..|'''.| '|. '|' ..|'''.|
.|' ' |'| | .|' ' [2022]
|| .... | '|. | || ....
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''|...'| .|. '| ''|...'|
<< ...it was actually not half bad: >>
Thinguma*jigSaw - Ghoul's Out
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<< INFO >>
Artist...... Thinguma*jigSaw
Album....... Ghoul's Out
Label....... Derodidymus
Genre....... Folk
Date........ 2010-08-30
Release..... 2023-02-16
Bitrate..... 233kbps
Size........ 54.64 mb
Duration.... 30:58
WWW......... http://www.thingumajigsaw.com
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<< TRACKS >>
01 We're All Doomed [ 4:40]
02 Ghoul's Out [ 3:41]
03 Dawn Of The Dead [ 3:04]
04 This Mockumentary [ 4:00]
05 The Reaper Cometh [ 4:18]
06 The Perfidious Sarcophagus [ 5:48]
07 Your Soul's Not A Gym [ 2:22]
08 Your Life Crawls Back In [ 3:05]
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<< NOTES >>
"NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED" - a biographical attempt about Thinguma*jigSaw
Thinguma*jigSaw is a "splatterfolk" duo, consisting of Martha Redivivus aka
Little Myth (saw, flute, melodica, ukulele & guitar, vocals, artwork &
illustrations) and Seth Buncombe aka The Severed Headmaster (banjo, vocals &
poetic musings).The less said about their origins and backgrounds, the
better. To quote Jandek: "You may not get all the answers you want. It`s
better that way".
Let us start with the genre "splatterfolk"; "Splatterfolk" is
Thinguma*jigSaw`s very own artistic niche, subtly combining influences from
the darker domains of Irish/British/American/Scandinavian folk-music with
contemporary art music. (This is not to say that "splatterfolk" is the one
and only suitable nickname for the style of the duo. Numerous others have
been proposed, such as "snuff-pop" - "doomballadry" and "deathbed lullabies".
However, the term "splatterfolk" tends to stick)
This mixture of "folk" and "art music" is then topped with components from
horrorfilms (hence "splatter"), experimental theatre and modernistic
litterature. Splatterfolk contains a cornucopia (or plethora, if you insist)
of filmatic, philosophical and popcultural references: Thinguma*jigSaw pays
homage to such diverse phenomena as the writings of Fiodor Dostojevskij,
James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Edgar Allan Poe, Roald Dahl, Dante, Stephen
King, Lewis Carroll, T S Eliot, Kurt Vonnegut and e.e. Cummings - the
paintings of Edvard Munch, Frieda Kahlo, Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon -
horrorfilms such as Friday The 13th, Halloween, Evil Dead, Night Of The
Creeps, Dawn Of the dead, Creepshow, Carrie, The Dead Zone,The Thing from
another world, The Blair Witch Project, The Changeling (and numerous more)
and Art films such as Who`s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ?, Equus, One Flew Over
The Cuckoo`s nest, Dancer In The Dark, Breaking The Waves, Mulholland Drive,
The Tenant, Wisconsin Death Trip, Koyaanisqatsi. And so on. It can therefore
be said that the members of Thinguma*jigSaw are not afraid to combine high
art with that often dismissed as "low-brow". Musically, the duo is especially
influenced by the classic lo-fi cassette albums (1980-1990) of Daniel
Johnston - the horror-rock of the vintage Alice Cooper albums (such as
"Welcome to my nightmare") - film soundtracks by Philip Glass, John Carpenter
and Goblin -the songwriting and lyricism of songwriter extraordinairre Sport
Murphy (especially his "Magic Beans" album) - the more recent Scott Walker
recordings (such as "Tilt") - the twisted cabaret of The Tiger Lillies and
Tom Waits - the beautiful folk-renditions by singers as June Tabor and John
Jacob Niles - the experimental wanderlust of Norwegian noisegurus Maja Ratkje
and Lasse Marhaug. But these are merely references to the work of others. The
art of Thinguma*jigSaw is infinitely more coloured by their own twisted
creativity, and by their own personal experiences and philosophies, of
course.
So, what then, does Splatterfolk express in terms of emotions and ideas?
