| |
Foetus |
Foetus is a main solo project and 'one-man band' of Australian polystylistic composer, multi-instrumentalist, experimental sound artist and producer J.G. Thirlwell. Jim Thirlwell conceived the basic Foetus concept when he relocated to London in 1978. He composed everything and recorded all instruments himself, handling the entire production, even drawing illustrations and designing artworks, but for each album, he would invent a new 'band' with a word 'foetus' in a deliberately profane/offensive name. The debut single, Foetus - Spite Your Face / OKFM 7", was released in 1981 through Thirlwell's own label Self Immolation. Soon after, Thirlwell adopted a next moniker [i]You've Got Foetus On Your Breath[/i], and produced a debut and sophomore full-length albums [m=8234] and [m=8231] in 1981-82.
In 1984, Thirlwell permanently relocated to New York City, and ever since he had been closely associated with a 'local' (and internationally renowned) avant/industrial/fringe/free improv underground NYC scene. The next two albums, [m=8216] (1984) and [m=8240] '85, were again arranged, performed and produced solely by J.G. Thirlwell, and released under [i]Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel[/i] alias. The concept was again re-invented as [i]Foetus Interruptus[/i] three years later, for the fifth album [m=8256] in 1988. All known Foetus aliases and name variations were presented on Foetus - Sink compilation in 1989, a collection of rare b-sides and unreleased tracks.
During the eighties, Foetus was almost exclusively a solo project for Thirlwell (occasionally credited as Clint Ruin) in the studio, but live he was supported by a group of musicians from industrial/experimental bands and projects like Swans, Prong and Foetus. They would appear as simply 'Foetus' (in the later years) or yet another Foetus side-project/deviation, such as [i]Foetus Corruptus[/i] (captured live in 1988 somewhere in Europe on the 'official bootleg' [m=41027]). In November 1990, an extended configuration of the band, [i]Foetus In Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe[/i], played a concert at the Manhattan's legendary CBGB, which is documented on [m=41033] 2xCD, the project's second official live album, released by Big Cat in 1992.
In 1995, Foetus presented their best-known album and the only record produced by a major label, [m=8278]. It was distributed internationally, and released via Columbia in USA & Canada, Rough Trade in Germany, Big Cat in the United Kingdom, and Sony Music Records in Australia and Japan. 'Gash' was the first studio work by Foetus prominently featuring other musicians beside Thirlwell: drummer Vinnie Signorelli, who already played with Foetus live on many occasions, as well as Tod Ashley (bass), Marc Ribot (guitar), and Steven Bernstein (trumpet). The band's third live album [m=8290] was recorded during [i]Rednecropolis 96[/i] tour in Europe, featuring Brian Emrich on bass, William Tucker and Kurt Wolf on guitars, Rob Sutton with keyboards & guitar, and Jim Kimball on drums.
Foetus returned five years later with a new studio album [m=8304], released by Thirsty Ear (USA) and Nois-O-Lution (Germany) in May 2001. This record marked the transition back to solo Foetus, with all instruments and production by J.G. Thirlwell. It was paired with [m=8300] remix album, featuring Amon Tobin, Pan Sonic, Kid606, DJ Food, Panacea and several others. On subsequent albums, Jim Thirlwell is responsible for all instruments and vocals, though every album features at least 3-4 tracks recorded with collaborators and guest musicians.
A few conceptual themes in Foetus discography include album titles, which are all four-letter monosyllables, and gradual introduction of color in cover artwork: the first three albums only used black, white and red, with the addition of yellow on 'Nail,' and finally full-color artworks were introduced since 'Gash.' Foetus adopted a new visual identity and style in 2004, reverting to black-white-red gamma.
