coum transmissions / Genesis Breyer P-Orridge

There’s been a hive of activity of late in all things Genesis P-Orridge related. One of this nations most creative forward thinkers, so often ahead of the curve, P-Orridge drew infamy and repute in equal measure through the reactionary performance art collective Coum transmissions – a Dadaist / fluxus inspired creative multimedia cell. Throbbing Gristle took over when the former floundered, equally infamous they have in recent times been duly credited as being the godfathers of industrial. Psychic TV would ad a further chapter, blending a psych classicism (that nodded to heroes Syd Barrett and Brian Jones) with the oncoming acid culture, this creative wave would provide his most accessible work to date, each of these personas would at varying points be activated and de-activated over the course of time. Its no small secret that our favourite album of 2007 was PTV3’s ’hell is invisible…heaven is her/e.

First of all the Dais imprint, allowed access to the Coum archives continuing in trawl and as a result releases the latest instalment of this ongoing series with ’home aged and the 18 month hope’ upon whose grooves rare recordings from the Coum transmissions library can be found – among the finds – poetry, field recordings, rare radio interviews and live performances including selections culled from an appearance supporting Hawkwind in 1971 re-billed for the event as Edna and the Great Surfers – you can find links to excerpts somewhere below. How times change, once accused as being ‘wreckers of western civilisation’ following their performance of ‘prostitution’ at the ICA in 1976, the establishment under the auspices of Tate Britain acquired the rights of the same several years ago celebrating its influential illustration of the complex relationship between physical performance and its documentation, representation and legacy.

Available now via the first third publishing house is a limited tome entitled ’Genesis Beyer P-Orridge‘. Available in two formats – a standard limited edition of 1323 copies and a special deluxe copy – only 333 pressed that includes a poster, an art catalogue and three specially collated 7 inch singles with the first 100 copies coming with a personalised inscription from Genesis he/herself. An intimate monograph drawn with the help of Leigha Mason and seen through the eyes of over 350 photographs with each accompanied by Genesis’ own personal commentary on each. Further ordering information via http://www.firstthirdbooks.com

There’s also a preview interview with Genesis currently being aired on the factmag website at http://www.factmag.com/2013/09/26/genesis-breyer-p-orridge-on-life-art-and-the-quest-for-pandrogyny/ wherein s/he talks openly about meeting his/her soul mate the late Lady Jaye and their third gender agenda whose passing s/he describes as her having ’dropped her body’. elsewhere s/he discusses William S Burroughs, Timothy Leary and receiving harrowing calls from Ian Curtis just before he committed suicide.

Edna and the great surfers excerpt here – http://www.soundcloud.com/daisrecords/coum-transmissions-adena-and/s-Ab6rg
A rare radio interview with Jim Hawkins for Arena from January 1973 – http://www.soundcloud.com/dazedandconfused/interview-with-genesis-p