ThouShaltNot were an American

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

band formed in 1998. Their core lineup consisted of Alex Reed, Aaron Fuleki, and Jeremy Long. The band's musical style blended elements of

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...

, gothic rock, industrial, and

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

. Based in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsyl ...

, they were signed to

Dancing Ferret Discs The Dancing Ferret entertainment group is an unofficial collective name for Dancing Ferret Discs and Dancing Ferret Concerts. It was started by Patrick Rodgers (a.k.a. DJ Ferret) in 1995 in music, 1995 with the formation of Dancing Ferret Concerts ...

. The group released four studio albums before disbanding in 2013, with Reed and Fuleki continuing to record music under the name

Seeming Seeming is a musical act based in Ithaca, New York. Signed to Artoffact Records, they have released three albums since 2014. Seeming is primarily a project of Alex Reed, working with Aaron Fuleki. Both previously played in the band ThouShaltN ...

Biography

The band started as vocalist Alex Reed's solo project, though Aaron Fuleki, whom Reed met as a freshman at

The College of Wooster The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian Church as the University of Wooster, it has been officially non-sectarian since 1969 when ownership ties with the Presbyterian Church ...

, joined the band in 1999. When ThouShaltNot relocated from Cleveland to Pittsburgh in 2001, Jeremy David Long joined the band. All three are classically trained musicians; Reed earned a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

music composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called c ...

and

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may ...

from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

in 2005. ThouShaltNot's music is generally complex, carefully orchestrated, and spiritual. ThouShaltNot first signed with ADSR Musicwerks, releasing two albums of new material (a self-titled release and ''The Holiness of Now'') as well as a rarities collection, ''You'll Wake Up Yesterday.'' ''The Holiness of Now'' gave them their first minor hit, "Without Faith," and ''You'll Wake Up Yesterday'' features their song "If I Only Were a Goth"; this song became quite popular and somewhat notorious at their live shows because the band traditionally limits it to the first live show in a new city as well as for its affectionate ridiculing of the

gothic subculture Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post- ...

. They were next signed by Dancing Ferret Discs, who have released their 2003 album ''The White Beyond'' and their 2006 album ''Land Dispute'', as well as re-issuing ''The Holiness of Now.'' ''The White Beyond'' has been their most successful release to date, with "Cardinal Directions" and "Inside of You, In Spite of You" both receiving extensive club play. The band has gone on several U.S. tours, sharing the stage with such artists as

VNV Nation VNV Nation is an Irish alternative electronic project led by Ronan Harris in the roles of singer, songwriter, and producer. VNV Nation's sound combines lyrics with sounds that ranges from melodic industrial dance anthems, to haunting ballads ...

The Dresden Dolls The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (lead vocals and piano; additional: keyboards, harmonica, ukulele) and Brian Viglione (drums and backing vocals; ad ...

, and David J of

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 2 ...

. They have also provided remixes for many synthpop and goth acts, including Alphaville, Hungry Lucy, Stromkern, and The Last Dance.

Members

Final lineup

* Alex Reed - vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, programming, samples (1998-2013) * Aaron "Foo" Fuleki - percussion, programming, samples, guitars, backing vocals (1999-2013) * Jeremy David Long - guitars, bass, backing vocals, piano, keyboards, programming (2001-2013)

Former members

* Sarah Hans - keyboards, vocals (touring member) * Megan Hancock - cello (touring member) * The band maintains an exhaustive list of additional musicians whom they have used on thei
official FAQ

Discography

Albums

* ''The Deepest Ice'' (1999, self-released demo album) * ''ThouShaltNot'' (2000, ADSR Musicwerks) * ''The Holiness of Now'' (2001,

ADSR Musicwerks ADSR may refer to: *ADSR envelope (attack decay sustain release), a common type of music envelope * Accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor, a nuclear reactor using a particle accelerator to generate a fission reaction in a sub-critical assembly of ...

