ThouShaltNot
Encyclopedia
ThouShaltNot are a band whose style blends post-punk
, goth, industrial music
, and synthpop
. Active since 1998, they are from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
and are signed to Dancing Ferret Discs.
, joined the band in 1999. When ThouShaltNot relocated from Cleveland to Pittsburgh in 2001, Jeremy David Long joined the band. All three are classically trained musicians; Reed earned a Ph.D.
in music composition and theory
from the University of Pittsburgh
in 2005. ThouShaltNot's music is generally complex, carefully orchestrated, and spiritual.
ThouShaltNot first signed with ADSR Musicwerks, releasing two albums of new material (a self-titled release and The Holiness of Now) as well as a rarities collection, You'll Wake Up Yesterday. The Holiness of Now gave them their first minor hit, "Without Faith," and You'll Wake Up Yesterday features their song "If I Only Were a Goth"; this song became quite popular and somewhat notorious at their live shows because of its ridiculing of the gothic subculture
. They were next signed by Dancing Ferret Discs, who have released their 2003 album The White Beyond and their 2006 album Land Dispute, as well as re-issuing The Holiness of Now. The White Beyond has been their most successful release to date, with "Cardinal Directions" and "Inside of You, In Spite of You" both receiving extensive club play. The band has gone on several U.S. tours, sharing the stage with such artists as VNV Nation
, The Dresden Dolls
, and David J
of Bauhaus
. They have also provided remixes for many synthpop and goth acts, including Alphaville
, Hungry Lucy
, Stromkern
, and The Last Dance.
Various other album tracks have appeared on CDs packaged with music magazines and on label samplers by both ADSR Musicwerks and Dancing Ferret Discs.
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
, goth, industrial music
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...
, and synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
. Active since 1998, they are from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and are signed to Dancing Ferret Discs.
Biography
The band started as vocalist Alex Reed's solo project, though Aaron Fuleki, who Reed met as a freshman at The College of WoosterThe College of Wooster
The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college primarily known for its Independent study program. It has roughly 2,000 students and is located in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, United States . Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian church as the University of Wooster, it was from its creation...
, joined the band in 1999. When ThouShaltNot relocated from Cleveland to Pittsburgh in 2001, Jeremy David Long joined the band. All three are classically trained musicians; Reed earned a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in music composition and theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 2005. ThouShaltNot's music is generally complex, carefully orchestrated, and spiritual.
ThouShaltNot first signed with ADSR Musicwerks, releasing two albums of new material (a self-titled release and The Holiness of Now) as well as a rarities collection, You'll Wake Up Yesterday. The Holiness of Now gave them their first minor hit, "Without Faith," and You'll Wake Up Yesterday features their song "If I Only Were a Goth"; this song became quite popular and somewhat notorious at their live shows because of its ridiculing of the gothic subculture
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
. They were next signed by Dancing Ferret Discs, who have released their 2003 album The White Beyond and their 2006 album Land Dispute, as well as re-issuing The Holiness of Now. The White Beyond has been their most successful release to date, with "Cardinal Directions" and "Inside of You, In Spite of You" both receiving extensive club play. The band has gone on several U.S. tours, sharing the stage with such artists as VNV Nation
VNV Nation
VNV Nation are a British/Irish electronic music band originally from Dublin, Ireland and Essex, United Kingdom and now based in Hamburg, Germany. They combine elements of electro-industrial, trance, synthpop and electronic body music . The members are Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson...
, The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione...
, and David J
David J
David John Haskins , better known as David J, is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and Love and Rockets....
of Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
. They have also provided remixes for many synthpop and goth acts, including Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
, Hungry Lucy
Hungry Lucy
Hungry Lucy is a darkwave, trip-hop duo with a female vocalist. Beginning in 1998, they have released four full-length CDs. On Alfa Matrix in Europe and on Hungry Media for the US...
, Stromkern
Stromkern
Stromkern is a band that blends electronic music and hip-hop. The band was formed in 1994 by James "Ned" Kirby.Kirby was originally a DJ in Madison, Wisconsin as a teenager, experimenting under the moniker "Flowers for Ravers" before founding Stromkern. Disenchanted with the music he was receiving...
, and The Last Dance.
Members
- Alex Reed - vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, programming, samples
- Aaron "Foo" Fuleki - percussion, programming, samples, guitars, backing vocals
- Jeremy David Long - guitars, bass, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, programming
Former members
- Sarah Hans - keyboards, vocals (touring member)
- Megan Hancock - cello (touring member)
- The band maintains an exhaustive list of additional musicians who they have used on their official FAQ.
