Counter Cultural provocateur Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and her reactivated Psychic TV aka "PTV3" will be releasing their second album MR. ALIEN BRAIN vs THE SKINWALKERS. The album was produced by Edward ODowd & Genesis for Angry Love Productions. It was mastered by Bryin Dall at Waxy Yellow Build Up Studios, New York July 2008. Most of these tracks were recorded live for NPR's "WORLD CAFE" program at WXPN-FM's studios in Philadelphia, PA May 2008 or at Galapagos Arts Space, Brooklyn, New York 2007. Initial pressing will include an exclusive DVD boasting 30 minutes of unseen PSYCHIC TV/PTV3 live and on the road and in the studio by filmmaker Marie Losier and other surprises. MR. ALIEN BRAIN vs THE SKINWALKERS is released on Sweet Nothing Records though Cargo Distribution. I'm hoping you'd be interested in covering via feature or CD review.
For the realisation of this project Psychic TV/PTV3 were: Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge - Vocals, percussion, samples (also of Thee Majesty); Edley ODowd (also of Toilet Boys) - drums and percussion; Hanna Haddix - samples and percussion; Marrkus Aurelius Cirkus Maximus Fabulous Perrson - Keyboards; David XXX Maxxx - Lead Guitars and vocals (developing from The Tadpoles); Alice Genese - Bass Guitar and vocals (formerly of Pretty Boys, Candy Ass, Sexpod and Gutbank); Genesis Breyer P-Orridge - Noise Bass, vocals and percussion (also of Throbbing Gristle and Thee Majesty).
Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were recorded direct to "tape" at the Philadelphia studio that NPR's premier live music program "World Café" originates from. There were NO overdubs, no remixing. What you hear is what the band played. PTV3 had not played together for some six months previously, basically not since Lady Jaye dropped her body on October 9th 2007. The surviving members had ONE short, one hour rehearsal the night before the taping documented. The next day they went in and played their hearts and souls out for Lady Jaye. All were amazed at how sensitive and exact the breaks and textures were considering they were relying totally on instinct, in the moment. Other selections include "I"m Making A Mirror", Lady Jaye's song/poem for Genesis previously only available as a bonus track on the vinyl version of Hell Is Invisible..., the previously unreleased mix of "New York Story" by Michael Gira (Angels of Light, Swans), live recordings from PTV3's residency at Galapagos Art Space as well as 2 entirely new, unheard tracks (The Alien Brain & I Love You, I Know).
Psychic TV was first born in 50 Beck Road, Hackney in 1982. Persuaded and encouraged by his cool friend guitarist Alex Fergusson of punk trailblazers Alternative TV an initially reluctant Genesis P-Orridge returned to active duty inventing new music following his termination of Throbbing Gristle in 1981. Six months later the duo completed the nucleus of the new unit with ex-TG'er Peter Christopherson. By that time Genesis had already conceived, named and pioneered the genre "Industrial Music" with Throbbing Gristle. Along with the Velvet Underground, Throbbing Gristle is and remains one of the most influential rock groups of the last 30 years; if you haven't heard their music, you will certainly have listened to someone who has. In Throbbing Gristle, Genesis and company synthesized the influences and philosophies of Gen's close friends and collaborators, including Beat writer William S. Burroughs; Beat poet and painter Brion Gysin; psychedelic shaman Dr Timothy Leary; queer activist film maker Derek Jarman; and those of legendary occultist Austin Osman Spare, theorist John Cage and various seminal underground authors, thinkers, artists and film makers. The group "TG" produced some of the most unsettling and thought-provoking music of all time. Their pioneering "Industrial" sound and self-sufficient approach to record distribution has had a profound impact, becoming key elements of underground music production and distribution ever since (the definitive TG history Wreckers Of Civilisation by Simon Ford is still available, published by Black Dog Books, London).
Right from the outset, Psychic TV in turn made highly innovative and unflinchingly provocative music blending elements of psychedelia and dance with Industrial sounds (named HYPERDELIC" by Genesis). As with TG, the details of Psychic TV's packaging, marketing and the radical lifestyle of the musicians were all treated as equally crucial components of the final aesthetic statement. Psychic TV created the template for the avant-dance stance popularly labeled "Electronica" as well as having an undeniable influence on the emergent "Rave" culture; the group released the world's first 12 inch single with the words "ACID HOUSE" in the title, "Turn On Tune In To The Acid House." The label depicted Superman as a tab of LSD emblazoned with their logo the Psychic(k) Cross and triggered a suppressive lawsuit making this withdrawn icon a rare collectible!
For some 14 odd years, Psychic TV recorded and released dozens of live and studio albums winding up in the Guiness Book Of Records for releasing more albums in one year than any other artist (even Elvis!). Psychic TV was terminated in the mid 90's as Genesis pursued further musical goals with his spoken-word and expanded poetry/video installation project Thee Majesty.
Over the last several years, Eddie ODowd of New York City's legendary rock band The Toilet Boys gently but persistently persuaded Genesis to rekindle her rock spirit and Psychic TV. As sincere and dogged as Alex Fergusson had been before him, Eddie succeeded and Psychic TV was reactivated as PTV3 in December 2003 when they played their first public show. Once PTV3 reached the recording studio, ODowd played a crucial part in pushing Genesis and the other musicians to give their very best, and then some, filling Hell Is Invisible, Heaven is Her/e with stellar performances out of all concerned as a result. In addition Eddie also art directed and designed the innovative and distinctive packaging for that album as well as for MR ALIEN BRAIN versus THE... The packaging Eddie designed for this release was created custom and uses no plastic and therefore is very bio-friendly. PTV3 is very much the product of the creative partnership of Genesis and Eddie.
The full history of Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and her varied seminal musical exploits of the past three decades as well as her socio-cultural (or should that be politico-sexual? Or all the above!) adventures would easily fill a book (and has. Soft Skull/Shortwave Books published Painful but Fabulous: The Lives and Art of Genesis P-Orridge in 2003). The reactivated ensemble undertook a wildly successful North American tour in 2004, followed by an equally tumultuously received European tours in 2006 and 2007. Genesis continues to periodically mount exhibitions of her artwork in galleries around the globe.
Already living a creative further chapter of her "life" book Genesis continues to provoke and explore in her very public private life; from replacing all her healthy teeth with solid gold permanent replicas in an homage to Pierre Clemente in Luis Bunuel's "Belle De Jour." Littering the dictionary and culture with new words for new, original ideas Genesis and Lady Jaye can be said to have followed the serious process and joy-filled strategy of "When there is no example imagine it, when there is no word for it invent one."
It is through this deeply sincere search for a positive path of humanE evolution and his/their commitment of mind, body and soul to that voyage of discovery that such a profound global influence of her creative experimentation and current (PTV3) music continues to animate and deeply inspire successive generations. S/HE IS HER/E alive, unique and a living legend!
For more information on the One True TOPI Tribe and other projects connected to PTV3 go to:
www.myspace.com/PTV3
www.GenesisP-Orridge.com
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