I have a bizarre fascination with Throbbing Gristle, and while I own nine of their records I still wouldn’t describe myself as a “fan”. I am, however, incredibly intrigued that such an artistic collective could form and exist during the period when they did and that their transgressive performances and music would become so impactful. What I am a fan of, though, is a lot of the music that TG members created outside of the band. Not so much the stuff done by Genesis P-Orridge, which still has a sort of cult-like taint to it, but instead the various Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti projects, as well as Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson’s work as part of Coil.
Somehow I managed to miss the Carter / Tutti / Sleazy collaboration under the name X-TG, a situation I rectified a few weeks ago thanks to Discogs. It was Sleazy who first conceived of re-imagining of Nico’s 1970 album Desertshore in 2006. The following year the re-united Throbbing Gristle made a first pass, performing six two-hour sessions over a three day period, all of which were open to the public and released as a 12 CD set called Desertshore Installation that consistently sells in the $400-600 range today. Those recordings were the starting point as Sleazy worked toward a more complete and finished version of Desertshore. With Throbbing Gristle’s inevitable re-break-up, he continued to partner with Carter and Tutti on realizing his vision.
Unfortunately Sleazy died unexpectedly in 2010. Chris and Cosey took up the baton, collecting his notes and recordings as well as arranging for some of the custom equipment he had built specifically for this project to be shipped from his home in Thailand to their studio in England. Guest vocalists were contacted and recorded to create a finished project as close as possible to what Sleazy envisioned. A second record, The Final Report, was included as part of the release, a collection of tracks the trio worked on together separate from Desertshore.
Full disclosure – I’m not a Nico fan. My exposure to her music has been somewhat limited, to be sure, but the few times I’ve listened to The Marble Index I’ve come away disappointed and I tend to prefer Velvet Underground tracks that don’t include her vocals. But I felt it made sense to listen to her version of Desertshore before listening to X-TG’s take, and I came away impressed. It truly sounds like an album from a completely different time, and I don’t mean 1970, when it was recorded… almost more like 1570. Her droning vocals feel as though they belong inside a stone-walled church and the minimalistic music has a timeless quality. If I’m being completely honest it’s reminiscent of some of the contemporary dungeon synth that I’ve been listening to a lot lately.
X-TG’s compositions maintain some of the simplicity of the music, though with greater density and sonic richness. As for the vocalists, they take different approaches. Antony Hegarty opens with “Janitor of Lunacy”, his ethereal voice floating much higher than Nico’s to create a dreamy atmosphere. Blixa Bargeld’s (Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) rendition of “Abschied” is very much a reflection of Nico’s own undulating delivery. In contrast, Marc Almond’s (Soft Cell) voice is luxurious on “The Falconer”, a dark pool of water with just the slightest ripples signaling a smooth melancholy. “Afraid” takes us to a disjointed place, the gloomy backing track acting as a black curtain for Sasha Grey (probably best known as an adult film star, also in the band aTelecine) to perform in front of, her voice bobbing as if she were just under the water’s surface.
The B side moves in a more experimental direction. “All That Is My Own” opens, the music taking on a deeper electronic feel edging toward industrial, propelling Cosey’s gossamer voice forward. “Mütterlein” takes on a militaristic cadence, driven by Blixa’s delivery of the German lyrics. Gaspar Noé is low-key demonic on the dark, buried-alive sonic weight of “Le Petit Chevalier”, arguably the heaviest track on the album. Cosey is back on “My Only Child”, and after the oppressiveness of “Le Petit Chevalier” it’s like coming to the surface and filling your lungs with clean, cold, fresh air. It closes with “Desertshore”, a collection of quiet voices that seem to emerge from then recede into the distance, making them almost impossible to parse.
The Final Report blends ominous beats with distorted vocalizations, a dystopian collage of sounds and moods and anxiety. It’s definitely more my speed than Desertshore, though one of those records that defies description – words themselves seem insufficient to communicate the sonic depth and the feelings they inflict upon the listener.
Desertshore / The Final Report was well-received upon release. The Quietus ran a half dozen pieces on it, including interviews with many of the guest vocalists, and the album landed at #4 on their Albums of the Year list. The Guardian gave it a five-star review. Both Uncut Magazine and Loud And Quiet both rated it an 8 out of 10, while Pitchfork was a little less impressed, scoring it a 7.2. It’s worth a listen if you can track it down.