Foetus (band)
Encyclopedia
Foetus is the primary musical outlet of industrial music
pioneer J. G. Thirlwell
. Until 1995 the band underwent various name changes, all including the word foetus
. Monikers adopted at different times include Foetus Under Glass, You've Got Foetus On Your Breath and Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel. After 1995 the name permanently became Foetus, though the related project The Foetus Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1997 and continues.
Thirlwell acts as the sole instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and producer for all Foetus works and as such is the only member of the band. Other artists may occasionally collaborate with Thirlwell on Foetus works but are not considered members of Foetus. Thirlwell is solely responsible for the musical output of the band.
J. G. Thirlwell has many side-projects, in which he frequently goes by the name Clint Ruin. One such grouping is Wiseblood with former Swans
member Roli Mosimann
. The material tends toward the realm of the darkest and most sexual Foetus songs, with Mosimann's Swans lineage showing in the slow, crushing pacing of many tracks. Thematically, Wiseblood's lyrics center around the misanthropic exertion of power, typically via murder, sex or assault. Wiseblood existed on-and-off from the mid 1980s through early 1990s.
, Spike Jonze
, Sam Sohlberg, Matt Bass and many others.
Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, You've Got Foetus On Your Breath, and Foetus have also been used as band names on full-length albums. Studio albums have also been credited to Foetus Interruptus and The Foetus Symphony Orchestra. Live albums have been credited to Foetus and Foetus, Inc., as well as Foetus Corruptus and Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe.
A 1981 compilation appearance credits the artist as Foetus In Your Bed. A guest appearance on Marc Almond
's 1983 Marc and the Mambas album is credited to Jim Foetus and The Transvestites From Hell.
1n 1985, the band issued a box in which to house their various releases; the box contained no music, but was credited to The Foetus Of Excellence. The front cover also listed the various aliases under which the band had recorded, and would record in the future. In addition to almost all the above names, three name variations were included that have not (to date) issued any material: Foetus Über Alles, Foetus Flesh and Foetus On The Beach. Foetus On The Beach was scheduled to release a triple album in 1985, and even had a catalogue number assigned to the project, but the work remains unissued.
titles are four-letter, one-syllable
words, often with multiple connotations.
The artwork of Foetus releases shows a deliberate progression of colour: the earliest releases are black and white, with the addition of red on the Deaf
album, and further addition of yellow on Nail
. Full-color art was introduced on Gash. Beginning with Flow, the artwork of primary albums reverted to black/white/red, though other releases continue in full colour.
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
pioneer J. G. Thirlwell
J. G. Thirlwell
James George Thirlwell , aka Clint Ruin, aka Frank Want, aka Foetus, is an Australian vocalist, composer and record producer...
. Until 1995 the band underwent various name changes, all including the word foetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
. Monikers adopted at different times include Foetus Under Glass, You've Got Foetus On Your Breath and Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel. After 1995 the name permanently became Foetus, though the related project The Foetus Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1997 and continues.
Thirlwell acts as the sole instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and producer for all Foetus works and as such is the only member of the band. Other artists may occasionally collaborate with Thirlwell on Foetus works but are not considered members of Foetus. Thirlwell is solely responsible for the musical output of the band.
J. G. Thirlwell has many side-projects, in which he frequently goes by the name Clint Ruin. One such grouping is Wiseblood with former Swans
Swans (band)
Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...
member Roli Mosimann
Roli Mosimann
Roli Mosimann is a drummer, electronic musician and record producer who has worked in genres ranging from industrial to pop. Originally from Switzerland, Mosimann first came to attention with the New York City no wave band Swans and later collaborated with Foetus leader J. G...
. The material tends toward the realm of the darkest and most sexual Foetus songs, with Mosimann's Swans lineage showing in the slow, crushing pacing of many tracks. Thematically, Wiseblood's lyrics center around the misanthropic exertion of power, typically via murder, sex or assault. Wiseblood existed on-and-off from the mid 1980s through early 1990s.
Videos
Foetus's videos have been directed and contributed to by artists such as Karen OKaren O
Karen Lee Orzolek , better known by her stage name Karen O, is the vocalist for New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs.-Early life:...
, Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
, Sam Sohlberg, Matt Bass and many others.
Studio albums
- DeafDeaf (album)Deaf, the debut album from J. G. Thirlwell's You've Got Foetus on Your Breath was released in 1981 on Thirlwell's own Self Immolation Records label. Thirsty Ear reissued the album as a CD in 1997 in the US. Both releases were limited editions: only 2,000 copies of the LP and 4,000 copies of the...
