“Higher And Higher” (by Psychic TV)

At long last, the original art-rocking media-pranking gender-bending Industrial-inventing Brian Jones-worshipping Pop-savant cultural activist Genesis P-Orridge has brought his hyperdelic pop group Psychic TV down to the WFMU studios, with yesterday's visit to Fabio's show!   Here's video evidence, a sample reel of what went down September 7th, 2006 (youtube).

The really brief background skinny:   Born in Manchester UK, the former Neil Megson first acheived notice in London via some controversial art provocations in the late '60s with COUM Transmissions, a performance troupe featuring Cosey Fanni Tutti, Chris Carter, and Hipgnosis artist / Coil cofounder Peter Christopherson, all of whom would later join Genesis in the pioneering industrial group Throbbing Gristle; all the members of TG eventually found themselves distracted by other projects, and by 1981 had "terminated the mission". Genesis formed Psychic TV with TG's Peter, Alex Fergusson from Alternative TV and new wife Paula P-Orridge.  Many musical directions and lineup changes would follow, leading ultimately to today's incarnation, PTV3, featuring Genesis' current partner in love and body / identity modification Lady Jaye (R.I.P. October 2007).

(I have skipped over an ungodly amount of history here, not even touching on a gazillion other projects and collaborations Genesis has been involved in.  Work with Derek Jarman, William Burroughs, David Tibet and Brion Gysin only scratches the surface.)

Dig into the WFMU archives for tons more Genesis P-Orridge related material for your listening pleasure:  Psychic TV  ||  Throbbing Gristle  ||  Genesis P-Orridge

-Scott Williams, WFMU's Beware of The Blog