You've Got Foetus On Your Breath
Deaf
[Thirsty Ear]
Rating: 6.3
Foetus was conceived in 1978, when a guy called J.G. Thirlwell
decided to combine his separate talents into
one handy little package. The guy was a master of
retro German commercial art and created some incredibly
innovative and angry stuff with only basic equipment to
work with.
In 1981, Thirlwell started experimenting with tape loops
resulting in the first full-length album under the Foetus
moniker. Deaf is his first record and at a
volume of ten, it might make you go just that. The album,
recorded as You've Got Foetus On Your Breath, was probably
nothing like anyone in the world had ever heard before.
Thirwell's creepy, spaztic vocals were recorded over weird,
grinding, mechanical noises and goofy drum machines -- it,
and following Foetus records, were essential records in
the shaping and inventing of original industrial music. The
result is a twisted and jerky nightmare you'll never wake
up from.
Deaf includes the original recordings of "Today I
Started Slogging Again" (a later version was released on
the Wax Trax Foetus compilation, Sink) and the
classic "New York or Bust." It's an interesting listen,
though Thirlwell didn't fully develop his style and energy
until 1984's Hole.
-Ryan Schreiber