Whitehouse is an English power electronics band formed in 1980. They are known for their controversial lyrics and images (which are often interpreted as misogynistic, sexually deviant, and extremely violent). The band's members have been the subject of censorship in the past. Their name is in mock tribute to the British moral campaigner Mary Whitehouse; it is also a reference to a British pornographic magazine of the same name.

The group's founding member and sole constant is William Bennett. Initially playing guitar in Essential Logic, Bennett later recorded as Come before forming Whitehouse. The band has had numerous other members, including Kevin Tomkins and Paul Reuter. In recent years the most stable line-up consisted of Bennett, Philip Best and Peter Sotos. Sotos left in 2002, however, leaving the band as a two-piece.

Whitehouse music is exclusively released through their own record label, Susan Lawly, who also distribute the "Extreme Music" series.

Whitehouse purposefully uses noise as a creative material that is elevated to the status of its powerful aesthetic object .
William Bennett's fantasy about creating sound that can " beat " the consciousness of the listener , forced him to throw the game in 1980 on the guitar in the post- punk collective Essential Logic and establish a direction, which he later dubbed as the «power electronics». Early findings industrial Throbbing Gristle ( 1975 ) and SPK ( since 1978 ) , the activities of Alvin , Lucy and Robert Ashley, Literature Marquis de Sade had an impact. In contrast to Throbbing Gristle, which, according to William, went from the present and the noise began to sound somehow "usually" , he wanted to send Whitehouse toward the extreme of extreme sound. Figuratively speaking, Bennett would find bare root noise as extreme condition of musical matter . Name ( quite in the spirit of nihilism oxymoron ) was chosen with reference to the British porn magazine and a champion of Christian values ​​Mary Whitehouse .
William shared aspirations with a then 14-year-old Philip Best, who in 1982 ran away from home and joined the Whitehouse, and remains a member to this day. In the early 1980s, Philip started his own cassette label Iphar, putting out noise music. In parallel with the Whitehouse , he was involved in projects such as the Male Rape Group (1982-1983) and Ramleh (1987-1997). In 1995, under the name Consumer Electronics (« Consumer Electronics "), he and Masami Akita and some companions release issued by Ramleh «Horn of the Goat».
Starting in the 1990 's, one of the most stable members of Whitehouse was writer Peter Sotos, a researcher of sexual crime and child pornography. In 2002 he left the band, and ever since Whitehouse has remained a team of two people.
A typical scheme of tracks Whitehouse period of 1980 . : Nagging attack treble , deep bass rattling analog synthesizer and the most congested and twisted vocals . Loose does not absorb sound and envelops the listener (as it likes , for example , Merzbow), but monotonous drills , screwed into the skull , stings consciousness in the same spot.
The album «Total Sex» ( 1980) is monotonous , then nervously vibrating noyzovaya flap creates a feeling of a cold prison cell , which is buried in reverb and agonizing voice of the vocalist . The words are indistinguishable, we perceive only the pathological aggression. One of the most depressing and difficult to grasp album «Buchenwald» ( 1981) is based entirely on cutting the manipulation of " charging " the microphone. Repeatedly given at times heart-rending cries of William with inhuman pain stumble on them as on the barbed wire.
As you can see , at a minimum of equipment ( analog synthesizer (and in a later period - two laptops ), and microphone ) Whitehouse try to achieve the maximum depressing and irritating to the listener.
Pathology of the displaced consciousness is thrown to the surface and placed in the center of the universe . In his debut album «Birthdeath Experience» ( 1980), in my opinion, and most software is a stand out track «Mindphaser». Bennett voice idiot sadistic maniac convinces his victim : " Feel the pain - the pleasure . To feel the agony - ecstasy. " The same formula in a more rigid form it will repeat on the album «Great White Death» ( 1985) (Track «Rapemaster»).
And it looks like a sick sadist does not alter. No social framework is not able to keep that ocean of unconscious aggression that cuts through it. The history of the world in the eyes of the Whitehouse - is the story of the very bottom of his pathology . Reason is powerless in front of this depth and breadth burgeoning cancer. Penetrate the consciousness disorders covered by means get into another dimension , where are raped all of our most persistent moral views that we have benefited from their mother's milk . And Whitehouse sneaked through his music this " messedzh ." Worm-eaten need to rip open the belly of reality (not coincidentally one of the plates is called " New Britain ").
The compositions of the album «Psychopathia Sexuals» ( 1982) entitled the names of serial killers , sadists and pedophiles , including Graham Young, Peter Sutcliffe , Edward Paysnel , Fritz Garman and others. Album «Dedicated to Peter Kurten» ( 1981) draws its energy from the biography of a serial killer , " Vampire of Dusseldorf ." One of the most horrific crimes of Peter Kurt: he stabbed with scissors young maid and drank the blood from her wounds . He is stabbed with scissors old girl and poured over her body with gasoline , burned . Peter's childhood passed in extremely disadvantaged circumstances . Alcoholic father often beat him. One day, right in front of Peter , he raped his sister , his own daughter. Severe psychological breakdown unleashed Courtenay hands made ​​him a sex maniac . Guillotine cut off his head in 1931, after he had already managed to make about a dozen murders. I note that this particular album Whitehouse was inspired in 1992 by twenty-two class power electronics Marco Corbelli ( Italian project Atrax Morgue), passionately studied the biographies of serial killers.
From 1985 to 1990, the band suspends its activities and does not release albums. According to William , it was a feeling that everything that could be done has been done .
However, one of the most interesting records the next period is «Quality time» ( 1996), has written in collaboration with Peter Sotos . " Unhealthy " Sotos voice very effectively combined with the monotonous drilling Whitehouse. In the title track on the album, he is sadistically impatient and angry , the schizophrenic whispering , then yelling hysterically . Through it shines like a gallery of individuals with pathological abnormalities. In the song «Baby» of splashing water we hear demented laughter , coughing , crying and moaning is clearly not of this world . Do not be surprised if the Whitehouse used the voice is really mentally ill people. Inexpressible feelings on track .
Since the late 1990s, the collective sound noticeably compacted , it becomes more " harshevym ." Analog equipment is replaced by computer programs to help Whitehouse build real flows of continuously mutating and metal cutting sound designs. Appears either dull bits, or the chaos of distortirovannyh African drums . Albums «Mummy and Daddy» ( 1998 ), «Cruice» ( 2001 ), «Bird Seed» ( 2003) in terms of sound and composition look at the background of " rough " ( but that he is attractive ) Analog period 1980 as adjusted mature and education.
It is worth to highlight the findings of workshops in the field of vocal " noyzovoy " filing. William's passion for NLP techniques and verbal zombie consciousness have borne fruit . A feeling that he shoots his Hyperspeed texts got out of their sockets and his eyes gushing from his mouth foaming . Under mortar fire tracks «A cunt like you» and «Why you never became a danger» want to squeeze herself into a ball , pressed into a chair. In these heart-rending monologues - all the madness inside the rotten society. As expressed by one reviewer , Whitehouse hate all around with such force that it becomes uncomfortable .
On the strength of this anger , desperate thrust of this confrontation will be useful to draw attention to many generations of musical underground .

London
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