FOETUS IN YOUR FACE

Shit all kinda began on January 1st 1981 on the Self Immolation label with the Spite Your Face / OKFM 7” single by “Foetus Under Glass”. Almost 40 years to the day, this project strives to document the first half of the works of J.G. Thirlwell. Twenty years plus 2, since this goes even back further a couple of years to sketch out what it all was to become: A dish of a physical, mental, aural, moral, atheistic, religious, sexual, spiritual, cultural, intellectual onslaught, sprinkled with a dash of questioning of how fucking dark your humour is meth on top.

James George Thirlwell was born in 1960 in Melbourne, Australia. After quitting art school, he moved to London in 1977 and didn’t return. He worked in a record store and played in a band for ten months, to only decide that wasn’t for him. His next single came three months later, once again individually “written produced performed”, under the name of “You’ve Got Foetus on Your Breath”, initiating the concept of multiple characters, personalities, brands even... And so he went on to create as Jim Thirlwell, Frank Want, Clint Ruin, Bubba Kowalski, Foetus and DJ OTEFSU, and then the collaborations: Flesh Volcano, Wiseblood, Steroid Maximus, Manorexia, Baby Zizanie, to name just a few. 2000 onwards, reborn and reloaded, he rose to new heights with soundtracks, installations and art, ultimately landing the fantastically acclaimed “The Venture Brothers” scoring.

In the early 80s, listening to BFM, campus radio in Auckland, I discovered his music. His fourth LP, “Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel”, is my default favour record ever ever. “Nail” is a mammoth sonic exploration of violence, oppression, suffering, and an ultimate uprising. I’ve been a fan from the first time I heard his music. It’s visual. It’s super intense. This mix aims to make the chaotically appearing yet furiously structured world of Foetus a little more comprehensive. I’ve whored the internet for all I have found and play only 60 seconds of 60 pieces — possibly a belated 60th birthday gift even.

On all floors, multiple levels and always all throttles blazing, Foetus has, over and over again, made one hell of a statement. J. G. Thirlwell… thank you for everything! I present 20 years of FOETUS IN YOUR FACE. Enjoy.