; reissued by

in 2003) * ''The White Beyond'' (2003, Dancing Ferret Discs) * ''Land Dispute'' (2006, Dancing Ferret Discs)

EPs

* ''You'll Wake Up Yesterday'' (2002, ADSR Musicwerks) * ''Vier Factor No. 1'' (split with

The Crüxshadows The Crüxshadows is an American dark wave and dark synthpop band currently based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The band has an international following of fans and has toured North America, Europe, and Asia. History The band was o ...

, Paralysed Age, and

The Dreamside The Dreamside is a rock and metal band formed in the Netherlands in 1994. History The band was formed by Italian-Dutch singer Kemi Vita. The Dreamside recorded ''Pale Blue Lights'', the band's debut album, pretty much solo with assistance from ...

, 2003, Dancing Ferret Discs) * ''The Projectionist'' (2005, independent release) * ''New World EP'' (2008, independent release)

Remixes

* Hungry Lucy - ''Glo'' - "Telltale Shot," "Stay" (on European version) (2003 Alpha Matrix / Hungry Media) * Furnace St. - ''People'' - "Sunday Driver" (2003, Furnasty Music) * Alphaville - ''Crazyshow'' - "Inside Out" (2003 Alphaville) * The Last Dance - ''Reflections of Rage'' - "Voices" (2004, Dancing Ferret Discs) * Lunascape - ''Mindstalking'' - "Mindstalking" (2005, Dancing Ferret Discs) * Stromkern - ''Reminders'' - "Reminders" (2006, WTII Records) *

Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

- "Imposter" - ''Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer'' (2010, Metropolis Records) *

Caustic Caustic most commonly refers to: * Causticity, a property of various corrosive substances ** Sodium hydroxide, sometimes called ''caustic soda'' ** Potassium hydroxide, sometimes called ''caustic potash'' ** Calcium oxide, sometimes called ''caust ...

- "Chewing Glass at the Zoo" - ''Douche Ex Machina'' (2011, Metropolis Records)

Alex Reed's solo work

* ''Better Roads EP'' (2004, independent release) * ''The Gothic'' (2018, independent release) * ''Midnight to Midnight'' (2020, independent release), written in 24 hours as the first album of 2020

As "Thou Flaming Minister"

* "Upwards of the Hilt" appears on the compilation ''Transmission Vol. 1'' (1996, New World Order Records) * Remix of "Disevolve" by Zia appears on the ''Disevolve EP'

(1998, Zia Music) * ''Excavate'' cassette (1998, independent; only distributed at their first concert) * ''Catalepsy'' (1998, independent short-run CD-R)

Exclusive Compilation Appearances

* "Trench Warfare (Midnight mix)" on ''Only Sorrow'' (2001, Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship) * "The Sting (Proto mix)" on ''Chartreuse Translucent Sampler'' (2001, Chartreuse Translucent) * "Cardinal Directions (Directionless mix)" on ''Asleep By Dawn, vol. 1'' (2003, Asleep By Dawn) * "When Everyone Forgets" on ''

Where's Neil When You Need Him? ''Where's Neil When You Need Him?'' is a tribute album based on the works of fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. Overview The album was released on Dancing Ferret Discs on July 18, 2006. The CD has cover art by Dave McKean and extensive new liner notes f ...

'' (2006, Dancing Ferret Discs) * "Sick" on '' Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music To Cure Cancer'' (2010,

Metropolis Records Metropolis Records is a record label founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pen ...

) Various other album tracks have appeared on CDs packaged with music magazines and on label samplers by both ADSR Musicwerks and Dancing Ferret Discs.

References

External links

Official homepage

Official MySpace site
*
ThouShaltNot
statistics and tagging at

Last.FM Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Using a music recommender system called "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm builds a detailed profile of each user's musical taste by recording details of the tracks the user listens to, ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thoushaltnot American dark wave musical groups American synth-pop groups Musical groups from Pittsburgh Rock music groups from Pennsylvania