----------
Extended live configurations:
Foetus Corruptus
J.G. Thirlwell as Clint Ruin – vocals
Algis A. Kizys – bass
Norman Westberg – guitar
Ted Parsons – drums
Ray Scaballero (Raymond Watts) – keyboards, guitar
Foetus In Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe
Clint Ruin – vocals
Algis Kizys – bass
Norman Westberg – guitar
David Ouimet – trombone, sampler
Hahn Rowe – violin, guitar
Vinnie Signorelli – drums
The Foetus Symphony Orchestra
A one-off project, supergroup which played live once at Anchorage, Brooklyn in July 1996, featuring Thirlwell plus seven members of Swans, Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop, Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Lounge Lizards and Elysian Fields. The performance is documented on [m=41040] album, released in 1997.
J.G. Thirlwell – vocals, percussion, tin whistle, conch
Brian Emrich – bass, bass synthesizer, guit |
| Review: Sonic mayhem. Ambuscades of acidic aural assaults. Foetus mastermind Jim Thirwell is a man of many musical disguises: Clint Ruin, Scraping Foetus off the Wheel, Wiseblood, etc. Whatever shape he assumes, however, his work is consistently aggressive and experimental -- all his recordings feature Industrial tape loops and guitar rock squall coming together in dense pastiches of post-modern Musique Concrete. Anyone who thinks "I want to f*ck you like an animal" is the very zenith of songwriting for the Industrial genre is hereby advised to give a close listen to Thirwell's cryptic, culturally cross-pollinated ruminations on the socio-sexual pathologies of the Information Age. They offer a heady -- even literary -- alternative to dime a dozen Industrial acts valuing beats over ideas. |
| Aliases: J.G. Thirlwell, Steroid Maximus, Manorexia, Clint Ruin, Frank Want, Karl Satan And The Transvestites From Hell, Phillip Toss, Bubba Kowalski, Xordox |
|
Albums |
Deaf (4 Versions) |
Thirsty Ear |
1981 |
Track Listing |
New York Or Bust | | | Is That A Line? | | | Why Can't It Happen To Me? | | | I Am Surrounded By Incompetence | | | What Have You Been Doing? | | | Today I Started Slogging Again | | | Harold MacMillan | | | Thank Heavens For Push Button Phones | | | Flashback | | | Negative Energy | | |
|
Ache (4 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1982 |
Track Listing |
Dying With My Boots On | | | J. Q. Murder | | | Gums Bleed | | | Mark Of The Ostracizor | | | Exit The Man With 9 Lives | | | Get Out Of My House | | | Wholesome Town | | | Whole Wheat Rolls | | | Kid Hate Kid | | | Instead...I Became Anenome | | |
|
Hole (15 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1984 |
Track Listing |
Clothes Hoist | | 3:25 | Lust For Death | | 3:38 | I'll Meet You In Poland Baby | | 4:50 | Hot Horse | | 3:31 | Sick Man | | 4:15 | Sick Man Edit | | 1:07 | Street Of Shame | | 3:28 | Satan Place | | 3:22 | White Knuckles | | 4:31 | Water Torture | | 3:50 | Cold Day In Hell | | 5:28 | Cold Day In Hell Edit | | 1:14 | Wash It All Off | | 6:05 | Sick Minutes | | 8:43 | Halo Flaming Lead | | 4:51 | Finely Honed Machine | | 9:23 | Today I Started Slogging Again | | 7:34 |