– You’ve Got Foetus on Your Breath (1981) - AcheAche (album)Ache is a You've Got Foetus on Your Breath album first released in 1982 on Self Immolation Records. Thirsty Ear reissued the album as a CD in 1997 in the US. Both releases were limited editions: only 1,500 copies of the LP and 4,000 copies of the CD were produced.The Ache LP is Self Immolation...
– You’ve Got Foetus on Your Breath (1982) - Hole – Scraping Foetus off the Wheel (1984)
- NailNail (album)Nail is a Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel album released by Self Immolation/Some Bizzare in 1985. It was initially released in the US by Homestead Records in 1985 and later by Thirsty Ear in 1995...
– Scraping Foetus off the Wheel (1985) - ThawThaw (album)Thaw is a Foetus Interruptus album released by Self Immolation/Some Bizarre in September 1988 and also released by Rough Trade in the same year. In 1995, Thaw was given a U.S. rerelease by Thirsty Ear....
– Foetus Interruptus (1988) - Gash – Foetus (1995)
- York (First Exit to Brooklyn) – The Foetus Symphony Orchestra feat. Lydia LunchLydia LunchLydia Lunch is an American singer, poet, writer, and actress whose career was spawned by the New York No Wave scene...
(1997) - Flow – Foetus (2001)
- LoveLove (Foetus album)Love is a Foetus album released on CD by Ectopic Ents/Birdman Records in 2005. Initial copies include a DVD disc with additional content.Love is Ectopic Ents #ECT ENTS 027.-CD:All songs by J. G...
– Foetus (2005) - HideHide (Foetus album)Hide is a Foetus album released on CD by Ectopic Ents in 2010. Initial copies included a 5″ x 5″ sticker of the front cover, signed by JG Thirlwell.Hide is Ectopic Ents #ECT ENTS 003.-Track listing:All songs by J. G...
– Foetus (2010)
Live, remix and compilation albums
- RifeRifeRife is a live album by Foetus Corruptus released in 1988. It is an official bootleg, initially released by J. G. Thirlwell with no record label credit. This album was released in three formats: a two-LP set on black vinyl, a two-LP picture disc set, and a CD...
– Foetus Corruptus (1988) - Sink – Foetus Inc. (1989)
- MaleMale (album)Male is a live album by Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe. It records the Foetus live performance of November 3, 1990 in Manhattan's famed CBGB nightclub...
– Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe (1992) - BoilBoil (album)Boil is a live album by Foetus released in 1996. Boil is culled from Foetus' Rednecropolis 96 European tour.-Track listing:All songs by J. G...
– Foetus (1996) - BlowBlow (Foetus album)Blow is a Foetus remix album released in 2001 as a CD in the U.S. by Thirsty Ear. European label nois-o-lution issued a 2LP version in November of the same year. Blow contains remixes from Foetus' Flow.-Track listing:All songs by J. G...
– Foetus (2001) - DampDamp (album)Damp is a compilation album by Foetus, released in 2006 by Ectopic Ents. Officially called a , Damp collects previously-unreleased material written since 2003; new recordings of rare Foetus material; and tracks written by and/or featuring The The, Melvins, and Rotoskop...
– Foetus (2006) - VeinVein (Foetus album)Vein is a remix album by Foetus released by Ectopic Ents/Birdman Records in 2007. It contains remixes of songs from the studio album Love, including a b-side from the EP.Vein is Ectopic Ents #ECT ENTS 029.- Track listing :...
– Foetus (2007) - LimbLimb (album)-External links:* at foetus.org* at Discogs...
– Foetus (2009)
EPs, singles and miscellaneous
- Spite Your Face/OKFM – Foetus Under Glass (1981)
- Wash It All Off – You've Got Foetus on Your Breath (1981)
- Tell Me, What Is the Bane of Your Life – Phillip and His Foetus Vibrations (1982)
- Custom Built for Capitalism – Foetus Over Frisco (1982)
- Calamity CrushCalamity CrushCalamity Crush is a 12" single by Foetus Art Terrorism released by Self Immolation/Some Bizzare in 1984.Calamity Crush is Self Immolation #WOMB FAT 11.12.-Track listing:All songs by J. G. Thirlwell .#"Calamity Crush" – 5:58...
– Foetus Art Terrorism (1984) - Wash/Slog – You've Got Foetus on Your Breath (1985)
- Finely Honed Machine – Foetus Über Frisco (1985)
- The Foetus of Excellence – The Foetus of Excellence (1985)
- BedrockBedrock (EP)Bedrock is an EP by The Foetus All-Nude Revue released by Self Immolation/Some Bizzare in 1987.Bedrock is Self Immolation #WOMB FAN 13.-Track listing:All songs by J. G. Thirlwell.#"Bedrock" – 7:07#"Diabolus In Musica" – 9:45#"Shut" – 0:54...
