JG Thirlwell: From Foetus To The Venture Bros

JG Thirlwell is best known by the general public for his work on The Venture Bros. Like many of the animated features on Adult Swim, it is marvelously subversive - much like Thirlwell’s music. From the very beginning, the producers understood this.

When Blogcritics spoke to JG Thirlwell recently, we asked how the association came about. JG replied that he had been approached to score the pilot, but had declined - to concentrate on other projects. This did not deter program creator Jackson Publick, who simply used previously recorded material for the episode. When the artist saw how well the music and action complimented each other, he signed on.

The Venture Bros may have brought a whole new audience to JG Thirlwell, but his career stretches back to 1978. He started out in a London post-punk outfit who called themselves pragVEC. When that group ended, Thirlwell released the first recording using the Foetus moniker - the single “OKFM” b/w “Spite Your Face.” (1981), credited to Foetus Under Glass.

He has recorded in so many variations under the Foetus brand since, the man may hold a Guinness World Record. They include: Foetus Art Terrorism; Foetus Über Frisco; Foetus Corruptus; Foetus In Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe; Foetus Inc.; Foetus Interruptus; Foetus Over Frisco; Philip and His Foetus Vibrations; Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel; The Foetus All-Nude Revue; The Foetus Of Excellence; The Foetus Symphony Orchestra; and You've Got Foetus On Your Breath.

Thirlwell has been nothing if not prolific, and has collaborated with a multitude of artists - each with their own designations. A few examples: Wiseblood - with Roli Mosimann (Swans); Flesh Volcano - with Marc Almond (Soft Cell); Baby Zizanie - with Jim Coleman (Cop Shoot Cop).

He has also appeared on, or remixed recordings with such a wide variety of artists, a full listing would likely fill this page. Here are a few: The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Orange Juice, Voivod, EMF, Sonic Youth, The The, Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch, Coil, and Nurse With Wound.

It is with Nurse With Wound that much of the JG Thirlwell legend begins. At the tender age of 18, after briefly studying fine art at the University Of Melbourne, JG emigrated to London. This was in 1978, as the post-punk genre began.

He got a job in a record store, and had a customer who would come in every now and again to inquire about the sales of a record titled Chance Meeting On A Dissecting Table Of A Sewing Machine And An Umbrella, by Nurse With Wound. When Thirlwell mentioned that the consignment item had not sold many copies, but how much he personally liked the LP, the gentleman introduced himself.

Article Author: Greg Barbrick

Greg Barbrick is an old time "music biz" groupie/writer. He thinks that nothing good has been recorded since 1978.

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