|
Nail (19 Versions) |
Some Bizzare |
1985 |
Track Listing |
Theme From Pigdom Come | | | The Throne Of Agony | | | ! | | | Pigswill! | | | Descent Into The Inferno | | | Enter The Exterminator | | | DI-1 9026 | | | The Overture From Pigdome Come | | | Private War | | | Anything (Viva!) | | |
|
Rife (8 Versions) |
Rifle |
1988 |
Track Listing |
Fin | | | Don't Hide It | | | Honey I'm Home | | | Dipsomaniac Kiss | | | English Faggot | | | Grab Yo Ankles | | | Slut | | | A Prayer For My Death | | | ¡Chingarda! | | | The Faith Healer | | | The Fudge Punch | | | Clothes Hoist | | | Anything (Viva) | | |
|
Thaw (12 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1988 |
Track Listing |
Don't Hide It Provide It | | | Asbestos | | | Fin | | | English Faggot / Nothin Man | | | Hauss-On-Fah | | | Fratricide Pastorale | | | The Dipsomaniac Kiss | | | Barbedwire Tumbleweed | | | ¡Chingada! | | | A Prayer For My Death | | |
|
Gash (13 Versions) |
Columbia |
1994 |
Track Listing |
Mortgage | | 6:19 | Mighty Whity | | 3:55 | Friend Or Foe | | 4:28 | Hammer Falls | | 5:35 | Downfall | | 2:56 | Take It Outside Godboy | | 4:57 | Verklemmt | | 4:45 | They Are Not So True | | 3:34 | Slung | | 11:22 | Steal Your Life Away | | 4:42 | Mutapump | | 5:33 | See Ya Later | | 4:46 |
|
Boil (3 Versions) |
Big Cat |
1996 |
Track Listing |
Take It Outside Godboy | | 3:04 | Clothes Hoist | | 3:17 | Verklemmt | | 4:29 | I'll Meet You In Poland Baby | | 6:06 | I Am The Walrus | | 7:08 | They Are Not So True | | 4:25 | Hot Horse | | 4:18 | Mortgage | | 5:59 | Mighty Whity | | 3:57 | Elected | | 7:37 | Sonic Reducer | | 4:48 | Hello There | | 2:23 |
|
Flow (3 Versions) |
Nois-O-Lution |
2001 |
Track Listing |
Quick Fix | | 4:06 | Cirrhosis Of The Heart | | 4:02 | Mandelay | | 8:21 | Grace Of God | | 5:42 | The Need Machine | | 4:53 | Suspect | | 5:54 | Someone Who Cares | | 3:45 | Heuldoch 7B | | 4:47 | Victim Or Victor? | | 5:03 | Shun | | 3:23 | Kreibabe | | 12:52 |
|
Love (5 Versions) |
Birdman Records |
2004 |
Track Listing |
(Not Adam) | | 4:11 | Mon Agonie Douce | | 3:30 | Aladdin Reverse | | 7:30 | Miracle | | 4:48 | Don't Want Me Anymore | | 6:44 | Blessed Evening | | 3:43 | Pareidolia | | 6:02 | Thrush | | 6:53 | Time Marches On | | 3:08 | How To Vibrate | | 8:31 |
|
Damp (CD) |
Ectopic Ents |
2006 |
Track Listing |
I Hate You All | | 3:26 | Antabuse | | 1:51 | Chimera | | 4:55 | Into The Light | | 6:33 | Shrunken Man | | 5:00 | Mine Is No Disgrace | | 8:23 | Hemo The Cuckold | | 7:29 | Not In Your Hands | | 5:20 | Paging Dr. Strong | | 3:50 | Blessed Evening (Phylr Remix) | | 4:12 | Sieve | | 5:00 | Cold Shoulder | | 16:08 |
|
Vein (CD) |
Birdman Records, Ectopic Ents |
2007 |
Track Listing |