– Foetus All-Nude Revue (1987) - Ramrod – Scraping Foetus off the Wheel (1987)
- Butterfly PotionButterfly PotionButterfly Potion is an EP by Foetus Inc, released on Big Cat and Wax Trax! in May 1990. This EP, issued on both 12" vinyl and CD, was the second and final Foetus record for Wax Trax!...
– Foetus Inc. (1990) - Somnambulumdrum – Foetus Inc. (1992)
- Vice Squad Dick – Foetus/Chrome Cranks (1994)
- NullNull/VoidNull/Void is a Foetus dual-EP set compiling an aborted pair of EPs originally scheduled for release by Sony/Columbia. Null was briefly distributed in the U.S. as a promotional EP. Unfortunately, the official releases of Null and its planned companion, Void, were halted when Sony severed...
– Foetus (1995) - Verklemmt/Be Thankful – Foetus (1995)
- Überschall 1996Überschall 1996Überschall 1996 is a 7" split record containing songs from Faust, Stereolab, and Foetus. The record was produced as a limited edition of 2,000 pressings in conjunction with the 1996 Überschall Festival in Bremen, Germany...
– Foetus/FaustFaust (band)Faust are a German krautrock band. Formed in 1971 in Wümme, the group was originally composed of Werner "Zappi" Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with record producer Uwe Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner.-History:Faust...
/StereolabStereolabStereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
(1996) - Null/VoidNull/VoidNull/Void is a Foetus dual-EP set compiling an aborted pair of EPs originally scheduled for release by Sony/Columbia. Null was briefly distributed in the U.S. as a promotional EP. Unfortunately, the official releases of Null and its planned companion, Void, were halted when Sony severed...
– Foetus (1996) - (not adam)(not adam)-Personnel:* J. G. Thirlwell – All instruments and vocals, except:* Kurt Wolf – Guitar -Production:* J. G. Thirlwell – Production, direction, sleeve design* Jay Wasco – Remix, additional production and arrangement...
– Foetus (2004)
Name Variations
Thirlwell has released singles as Foetus Under Glass, Phillip & His Foetus Vibrations, Foetus Over Frisco, Foetus Art Terrorism, You've Got Foetus On Your Breath, Foetus Über Frisco, The Foetus All Nude Revue, Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, Foetus, Inc., and Foetus.Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, You've Got Foetus On Your Breath, and Foetus have also been used as band names on full-length albums. Studio albums have also been credited to Foetus Interruptus and The Foetus Symphony Orchestra. Live albums have been credited to Foetus and Foetus, Inc., as well as Foetus Corruptus and Foetus in Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe.
A 1981 compilation appearance credits the artist as Foetus In Your Bed. A guest appearance on Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
's 1983 Marc and the Mambas album is credited to Jim Foetus and The Transvestites From Hell.
1n 1985, the band issued a box in which to house their various releases; the box contained no music, but was credited to The Foetus Of Excellence. The front cover also listed the various aliases under which the band had recorded, and would record in the future. In addition to almost all the above names, three name variations were included that have not (to date) issued any material: Foetus Über Alles, Foetus Flesh and Foetus On The Beach. Foetus On The Beach was scheduled to release a triple album in 1985, and even had a catalogue number assigned to the project, but the work remains unissued.
Conceptual themes
All full-length Foetus albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
titles are four-letter, one-syllable
Syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
words, often with multiple connotations.
The artwork of Foetus releases shows a deliberate progression of colour: the earliest releases are black and white, with the addition of red on the Deaf
Deaf (album)
Deaf, the debut album from J. G. Thirlwell's You've Got Foetus on Your Breath was released in 1981 on Thirlwell's own Self Immolation Records label. Thirsty Ear reissued the album as a CD in 1997 in the US. Both releases were limited editions: only 2,000 copies of the LP and 4,000 copies of the...
album, and further addition of yellow on Nail
Nail (album)
Nail is a Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel album released by Self Immolation/Some Bizzare in 1985. It was initially released in the US by Homestead Records in 1985 and later by Thirsty Ear in 1995...
. Full-color art was introduced on Gash. Beginning with Flow, the artwork of primary albums reverted to black/white/red, though other releases continue in full colour.
External links
- Official Home Page
- 1995 Interview with J. G. Thirlwell.
- U.K article
- Interview @ Legends
- Freq-out.org
- Official Myspace page for "Llik your idols", a documentary about the Cinema of Transgression featuring Foetus
- J.G. Thirlwell interview at AAJ
- J.G. Thirlwell / Foetus interview at MTJTS.com mid way down the page