begins by recapping the commitments of a 2007 that saw him struggling with publications retrospectives and solo exhibitions, and culminates in the comeback of Throbbing Gristle as the new effort on behalf of Psychic TV, the aforementioned "Hell Is Invisible ... Heaven Is Her / e "released on Cargo. Gen is eager, Psychic TV is his "big big love ", and wants to know what you think of the album. "Then ? Did you like? How is it? "
Um, like ... well, 'we say that it seemed to me a lot of work ... optimistic
Thanks! The idea was in fact just that: you know, go back to the good vibrations , to that sixties sound I grew up with, and simultaneously develop a form of modern, contemporary, psychedelic. You that the music that makes me feel good, music that I come back all the time, the music that gives me pleasure and that fills me with joy. The '60s were a wonderful time: we explored new paths, we experimented, we went in search of ideas, styles and forms. Not like today.
Senti, veniamo piuttosto ai Throbbing Gristle. “Endless Not” da queste parti è piaciuto parecchio, però ecco, in occasioni del genere ci si chiede sempre: perché sono tornati? Dovevano proprio? Nel vostro caso, a quanto ne so, la reunion si deve a… un cane , o sbaglio?
Un cane? Oh diavolo, è vero! Adesso che mi ci fai pensare… Sì, avevo questo cane, si chiamava Janice, era una femmina di pastore tedesco. Me la regalarono subito prima che i Throbbing Gristle si sciogliessero, nei primi anni ’80, e avevo promesso a Chris e Cosey che, qualsiasi cosa le fosse successa, li avrei avvertiti. Bene, a un certo punto Janice è died while I was in California. At that point I could not hear Chris and Cosey years, but I also remembered the promise. So I sent them the photo of the tomb he had built for Janice, you know, with flowers and everything, and while I was there I asked him "hey, how are you? What a combo? ". And so we started to communicate.
Due to the death of Janice.
Yeah.
Hm. And when the relationship with Chris and Cosey as I am?
Be ', you know, there's always a lot of tension between us ... But it is a positive tension, you know: no, the TG just does not exist. We are four different personalities, but we are tolerant people, and we know that to be creative you have to work in a constructive manner. I am happy that "Endless Not" liked it, the reviews were all excellent. I would like to highlight the work of Sleazy, was able to write to the disk that jazzy touch that I think is new. We have new roads ahead, new challenges ... we'll see where we will get there.
And what about you, where you intend to get there? I mean, with this history of body modification, and all of pandroginia.
Look, I can always say that, since the 60s, I was obsessed with the theme of identity. I thought about it seriously for the first time in 2002, with Lady Jaye when I edited the book " Painful But Fabulous: The Life and Art of Genesis P-Orridge," a retrospective on my artistic experiences even before music. I realized that everything revolved around a main topic: the body. Body also intended as a genre, and then at that point I decided to bring the discussion to the extreme. The pandroginia is above all a reflection on the concept of evolution, what are the prospects for mankind as a species heard. I asked myself: why our species is so self-destructive? So violent? Is there a way to change our perception of us same? And if there is, what is?
... I guess the answer is precisely the pandroginia, no?
Exactly. The pandroginia undermines a number of key issues, those that relegate humanity to a state little more than prehistoric. At the time, human behavior is still connected to its primitive origins, tribal type stuff to protect the territory, protect your food, protect children's education within the tribe, and especially attacking everything is different, alien to their own group membership. In the meantime, however, in centuries of history, man has profoundly changed the environment and il modo in cui vi si relaziona. Insomma, abitiamo un pianeta ultratecnologizzato, favoloso, persino miracoloso. E ancora ci comportiamo come esseri preistorici. Ancora ragioniamo come uomini della pietra. Il succo è che l’evoluzione umana non ha seguito quella tecnologica, capisci? È tutto sballato. Se solo concentrassimo le nostre risorse sulla conoscenza di questi mutamenti, e su come adeguare il comportamento umano a riguardo, potremmo ristabilire un equilibrio. Ed è quello che ci serve , arrivati a questo punto. Siamo obbligati a ritrovare questo equilibrio, pena il nostro stesso avvenire. Molti dei drammi che ci impediscono di andare avanti tanto come individui che come specie, hanno a che fare con questa concezione binary world: black / white, good / bad, male / male. This polarizes people and leads them to be aggressive or defensive, depending on the case. But I wonder: why has yet to be completely separate? We can not look beyond these differences, and if anything try to merge them? We have the technology to do this: what's wrong with that? So here is the pandroginia in his aside the dichotomy man / woman, is an initial response to the dilemma. My motto right now is: the evolution alive!