Well, a lot of it is to be found in the name of the duo, meaning something
like "a nameless puzzle/a mistery beyond the realm of language" (the name is
also a portmanteau, of course, meant as a nod to Joyce). It`s all about
embracing the elusive mysteries of existence, according to Redivivus and
Buncombe. Being deeply interested in the ambiguities of the human soul,
Thinguma*jigSaw refuses to succumb to simple, one-dimensional songwriting and
performance. Their art is all about intensity and sincerity, but is equally
suffused with unpredictabilty and wit. They certainly have a flair for the
dramatic and an appetite for the adventurous. " How about a quietly, noisy,
relaxed intensity?" - to quote Edward Albee`s classic play "Who`s afraid of
Virginia Woolf?". This "quietly, noisy, relaxed intensity" can certainly be
found in the music of Thinguma*jigSaw.
The themes of Thinguma*jigSaw tend to be grim, ghoulish and grotesque; angst,
perversions, mortality, the beyond, zombiefication, snuff-films, insanity,
demonology, exorcisms, murder, metaphysical conundrums, physical
decay,teenage psychosis, jack the ripper, the apocalypse, doom & gloom,
nothingness, the death of God. Mindboggling material. These themes are
expressed through ingenious, poetic lyrics - performed with a nervous
authority, an anarchistic intensity, an infantile and androgyneous
vulnerability and a peculiar angstridden charm. The duo has often been
described as "insane children", and there`s certainly enough lunacy and
playfulness in the art of Thinguma*jigSaw. And, as we know; "...even the most
primitive societies has a respect for the insane..." (to quote The Motorcycle
Boy in the Coppola film "Rumble Fish"). So, insane or not, Buncombe &
Redivivus dive headlong into the abyss of the human experience, they face the
horrors found therein - and somehow they manage to emerge from this smutty
dungeon, bringing with them peculiar newfound insights. It`s about a personal
and universal catharsis. Simple yet utterly poignant. So, yes - here be
monsters, demons, dread and sorrow. Despair abounds. But pay closer attention
and you will detect tiny presents of hope and comfort, wrapped in profound
generousity. There is kindness here. Even humour. This is what
Thinguma*jigSaw is about. Redivivus and Buncombe are here to fondle your
brain and nourish your heart. Still, Thinguma*jigSaw may not be for the
fainthearted. (But they may be just the thing for YOUR heart - and that`s
what matters, ultimately, innit?)
To experience Thinguma*jigSaw in concert is quite the experience, indeed. It
is safe to say that there`s something about this duo that touches audiences
in the strangest ways. The duo perform their songs with no amplification
(unless there is 500 people or more in the audience), and move about amidst
the audience, channeling their songs directly to them. Thinguma*jigSaw insist
on intimacy - and never fails to obtain it. How do audiences react to this
intimacy and the quality of the material performed? Often with tears. Often
with joy. Some feel provoked. Many feel inspired and uplifted. None are left
indifferent. You hereby stand warned. This is dangerous music - on every
level imagineable.
Following their "birth" in Oslo, Norway in 2007 (their first gig as
"Thinguma*jigSaw" was in Sound Of Mu, Oslo - the 6th of January, 2007), the
duo has brought their unique brand of "folk" to thousands of enthusiastic
listeners worldwide: They have performed in New York, Washington DC,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Hudson, Syracuse, Rochester (USA) Berlin, Dresden,
Leipzig(Germany) Reykjavik (Iceland), Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork
(Ireland), London, Oxford, Dorset, Colchester (England) Lublin (Poland),
Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Leiden, Haarlem, Tillburg (Holland) Paris
(France), Caceres and Madrid (Spain), Oslo, Drammen, Hamar, Gj°vik, Bergen
(Norway) - at such noted venues as Pete`s Candy Store (New York),
FriedrichSTATTpalast (Dresden), Whelan`s (Dublin), Roisin Dubh (Galway),
Paradiso (Amsterdam), Patronaat (Haarlem) and Cafe OTO (London) - to mention
but a few highlights from the extensive CV of Thinguma*jigSaw - and they have
gained themselves a reputation as a fantastic and unmissable live-experience
along the way. The English magazine TIME OUT LONDON even rated
Thinguma*jigSaw as the definitive international live-experience of 2008
(next to Bon Iver), and NEW YORK POST described Thinguma*jigSaw live as
..."deeply unsettling, yet strangely comforting...". The Norwegian newspaper
DAGBLADET wrote "...h°ydepunktet mσ vµre verdens ledende splatter-folk duo
-Thinguma*jigSaw..." (..."the highlight must be the world`s leading
splatterfolk-duo, Thinguma*jigSaw..."). Legendary British songwriter Miles
Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) exclaimed;"Fuckin`incredible"! when he experienced
Thinguma*jigSaw live in Dublin. The duo has been featured in shows on Dutch
radio and television (VPRO), American radio; WNYC ("Spinning On Air" hosted
by David Garland, New York). Thinguma*jigSaw has also performed at festivals
such as ZXZW (Holland) and End Of The Road (UK), The Sensual Walk &
Bloomsday - celebrations of James Joyce (Dublin, Ireland), By:larm and
By:alarm (Norway).
