Current 93 are an English

experimental music Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...

group, founded in 1982 by David Tibet. Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive

tape loop In music, tape loops are loops of magnetic tape used to create repetitive, rhythmic musical patterns or dense layers of sound when played on a tape recorder. Originating in the 1940s with the work of Pierre Schaeffer, they were used among ...

s, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorted, excoriating vocals. In the mid-'80s, Current 93's sound shifted to a style Tibet has called "apocalyptic folk", combining

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

with industrial elements. Tibet has been the only constant member of Current 93, with a wide variety of collaborators joining in over the years. They have released over twenty full-length albums, as well as many other recordings.

Background

Current 93 initially consisted of Tibet, fellow Psychic TV alumnus Jhonn Balance, and 23 Skidoo member Fritz Catlin. Tibet has been the only constant member in the group, though Steven Stapleton (of Nurse with Wound) appeared on nearly every Current 93 release until 2010. Michael Cashmore was also a long-term contributor starting with '' Thunder Perfect Mind''. Douglas P. of Death in June has played on well over a dozen Current 93 releases. Tibet's lyrics have been fairly consistent, regardless of delivery: The earlier recordings reflect his preoccupation with death,

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

(Tibet borrowed the term "93 Current" from Crowley – the 93 Current being the current of

Thelema Thelema () is a Western esotericism, Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and a new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial ma ...

or Agape),

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

Gnosticism Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek language, Ancient Greek: , Romanization of Ancient Greek, romanized: ''gnōstikós'', Koine Greek: Help:IPA/Greek, �nostiˈkos 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced ...

runes Runes are the Letter (alphabet), letters in a set of related alphabets, known as runic rows, runic alphabets or futharks (also, see ''#Futharks, futhark'' vs ''#Runic alphabets, runic alphabet''), native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were ...

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

s, Noddy, '' The Wicker Man'', and a variety of

occult The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mysti ...

notions. The later to present-day period of Current 93's recordings increasingly reflect Tibet's interest in Christian mysticism and

apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...

. Tibet has stated that he identifies as a Christian. Literary influences include Lautreamont's '' Les Chants de Maldoror'', the Bible and its apocrypha, ''The

Poetic Edda The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems in alliterative verse. It is distinct from the closely related ''Prose Edda'', although both works are seminal to the study of Old Norse ...

s'', the Child Ballads, Hildegard von Bingen, Yukio Mishima, John Dee's '' De Heptarchia Mystica'', The Thunder, Perfect Mind,

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

, Louis Wain, writer Thomas Ligotti, occult British author Arthur Machen (originator of the title "The Inmost Light"), M.R. James's various ghost stories, '' The Cloud of Unknowing'', Count Eric Stenbock, and Russell Hoban's '' Riddley Walker''.

Discography

Primary, full-length, Current 93 studio albums

Full discography

Compilation appearances

*"Black Ships Ate the Sky (Alternate Mix)" on ''Brainwaves'' (2006)

''Current 93 Presents'' releases

* 1986

– ''The Hastings Archives/The World As Power'' LP * 1988 The Venerable 'Chi.med Rig. 'dzin Lama, Rinpoche – ''Tantric rNying.ma Chant of Tibet'' LP/CD * 1990 Harry Oldfield – ''Crystal'' LP/CD * 1990

Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson (4 July 1924 – 23 December 1993) was an Icelandic religious leader and singer of rímur who was instrumental in gaining the Icelandic government's recognition of pre-Christian Heathenry (new religious movement), Hea ...

– ''Edda'' LP/CD * 1992

Shirley Collins Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE (born 5 July 1935) is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the British Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on ...

– ''Fountain of Snow'' CD * 1995 Tiny Tim – ''Songs of an Impotent Troubadour'' CD * 1997 The Aryan Aquarians – ''Meet Their Waterloo'' LP/CD

Members and collaborators

Current 93 recordings often involve a wide range of collaborators, from musicians to occultists. Apart from those mentioned earlier, these have included: * Alasdair Roberts * Alex Neilson * Andrew W.K. * Andrew Liles * Annie Anxiety * Anohni * Armen Ra * Baby Dee * Ben Chasny *

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

* Bobbie Watson * Bogomil Font *

Boyd Rice Boyd Blake Rice (born December 16, 1956) is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s. A pioneer of industrial music, Rice was one of the first artists to use a sampler and turntable as an instrum ...

* The Venerable `Chimed Rig'dzin Lama, Rinpoche * Chris Carter * Christoph Heemann * Diana Rogerson * Clodagh Simonds * Cosey Fanni Tutti * Edward Ka-Spel * Einar Örn * Freya Aswynn ( runologist) * Godkrist * Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson * Ian Read * Jack Barnett * James Blackshaw * John Balance * John Murphy * John Zorn * Johnny Triumph * Jon Seagroatt * Karl Blake * Ken Thomas * Matt Sweeney * Nick Cave * Nick Saloman * Norbert Kox * Ossian Brown * Rickie Lee Jones * Rose McDowall * Sasha Grey *

* Stephen Emmel * Steve Ignorant of Crass (as Stephen Intelligent) * Thomas Ligotti * Tony McPhee * Tony Wakeford * Will Oldham * William Basinski * William Breeze * Youth (Martin Glover)

Timeline

Only long-term contributors are included in the chart below.

References

External links

Official archive
at Brainwashed, extensive discography, live information archive, related literary sources.
Current 93
at

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

* * {{Authority control English industrial music groups English experimental musical groups Psychedelic folk groups Neofolk music groups English musical trios Musical groups established in 1982 Musical groups from London