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Welcome to SeeDarkly Sunday DisCOVERies:
a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
Happy PRIDE Month! We continue with our month long focus on songs by, or covered by, LGBTQ+ artists. Some entries may have less to say other than recognizing the original or cover artists for their identity. Some may be straight/cis artists covering queer artists or vice versa. The point is there are many LGBTQ+ artists inspiring amazing music that is worth appreciation and consideration.
This week we present a second vocal take on a coldwave/post-punk cover of a tragic downtempo track by an English experimental industrial band whose members included a former stripper/pornographer, a homosexual male, and their transgender lead artist, who transitioned with their wife into a gender they refer to as "pandrogynous." This band is regarded as one of the seminal innovators of industrial music, influential to many within the broader goth-industrial genre.:
Blind Delon w/ HIV+ – Almost A Kiss (Throbbing Gristle)
Throbbing Gristle, led by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (also of Psychic TV), formed in 1975 and produced several albums before breaking up in the early eighties. Part Two: The Endless Not was released in April 2007, their second studio album after reforming in 2004. The album included the track Almost A Kiss which the band had been performing live at least as early as 2005. By this time, Genesis P-Orridge and their wife Jacqueline Breyer (aka Lady Jaye) had been transitioning into what they called a "pandrogyne" since 1993. They had taken numerous medical steps to achieve physical similarity with each other, coming to identify themselves as a singular being: Breyer P-Orridge. During the years of the band's reformation, Lady Jaye was suffering from stomach cancer. She died suddenly in the arms of Genesis in October 2007 due to a presumably-related heart condition. There may or may not be any declarative statement from Genesis about if Lady Jaye's health was inspiration for Almost A Kiss, but many reviews of their performances of it since her death have mentioned that Genesis sings the song with a definitive sense of loss and love, while intermittently kissing their tattoo of Lady Jaye. Genesis now refers to themselves in the plural as a representative embodiment of their late wife still existing in them as Breyer P-Orridge.
(Note regarding pronouns: While it is clear Genesis and Lady Jaye considered themselves a singular entity, Genesis seems to refer actively to Lady Jaye specifically with feminine pronouns. My use of them here reflects that observation.)
Breyer P-Orridge was diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in 2017. In response to this news, a variety of artists influenced by their work rallied to raise funds to help pay for their treatment and expenses. One of those efforts was organized by Pedro Peñas Robles, a bisexual musician and producer operating under the pseudonym HIV+, and founder of the independent Franco-Spanish label, Unknown Pleasures Records. Robles curated and released two volumes of A Tribute To Genesis Breyer P-Orridge in the first months of 2018, featuring covers of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV contributed by over thirty acts. All proceeds of these two albums go to aid Breyer P-Orridge and have thus far raised $3500. Blind Delon, the synthwave, EBM & post-punk project of Mathis Kolkoz, covered Almost A Kiss on the first of the compilations. (There is a second cover of the song on the other volume by Testing Vault.) The version on this collection features vocals by Kolkoz, but Robles decided to record a version where he did the vocals. Robles, in a brief conversation I had with him, said that he was inspired and touched by "the melody and the words." He continued, "they speak about the loss of a loved one, it's things that I understand and that I feel."
It appears the first release of his version comes in the form of a remix he did, found on his label's March 2018 Spring Equinox various artists compilation. Kolkoz wanted to put the song on a vinyl single with a b-side cover of Psychic TV's Just Drifting (with vocals by Hausfrau). So they released the un-remixed version of the track with Robles singing on Plays Throbbing Gristle & Psychic TV in December 2018. The artwork for the single and on the first volume of the tributes features a stylized version of the Buddhist symbol for an "endless knot," likely an unstated philosophical influence of Throbbing Gristle's album on which the original song and that symbol is found.
Because HIV+'s version does not contribute to the funds assisting Breyer P-Orridge, I'm including an additional link to the original Blind Delon version so you can get both or buy the full tribute album if you like.
Transgender people have a particular hardship when it comes to health care access because of lack of employment, benefits, insurance, etc... It's not uncommon to see many crowdsourcing to help fund not only transitional expenses, but quite often other basic and severe medical needs. Most do not have even the limited notoriety of Breyer P-Orridge to inspire such charity as they've received. It all exemplifies a great need for change, but until then, it's worth considering what you can do to help those in need survive when such pleas are made.:
The Cover:
Click Here for the Original Cover
sans HIV+ from the Tribute Compilation
The Original:
Next week:
Because there are FIVE Sunday's in PRIDE month... that means we get a Fifth Sunday A La Mode! Just when you thought it couldn't get any gayer... a Depeche Mode cover by an LGBT artist! Because even if DM aren't, you know they've inspired those who are!
Feel free to tell me what you think about today's cover! Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome! You do NOT need a Dreamwidth account to comment, but all comments are screened for spam prevention.
Thanks for reading and keep dancing in darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Jun 16 - Erasure – Supernature (Cerrone)
Jun 09 - Xiu Xiu – Falling (Julee Cruise)
Jun 02 - Bones UK – I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie)
May 26 - Stoppenberg – Knight Rider Theme (Stu Phillips)
May 19 - Deathline International– Rawhide (Frankie Laine)
. Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies .
a weekly exploration of goth, industrial, & dark alternative cover songs!