Pareidolia | | 4:55 | How To Vibrate | | 4:17 | Mon Agonie Douce | | 6:16 | L'Overture | | 3:58 | Don't Want Me Anymore | | 5:00 | Not Adam | | 4:04 | Thrush | | 4:30 | Aladdin Reverse | | 6:22 | Not In Yr Hands | | 4:46 | Corrodia Gravis | | 6:17 | Time Marches On | | 3:08 |
|
Hide (CD) |
Ectopic Ents |
2010 |
Track Listing |
Cosmetics | | 8:39 | Paper Slippers | | 5:33 | Stood Up | | 4:19 | Here Comes The Rain | | 4:34 | Oilfields | | 6:41 | Concrete | | 2:35 | The Ballad Of Sisyphus T. Jones | | 5:56 | Fortitudine Vincemus | | 0:47 | You're Trying To Break Me | | 8:32 | O Putrid Sun (For Yuko) | | 3:10 |
|
Soak (3 Versions) |
Ectopic Ents |
2013 |
Track Listing |
Red And Black And Gray And White | | 2:46 | Pratheism | | 5:29 | Alabaster | | 3:16 | Warm Leatherette | | 3:21 | Kamikaze | | 6:16 | Halloween / Turbulence | | 3:14 | La Rua Madureira | | 4:34 | Danger Global Warming | | 5:40 | Spat | | 5:52 | Cosmetics (Secret Chiefs 3 Remix) | | 8:17 | Mesmerin | | 3:45 |
|
|
Singles & EPs |
Spite Your Face (2 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1981 |
Track Listing |
Spite Your Face | | 4:29 | OKFM | | 6:10 |
|
Wash It All Off (Vinyl) |
Self Immolation |
1981 |
Track Listing |
Wash It All Off | | 4:03 | 333 | | 4:11 |
|
Tell Me, What Is The Bane Of Your Life (Vinyl) |
Self Immolation |
1982 |
Track Listing |
Tell Me, What Is The Bane Of Your Life | | 7:29 | Mother, I've Killed The Cat | | 4:17 |
|
Custom Built For Capitalism (Vinyl) |
Self Immolation |
1982 |
Track Listing |
Custom Built For Capitalism | | 10:54 | T.O. 45 | | 10:44 | Birth Day | | 2:21 |
|
Calamity Crush (4 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1984 |
Track Listing |
Calamity Crush | | 5:58 | Catastrophe Crunch | | 7:00 |
|
Wash & Slog (4 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1984 |
Track Listing |
Wash It All Off | | 6:05 | Today I Started Slogging Again | | 7:34 |
|
Finely Honed Machine (2 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1985 |
Track Listing |
Finely Honed Machine | | | Sick Minutes (Unmutual) | | |
|
Bedrock (5 Versions) |
Relativity |
1987 |
Track Listing |
Bedrock | | | Diabolus In Musica | | | Shut | | | Rattlesnake Insurance | | | Bedrock Strip | | |
|
Ramrod (2 Versions) |
Some Bizzare |
1987 |
Track Listing |
Ramrod | | 6:09 | Boxhead | | 3:45 | Smut | | 4:30 |
|
Ramrod / Boxhead (2 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1987 |
Track Listing |
Ramrod | | 6:09 | Boxhead | | 3:45 | Smut | | 4:30 |
|
Anxiety Attack (Flexi-disc) |
Supernatural Organization |
1989 |
Track Listing |
Anxiety Attack (Demo Version) | | |
|
Butterfly Potion (7 Versions) |
Wax Trax! Records |
1990 |
Track Listing |
Butterfly Potion | | 3:14 | Your Salvation | | 2:36 | Free James Brown (So He Can Run Me Down) | | 4:31 |
|
Somnambulumdrum / It's All The Same (Flexi-disc) |
Reflex Magazine |
1990 |
Track Listing |
Somnambulumdrum | | | It's All The Same | | |
|
Vice Squad Dick (2 Versions) |
PCP Entertainment |
1994 |
Track Listing |
Vice Squad Dick | | | Vice Squad Dick | | |
|
Null (5 Versions) |
