Throbbing Gristle Third Final Report Zip
Canumil Flowers
Now largely thought of as pioneers of 'industrial' music, sometimes with pals Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle were originally associated with the newly prominent genre of punk, although in retrospect they augured the approaching wild experimentation and diverse sounds of post-punk and then New Wave, with their preferred repertoire of tapes, synthesizers, effects, and production. Moreover, The Second Annual Report may have borne the characteristics of sound art as a medium, or figured into a genealogy of noise music, but perhaps more than anything, it was the work of a fully-realized rock electronic music band, the likes of which were still a relative rarity or simply too under-the-radar at the time.
Infamous as they've become, Throbbing Gristle's original run was short-lived. In 1979, they issued 20 Jazz Funk Greats their third and final proper album for another two decades (unreleased material was released throughout the 80s); recorded entirely in a studio for the first time, it also found TG engaging with the strictures of music and genre(s), with fascinating results. After playing their last performance in May of 1981 in San Francisco, all four members moved on to other projects that continued to influence their peers and the major currents of music as much as they were influenced themselves in turn. Genesis co-founded Psychic TV with Christopherson, who later co-founded Coil, the former a psychedelic rock-turned-acid house collective, the latter an ambient and post-industrial outfit; meanwhile, Tutti and Carter spanned the spectrum of possibilities of synthpop as Chris & Cosey.
throbbing gristle third final report zip
Throbbing Gristle re-united in 2004, going on to release three more albums between then and 2009 also embarking on several tours, only to dis-band again in 2010 when Genesis dropped out of the touring schedule that year, and Christopherson passed away soon after. Seemingly unaffected by time, however, or by the trickiness and uncertainty involved with re-uniting in an era of reunions, or even that last publicly acrimonious split, Throbbing Gristle's place and reputation in the world of music remains as important and influential as ever, which is why this is as good a time as any to run a guide to TG and their legacy.
Now, no guide to anything is perfect, but that's the fun in it. The selections prepared here are meant to correspond to either individual releases, or periods of songwriting, that most reflect the essence, both ideologically and aesthetically, of what the Throbbing Gristle project was and continues to be about (as its surviving members continue to make music). So which albums or releases made the cut? See for yourself, if you're new to all this, take it as a primer, and if you're one of those old-school fans that knows everything about them already, well, you're going to read it all anyway. Dim the lights, sit in the most uncomfortable chair you can find and enjoy.
Ever wondered why Throbbing Gristle's debut album was titled the second annual report? There actually was a first, but it was recorded in 1975 when COUM Transmissions was still in existence; long available as a bootleg since the late 80s, it finally got an official release in 2001. Pair it with the Best of Throbbing Gristle Volumes 1 & 2 tapes, put out in 1976 and 1977, respectively for a perfect taste of what the group were all about before they became fully fledged wreckers of civilisation. The three releases sound and feel like some kind of noise jazz filtered through the medium of electronic music, rudimentary, naively un-structured and improvised, and nakedly collage-oriented. It's like hearing an especially, or more-often-than-not, fascinating work-in-progress.
Nevermind accessibility, Coil's sound benefited and was enriched by engaging with elements of more, ahem, palatable modes of music-making (pop, acid house, etc.) without sacrificing their integrity, much as Throbbing Gristle did so on 20 Jazz Funk Greats. This is post-industrial music at it's very best.
This is a recording of Throbbing Gristle's last-ever performance, that is, until their reunion in 2004. While it isn't normally cited as their best live album (that honor usually goes to Heathen Earth), it does document where Throbbing Gristle and its four members were at creatively and otherwise, before the whole thing went under, and for that reason alone, it should be required listening for anyone interested in the trajectory of TG's sound.
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