First time here? Click here for details from first entry.
Happy PRIDE Month! We continue with our month long focus on songs by, or covered by, LGBTQ+ artists. Some entries may have less to say other than recognizing the original or cover artists for their identity. Some may be straight/cis artists covering queer artists or vice versa. The point is there are many LGBTQ+ artists inspiring amazing music that is worth appreciation and consideration.
This week we present a second vocal take on a coldwave/post-punk cover of a tragic downtempo track by an English experimental industrial band whose members included a former stripper/pornographer, a homosexual male, and their transgender lead artist, who transitioned with their wife into a gender they refer to as "pandrogynous." This band is regarded as one of the seminal innovators of industrial music, influential to many within the broader goth-industrial genre.:
Blind Delon w/ HIV+ – Almost A Kiss (Throbbing Gristle)
Throbbing Gristle, led by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (also of Psychic TV), formed in 1975 and produced several albums before breaking up in the early eighties. Part Two: The Endless Not was released in April 2007, their second studio album after reforming in 2004. The album included the track Almost A Kiss which the band had been performing live at least as early as 2005. By this time, Genesis P-Orridge and their wife Jacqueline Breyer (aka Lady Jaye) had been transitioning into what they called a "pandrogyne" since 1993. They had taken numerous medical steps to achieve physical similarity with each other, coming to identify themselves as a singular being: Breyer P-Orridge. During the years of the band's reformation, Lady Jaye was suffering from stomach cancer. She died suddenly in the arms of Genesis in October 2007 due to a presumably-related heart condition. There may or may not be any declarative statement from Genesis about if Lady Jaye's health was inspiration for Almost A Kiss, but many reviews of their performances of it since her death have mentioned that Genesis sings the song with a definitive sense of loss and love, while intermittently kissing their tattoo of Lady Jaye. Genesis now refers to themselves in the plural as a representative embodiment of their late wife still existing in them as Breyer P-Orridge.
(Note regarding pronouns: While it is clear Genesis and Lady Jaye considered themselves a singular entity, Genesis seems to refer actively to Lady Jaye specifically with feminine pronouns. My use of them here reflects that observation.)
Breyer P-Orridge was diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in 2017. In response to this news, a variety of artists influenced by their work rallied to raise funds to help pay for their treatment and expenses. One of those efforts was organized by Pedro Peñas Robles, a bisexual musician and producer operating under the pseudonym HIV+, and founder of the independent Franco-Spanish label, Unknown Pleasures Records. Robles curated and released two volumes of A Tribute To Genesis Breyer P-Orridge in the first months of 2018, featuring covers of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV contributed by over thirty acts. All proceeds of these two albums go to aid Breyer P-Orridge and have thus far raised $3500. Blind Delon, the synthwave, EBM & post-punk project of Mathis Kolkoz, covered Almost A Kiss on the first of the compilations. (There is a second cover of the song on the other volume by Testing Vault.) The version on this collection features vocals by Kolkoz, but Robles decided to record a version where he did the vocals. Robles, in a brief conversation I had with him, said that he was inspired and touched by "the melody and the words." He continued, "they speak about the loss of a loved one, it's things that I understand and that I feel."
It appears the first release of his version comes in the form of a remix he did, found on his label's March 2018 Spring Equinox various artists compilation. Kolkoz wanted to put the song on a vinyl single with a b-side cover of Psychic TV's Just Drifting (with vocals by Hausfrau). So they released the un-remixed version of the track with Robles singing on Plays Throbbing Gristle & Psychic TV in December 2018. The artwork for the single and on the first volume of the tributes features a stylized version of the Buddhist symbol for an "endless knot," likely an unstated philosophical influence of Throbbing Gristle's album on which the original song and that symbol is found.
Because HIV+'s version does not contribute to the funds assisting Breyer P-Orridge, I'm including an additional link to the original Blind Delon version so you can get both or buy the full tribute album if you like.
Transgender people have a particular hardship when it comes to health care access because of lack of employment, benefits, insurance, etc... It's not uncommon to see many crowdsourcing to help fund not only transitional expenses, but quite often other basic and severe medical needs. Most do not have even the limited notoriety of Breyer P-Orridge to inspire such charity as they've received. It all exemplifies a great need for change, but until then, it's worth considering what you can do to help those in need survive when such pleas are made.:
The Cover:
Click Here for the Original Cover
sans HIV+ from the Tribute Compilation
The Original:
Next week:
Because there are FIVE Sunday's in PRIDE month... that means we get a Fifth Sunday A La Mode! Just when you thought it couldn't get any gayer... a Depeche Mode cover by an LGBT artist! Because even if DM aren't, you know they've inspired those who are!
Feel free to tell me what you think about today's cover! Comments, suggestions, discussions, etc... welcome! You do NOT need a Dreamwidth account to comment, but all comments are screened for spam prevention.
Thanks for reading and keep dancing in darkness,
-Xero
Previous DisCOVERies
Jun 16 - Erasure – Supernature (Cerrone)
Jun 09 - Xiu Xiu – Falling (Julee Cruise)
Jun 02 - Bones UK – I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie)
May 26 - Stoppenberg – Knight Rider Theme (Stu Phillips)
May 19 - Deathline International– Rawhide (Frankie Laine)
. Directory of All Previous DisCOVERies .