Columbia |
1995 |
Track Listing |
Verklemmt | | 4:43 | Be Thankful | | 4:50 | Verklemmt (Protecto Mix) | | 8:54 | Butter | | 4:05 | Into The Light | | 6:49 | Verklemmt (Queef Mix) | | 3:52 |
|
Verklemmt / Be Thankful (2 Versions) |
Columbia |
1995 |
Track Listing |
|
Null/Void (4 Versions) |
Big Cat |
1996 |
Track Listing |
Null | | | Verklemmt (Vid Mix) | | 4:43 | Be Thankful | | 4:50 | Verklemmt (Protecto Mix) | | 8:54 | Butter | | 4:05 | Into The Light | | 6:49 | Verklemmt (Queef Mix) | | 3:52 | Void | | | Friend Or Foe | | 4:27 | Incesticide | | 3:42 | See Dick Run | | 4:49 | Flux | | 4:39 | Friend Or Foe (Unhugged Mix) | | 4:23 |
|
Überschall 1996 (Vinyl) |
Die Stadt, Überschall Records |
1996 |
Track Listing |
Right Between Yr Eyes | | | Percolations | | | Herds | | |
|
(Not Adam) (CD) |
Birdman Records, Ectopic Ents |
2004 |
Track Listing |
(Not Adam) | | 4:16 | Miracle (Jay Wasco Remix) | | 4:42 | Not In Your Hands | | 5:22 | Time Marches On (End Remix) | | 3:36 |
|
|
Compilations |
Sink (13 Versions) |
Self Immolation |
1989 |
Track Listing |
Bedrock | | | Ramrod | | | Boxhead | | | Lilith | | | Shut | | | Diabolus In Musica | | | Smut | | | Sick Minutes | | | Rattlesnake Insurance | | | Himmelfahrtstransport / Primordial Industry | | | Spit On The Griddle (The Drowning Of G. Walhof) | | | Anxiety Attack | | | Baphomet | | | The Only Good Christian Is A Dead Christian | | | Halo Flamin Lead | | | OKFM | | | Catastrophe Crunch | | | Wash It All Off | | | Today I Started Slogging Again | | | Calamity Crush | | |
|
F CD 15 (CD) |
Foundations |
1995 |
Track Listing |
Intro | | 0:18 | Where The Slime Live | | 4:04 | Q & A | | 0:34 | Replica | | 3:56 | Q & A | | 0:31 | Why | | 4:11 | Q & A | | 0:40 | Flesh | | 5:01 | Q & A | | 0:40 | Unenslaved | | 4:34 | Q & A | | 0:29 | Supersonic Hate | | 4:11 | Q & A | | 0:37 | Cosmic Dick | | 3:22 | Q & A | | 0:49 | Sweet 69 | | 4:03 | Q & A | | 0:37 | Gun Worship | | 7:55 | Q & A | | 1:02 | Infested Mind | | 3:08 | Q & A | | 0:36 | KIll A Clown | | 3:41 | Q & A | | 0:44 | God Of Love | | 2:42 | Q & A | | 0:29 | Too Close To The Flame | | 4:26 | Q & A | | 0:53 | New World Order | | 3:47 | Intro | | 1:04 | Butter | | 4:06 | Outro | | 0:33 |
|
Violent Silence · Flesh Volcano (CD) |
Some Bizzare |
1997 |
Track Listing |
The Universal Cess Pool | | 6:54 | Bruise N Chain | | 4:23 | Flesh Volcano (Slut) | | 5:34 | Blood Tide | | 2:32 | Healthy As Hate | | 7:36 | Things You Love Me For | | 5:59 | Body Unknown | | 4:44 | Unborn Stillborn | | 3:41 |
|
Flesh Volcano / Slut (CD) |
Some Bizzare |
1997 |
Track Listing |
Slut | | 5:31 | The Universal Cess Pool | | 6:52 | Bruise N Chain | | 4:20 | Love Amongst The Ruined | | 6:36 | Burning Boats | | 5:59 | Megamillionmania (Multimania Mix) | | 10:16 | Beat Out That Rhythm On A Drum | | 4:59 |
|
Slut (CD) |
Thirsty Ear |
1998 |
Track Listing |