Thinguma*jigSaw has done concerts together with fine artists within the idiom
of folk & "neo-folk" (such as Meg Baird/Espers, Sharron Kraus, A Hawk and a
Hacksaw, Sport Murphy, Pantaleimon, Noa Babayof, Cian Nugent, Baby Dee, Arlt,
Curtis Eller, Charles Frail, Knut Reiersrud, Mahsa Vahdat, Ola Kvernberg,
Ergo, Eric Carbonara, Laura Sheeran & Cora Venus Lunny (Fovea Hex), Sharon
Van Etten, Samara Lubelski, Noa Babayof, United Bible Studies, Agitated Radio
Pilot, The Family Elan, The Driftwood Manor, Al Duvall, Now we`ve got
members, Larkin Grimm), with noise/jazz/impro-artists (such as The Thing,
Sidsel Endresen & Humcrush, Lasse Marhaug, Thomas Truax, Tore Honore B°e,
Talibam!, Dead Rat Orchestra,Tord Gustavsen, Mari Kvien Brunvoll) and with
performers of indie-rock or "alternative" artists (for lack of better
words...) (such as The Tiger Lillies, Mercury Rev, Jape, Efterklang, Niagara
Falls, The Skels, Monotonix). Thinguma*jigSaw has also presented many artists
to Norwegian audiences, including Sport Murphy, Peter Delaney, Arlt, Sharron
Kraus, George Worrall, Charles Frail, Cian Nugent, and numerous others.
Thinguma*jigSaw has been based in Dublin, Ireland (on and off) for some time,
and released their debutalbum (awakeinwhitechapel) on the Irish label
Deserted Village. The album was a "concept album" of sorts, dealing vaguely
and enigmatically with the killings executed by one "Jack The Ripper" in
Whitechapel, London, 1888. This album was produced by Nicky Coghlan, recorded
in Dhulaigh Studio, Dublin, and mastered by Steve Fanagan (NorthStation). It
was released in July 2007, featured twelve original songs, and one cover of
"walking the cow" by Daniel Johnston. The liner notes were written by Sport
Murphy (legendary American songwriter, having released three timeless albums
on Kill Rock stars). The album soon obtained a massive cult-status, it was
met with wide international acclaim, and was rated by many as one of the very
best albums of the year.The album is currently sold out.
Following the success of the (awakeinwhitechapel) album, Thinguma*jigSaw
toured extensively, but also found time to compose heaps of new songs. In
2008 & 2009 they started recording their new albums, doing sessions in The
Kennel Studio (Brooklyn, New York - with James Pertusi & Jim Santo), Dhulaigh
Studio ( Dublin, Ireland - with Nicky Coghlan) and Crystal Canyons Studio
(Oslo, Norway - with Robert J°nnum). Summer 2010 "Ghoul's Out" was released,
featuring guest performances by Sharron Kraus, Cian Nugent, Sport Murphy,
Peter Delaney - and more.
On the 2nd of november "Misery Together" will be released on double vinyl
(and digitally) on Deserted Village / Derodidymus!
This album features 20 new Thinguma*jigSaw compositions, and stellar guest
performances from (among others) the legendary actor Brad Dourif, Lasse
Marhaug and Knut Reiersrud!
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