Throbbing Gristle - "IRC A & IRC B (Radio Interview parts 1&2)" Industrial Records 1980

Here's the incredibly rare Throbbing Gristle Interview Tapes,up until now missing from the Die or DIY? TG“24 Hours” box set post. Provided for us by that nice gentleman Mr Shivadescending.

Tape A starts with a John Cooper Clark number (?),dunno about that?then we get Gen talking in his best telephone voice about being misrepresented in the press, and ending up bessie mates(best buddies) with a gutter journalist,interspersed with a few TG hits. Like the records, there's no laughs here,just very serious conceptual explanations, Tangerine Dream liking admissions,and lots of Genesis pronunciating hhhhhis words correctly in that permanently adolescent timbre we all know and love.

Tape B starts with that computer digital noise one used to hear when your Spectrum ZX was loading Donkey Kong,and later became that Drill'n'Bass stuff that Squarepusher made in the 90's. Then its “United” for the second time in two tapes! Carter talks about how certain sound frequencies can open yer bowels and stuff; a talent perfected earlier by that bloke in Hawkwind, who could target individuals in the audience at will. They go on to liken Muzak to atomic energy, swap anecdotes about our cool mate Billy Burroughs, hear the Velvet Underground do the Wedding Present,quaint predictions of future technology and plenty more explanations.

The thing about the wide rock'n'roll era of popular culture is the need of explanations; and the need for the artist to explain their work rather than understand it, or feel it, for yourselves. Its has the same effect on art as the pocket calculator had on maths. You get the answer, but without the workings and ,more importantly, the effort. A parable for our totally fucked up,lost times. Rule 1, “Don't Explain Yourself To Anyone”, what is life without mystery? Would anybody give a fuck about the JFK assassination if we knew who did it, unexplained phenomena are the greatest art of all,and the most subversive.

Track Listing:

IRC A:
Side 1 - 43:17
Side 2 - 23:23
IRC B:
Side 1 - 42:40
Side 2 - 43:04

DOWNLOAD IRC A HERE!
DOWNLOAD IRC B HERE!