Throbbing Gristle

One of Throbbing Gristle's most quietly unhinged offerings, recorded in1979, issued in 1986 (their first ever CD release) and now finally pressed on vinyl for the first time almost 40 years later...

Recorded in 1979 at Throbbing Gristle's own Hackney-based Industrial Records Studio just four years after they formed, 'TGCD1' catches the band at a crucial stage in their evolution, between the release of 'D.o.A: The Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle' and '20 Jazz Funk Greats'. The disc was first released in 1986 on Mute sub-label The Grey Area, intended to collect up unreleased gear for their debut CD deployment, and has stood out as a beguiling oddity ever since. It's as close as they veered towards the sheer outerzone oddness of Kluster's early recordings - the material's industrial enough, in its own way, but Chris Carter, Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge's pulsing, synthetic abstractions and rumbling, metallic rhythms point upwards rather than downwards.

Glueing noisy, detuned guitar chords to pounding, militaristic pops, indistinct vocal snippets, Cosey's distinctive cornet, and groggy organ blasts, the entire 42-minute set builds to a final act that's worth the asking price alone, rolling sequenced synths, tempered explosions and galaxy-brained oscillations that find Throbbing Gristle at their motorik best.