I must say that is strange to feel so enthusiastic about science, technology, and its wonders. You know, I remember all those concerns, typical of industrial culture, the excessive power of technology and how it was turning into an essentially dangerous form of control ...
Of course technology can be dangerous, of course you can become a form of control but I tell you consciously embrace the technology is much less risky than leaving things as they are now. The situation is too dangerous, because as I said, there is a balance between human behavior and technological level. My friend, we are entering an era in the dark ... The only salvation is to begin from the body. The next revolution, dovrà arrivare dai nostri stessi corpi, capisci cosa intendo?
Sì, e infatti a questo punto mi viene in mente: che ne pensi del corpo come arma? Guarda ai kamikaze, agli attentatori suicidi: non si tratta in fondo di un corpo che è già tecnologizzato?
Ecco, questa è una questione interessante. In quel caso, direi che si tratta di un modo autodistruttivo di ragionare sulla discrasia tra realtà oggettiva e corpo umano. Si tratta di una sorta di realizzazione: sacrificare il corpo significa liberarlo, e ancora una volta, ripeto, tutto nasce da un’insoddisfazione di fondo, dal fatto che non ci stiamo evolvendo. Una delle ragioni per cui c’è il fondamentalismo, è che la gente non riesce a indirizzare la sua evoluzione.
Qui in Italia, a proposito di evoluzione e mantenimento della specie, è tornata molto in voga la centralità della famiglia …
Sì, ho sentito di questa cosa orribile che c’è stata da voi, com’è che si chiamava…
Dici il Family Day?
Esatto. Che roba disgustosa. Stavo in America quando mi è arrivata la voce, e che vuoi che ti dica: questa gente vuole portarci indietro al medioevo. La loro prossima mossa sarà dare la caccia a qualche strega e bruciarla sulla piazza, ecco the truth. I can argue that genetic engineering, population control, surgery, and the integration between body and artificial intelligence, will be our future as a species. We are approaching the end of the first phase of human evolution. You think of the pre-Christian religions, etc. premusulmane: all said that the original deity was a hermaphrodite. What we have is nothing but a split in the original form, complete and undivided, and we have to do is to return to that perfection, strive for unity through knowledge, instead of losing the perfection of ignorance. Well, I think that rather than destroy us we should go back to a consciousness collective action, outside of our bodies.
I remember a few years ago they were talking more or less in terms of internet. Am I wrong or claimed that the Net
Yes, I thought so ... But let me be honest: I am very disappointed. What has happened is that we have underestimated the power of corporations, who are trying to privatize everything. And then you have created a culture very, too fragmented. Get the music: people download a song a song here and there, and it ends up that you lose non solo il senso di continuità delle diverse opere, ma anche l’idea che sta dietro al progresso, all’evoluzione di un artista.