Albums
- Land Dispute (2006, Dancing Ferret Discs)
- The White Beyond (2003, Dancing Ferret Discs)
- The Holiness of Now (2001, ADSR Musicwerks; reissued by Dancing Ferret Discs in 2003)
- ThouShaltNot (2000, ADSR Musicwerks)
EPs
- New World EP (2008, independent release)
- The Projectionist (2005, independent release)
- Vier Factor #1 (split with The CrüxshadowsThe CrüxshadowsThe Crüxshadows is an Dark Electro group from Florida. Their sound is made up of a combination of male vocals, electric violin, guitar, and synth...
, Paralysed AgeParalysed AgeParalysed Age are a gothic rock and darkwave-band from Germany composed of Marco Neumann, Stefan Kirsch, and Michael Knust.-Discography:* 1992: Christened Child* 1993: Exile* 1994: Nocturne* 1994: Bloodsucker * 1999: Empir of the Vampire...
, and The DreamsideThe DreamsideThe Dreamside is a rock and metal band formed in the Netherlands in 1994.- History :The band was formed by Italian-Dutch singer Kemi Vita. The Dreamside recorded Pale Blue Lights, the band's debut album, pretty much solo with assistance from various musicians; it was released in 1994 to excellent...
, 2003, Dancing Ferret Discs) - You'll Wake Up Yesterday (2002, ADSR Musicwerks)
Remixes
- CausticCaustic (band)Fanale has claimed Caustic's genre to be "Jizzcore," as a joke about the amount of self-indulgent, artist-created subgenres in industrial.Influences Matt Fanale has referenced include Revolting Cocks, Hank III, Pop Will Eat Itself, Chemlab, Atari Teenage Riot, and Stromkern, as well as the...
- "Chewing Glass at the Zoo" - Douche Ex Machina (2011, Metropolis Records) - Iris - "Imposter" - Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer (2010, Metropolis Records)
- StromkernStromkernStromkern is a band that blends electronic music and hip-hop. The band was formed in 1994 by James "Ned" Kirby.Kirby was originally a DJ in Madison, Wisconsin as a teenager, experimenting under the moniker "Flowers for Ravers" before founding Stromkern. Disenchanted with the music he was receiving...
- Reminders - "Reminders" (2006, WTII Records) - Lunascape - Mindstalking - "Mindstalking" (2005, Dancing Ferret Discs)
- The Last Dance - Reflections of Rage - "Voices" (2004, Dancing Ferret Discs)
- AlphavilleAlphaville (band)Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
- Crazyshow - "Inside Out" (2003 Alphaville) - Furnace St. - People - "Sunday Driver" (2003, Furnasty Music)
- Hungry LucyHungry LucyHungry Lucy is a darkwave, trip-hop duo with a female vocalist. Beginning in 1998, they have released four full-length CDs. On Alfa Matrix in Europe and on Hungry Media for the US...
- Glo - "Telltale Shot," "Stay" (on European version) (2003 Alpha Matrix / Hungry Media)
As "Thou Flaming Minister"
- Catalepsy (1998, independent short-run CD-R)
- Excavate cassette (1998, independent; only distributed at their first concert)
- Remix of "Disevolve" by Zia appears on the Disevolve EP http://www.ziaspace.com/ZIA/sections/music.html (1998, Zia Music)
- "Upwards of the Hilt" appears on the compilation Transmission Vol. 1 (1996, New World Order Records)
Exclusive Compilation Appearances
- "Sick" on Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music to Cure Cancer (2010, Metropolis RecordsMetropolis RecordsMetropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
) - "When Everyone Forgets" on Where's Neil When You Need Him?Where's Neil When You Need Him?Where's Neil When You Need Him? is a tribute album based on the works of fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.-Overview:The album was released on Dancing Ferret Discs on July 18, 2006. The CD has cover art by Dave McKean and extensive new liner notes from Neil Gaiman.The album's title was taken from the song...
(2006, Dancing Ferret Discs) - "Cardinal Directions (Directionless mix)" on Asleep By Dawn, vol. 1 (2003, Asleep By Dawn)
- "The Sting (Proto mix)" on Chartreuse Translucent Sampler (2001, Chartreuse Translucent)
- "Trench Warfare (Midnight mix)" on Only Sorrow (2001, Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship)
Various other album tracks have appeared on CDs packaged with music magazines and on label samplers by both ADSR Musicwerks and Dancing Ferret Discs.