“Psychic TV is amazing, not only as a band but also as a concept. They rose out of the ashes of Throbbing Gristle, the band usually credited with creating Industrial music. PTV even had a hand in creating acid-house techno. The group was originally headed up by, musician, Genesis P-Orridge and, videographer, Peter Christopherson as a multimedia project to further their spiritual philosophies which had sort of a pagan anarchist vibe. Although the message never really changed the group had several lineup changes with Genesis being the only really solid member through their career.
Eventually the band garnered enough of a following, drawn in by the music as much as the message, that they formed a cult called Thee Temple Ov Psychic Youth. Thee Temple performed all sorts of rituals, some in squatted buildings others were to be done by one’s self with evidence or a sigil being sent to TOPY headquarters. Many TOPY rituals were filmed as to document their experiments as well as a way to keep members from leaking their secrets (you were on camera doing freaky shit you might not want the outer world knowing why blab on the others. Although, I don’t perceive that much of a threat of leakage from the group). A lot of their rituals were sexual in nature, they had a site in their HQ called the nursery where a member could come and act out their wildest fantasies with any number of members coming to help see these fantasies realized. Other rituals were done through piercing with Genesis P-Orridge claiming that the group helped popularize piercings, beyond ears, in England.
Eventually some of their videos were leaked to police and television and the TOPY house was raided and Genesis fled England eventually being exiled for a number of years. The band reformed recently as PTV3 and I think they’re still active.
Check ‘em out, if not only for the music.”