Immagino che non sarai un grande fan dell’iPod…
Scherzi? L’iPod è un disastro! Ma voglio aggiungere un’altra cosa: l’idea che “più informazione abbiamo, meglio è”, è sbagliata. Non è possedere maggiori informazioni che educa. È viaggiare tra queste informazioni, che può aiutarti a crescere. Se per esempio vai su Google e fai un click and drag di una cosa qualsiasi che ti interessa, fai un’esperienza che dura al massimo trenta secondi. Se invece, per rimediare quello che cerchi, devi viaggiare, visitare un altro paese, oppure cercare in una libreria, e poi in un’altra, e poi in un’altra ancora, magari arrivi a quello che cercavi dopo settimane, persino mesi, ma nel frattempo hai conosciuto gente, hai sentito le loro storie, hai fatto incontri inaspettati, hai conosciuto cose di cui non sospettavi l’esistenza… questa è ricchezza. Con Google invece prendi, clicchi, e vai. Arrivi diretto a quello che vuoi sapere, e niente più, niente meno. È un modo riduttivo di osservare il mondo. La gente è più pigra, ha meno curiosità, non è più capace di improvvisare…
Avrei da ribattere on a few topics, but passed. Even in terms of network, at what point is your virtual work on the seals? Are you still interested in the occult and the esoteric tradition?
Yes, but I left the virtual approach, so no more seals via the Internet. Recently, in fact, with Lady Jaye we came back to read Madame Blavatsky [ the issue, and too controversial, founder of the Theosophical Society in the nineteenth century, ndi ]. Even
? What is a return to the roots?
If you put it like that ... But the important thing is that Madame Blavatsky is still a mine of information, wow. His works are full of details that are not found elsewhere, including about pandroginia and hermaphrodite ... These works are full of wisdom.
Tell me something about this history of the British royal family: it is true that a member of a Masonic cult black?
Look, I just tell you that I'm just writing a book on the subject: it will be a cross between Naked Lunch and Gulliver's Travels, very psychedelic ...
A book of fiction?
Yes, a novel. Only through fiction can remain free. Do not forget that with England I have a couple of unfinished business: I had to leave the country because they have accused me of all the atrocities possible [ in 1992, Scotland Yard raided the home of Jan and of what was then his wife, Paula, while stakeholders were in Nepal. They were accused of holding material in a position to prove a series of heinous crimes - sacrifices, etc. - a satanic character. The two, as well as the arrest, they risked losing custody of their children, and found refuge in California. Since then, Jan lives in the USA. And currently resides in New York, ndi ]. So you know, better than you treat them in certain subjects fictionalized version, which
But the main character who will? The queen in person?
course, the queen. A black queen, eheheheh ....
When you come in Italy?
I should be short, at the end of October ... I'm glad to get back to you, also to meet some 'old and new friends, you know, Asia ...
Asia Argento?
Yes, you. I find it a great actress, really. And even a great director, too underestimated. Have you seen "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things"? It is a beautiful film, I do not understand why it was so snubbed ...
is the film based on the novel by JT Leroy, is not it? Have you followed the story?
Ah, yes! Practically there is no JT Leroy. It was all a scam. The books I wrote a lady of forty, ahahahaha! And the whole story on JT who had spent a difficult childhood, his mother was beating so that it was invented. I find it a very interesting story, makes you understand how it can work the cultural industry and the entertainment. But I can assure you that Asia, when he decided to shoot the film, he was not aware of. No one suspected anything at the time.
A full-blown conspiracy.
Yeah. This is what makes the story interesting.
Listen, one more thing. I'm almost forty years you're around, you never think of ...
to stop? And why? I spent my dark moments, sad moments, moments of great depression ... In the early '80s, shortly after the breakup of Throbbing Gristle, I did not want to live anymore. Ian Curtis killed himself recently, and Ian and I were great friends, indeed, he was perhaps the only one to understand me, along with Monte [ Cazazza, ndi ]. I think I was the last to hear the voice of Ian alive, over the phone ... So, long story short, I decided to kill myself. I thought about it seriously, and I was almost there to do, when Monte came and told me: "If you commit suicide, all those who hate you, those who do not let you live, those against which to struggle and fight, well, all of them i will jump for joy. For them it will be a favor, nothing more. If you choose to live, the result will be that complicate your life again and again, forever and curse the day you decided not to call it quits. What do you choose? "I chose not to do a favor to those who hate me.
And you're happy with the choice?
Hell, yes!
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