Slut | | 5:31 | The Universal Cess Pool | | 6:53 | Bruise N Chain | | 4:20 | Love Amongst The Ruined | | 6:36 | Burning Boats | | 5:59 | Megamillionmania (Multimania Mix) | | 10:16 | Beat Out That Rhythm On A Drum | | 4:58 |
|
Blow (4 Versions) |
Nois-O-Lution |
2001 |
Track Listing |
Cirrhosis Of The Heart | | 6:35 | The Need Machine | | 5:49 | Victim Or Victor | | 3:58 | Mandelay | | 4:59 | Quick Fix | | 5:29 | Kreibabe | | 4:19 | Shun | | 4:09 | Suspect (Feed Em Their Rights Mix) | | 6:02 | Grace Of God | | 4:26 | Heuldoch 7B | | 3:49 | Someone Who Cares (Sheracer Mix) | | 4:17 | The Need Machine | | 7:27 |
|
|
Videos |
Foetus Live (VHS) |
Wienerworld Presentation |
1988 |
Track Listing |
|
Male (10 Versions) |
Atavistic |
1992 |
Track Listing |
Free James Brown | | 4:36 | Fin | | 1:56 | Hot Horse | | 5:08 | English Faggot | | 6:25 | Faith Healer | | 7:20 | Honey I'm Home | | 9:25 | Butterfly Potion | | 3:09 | I'll Meet You In Poland Baby | | 7:43 | Anything (Viva!) | | 8:41 | Death Rape 2000 | | 1:59 | Puppet Dude | | 4:56 | Stumbo | | 7:55 | Someone Drowned In My Pool | | 9:25 | Behemoth | | 8:05 | Your Salvation | | 14:24 |
|
Limb (2 Versions) |
Ectopic Ents |
2009 |
Track Listing |
Sick Minutes (Ectopic Version) | | 8:39 | Ezekiel's Wheels | | 1:38 | Te Deum | | 4:50 | The Anxious Figure | | 4:03 | Primordial Industry | | 6:12 | Industrial Go-Slow | | 3:37 | That We Forbid | | 2:49 | Sjogren's Syndrome | | 7:17 | Echolation | | 1:22 | TO 45 Tag | | 1:37 | Piano Piece | | 4:03 | The Caterpillar Kid | | 5:52 | You Have To Obey | | 20:00 | NYC Foetus Documentary | | 1:18:55 | Live In France | | 19:28 | Live In Hannover | | 6:29 | Live At The Stone NYC | | 11:35 | Lemur Commission Performance Extract At 3-Legged Dog NYC | | 3:09 |
|
|
Miscellaneous |
Amsterdam (FM) 1984 (2 Versions) |
Not On Label |
1984 |
Track Listing |
Interview, Etc. | | | Intro / The Fudge Punch | | | Street Of Shame | | | Stumbo | | | 0-0 | | | Hot Horse | | | Street Of Shame | | | Stumbo | | | 0-0 | | | Cold Day In Hell | | | Motorslug | | |
|
Foetus Over Hamburg - Kir 04.08.85 (Cassette) |
Not On Label |
1985 |
Track Listing |
Live Hamburg Kir 04.08.85 | | | Live Hamburg Kir 04.08.85 | | |
|
The Foetus Of Excellence (Box Set) |
Self Immolation, Some Bizzare |
1985 |
Track Listing |
|
Feedus Foetus (Vinyl) |
The Way Out Sound |
1990 |
Track Listing |
Hot Horse | | 5:19 | I'll Meet You In Poland Baby | | 5:36 | Faith Healer | | 7:00 | It's Gonna Rain | | 3:26 | Free James Brown | | 4:27 | English Faggot | | 6:00 | Honey I'm Home | | 7:40 |
|
A History Of The Future (CD) |
Thirsty Ear |
1995 |
Track Listing |
Clothes Hoist | | 3:28 | Water Torture | | 3:46 | The Throne Of Agony | | 5:22 | Enter The Exterminator | | 4:46 | Abfackeln! | | 3:33 | Drawings Of Patient O.T. | | 3:24 | Yü-Gung (Fütter Mein Ego) | | 7:16 | Sehnsucht (Zitternd) | | 2:56 | The Tribe | | 3:06 |
|
Bruise'n'Chain - St Albans Sluts (CDR) |
Not On Label |
2007 |
Track Listing |
Switchblade Operator | | 4:53 | Slut | | 6:33 | (Your Love Is A) Lesion | | 4:33 | Body Unknown | | 4:44 |
|