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From The Discovery of Orgone to The Emotional Plague

by ΘΕΛΗΜΑ

supported by
Bruce MacLean
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anelectricmind
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/
1.
Bat Puke (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 04:21
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2.
Mediocre White Unpleasantness (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 07:00
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3.
Smothered Hope (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 03:10
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4.
Why Jesus Wept (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 09:58
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5.
Steven Slator - AntiChrist (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 06:24
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6.
Mistress Lisa`s Dominant Tanning Salon (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 06:08
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7.
Radio Death Conference 88 (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 05:44
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8.
Mongoose Jazz (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 03:54
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9.
Prop.Mouth.Fist. (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 05:35
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10.
Paisley Event Horizon (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 08:11
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11.
I Eat Art (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 02:40
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12.
Profound Profanities (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 03:57
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13.
Electric Green Sideflash (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 03:21
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14.
Designed To Provoke (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 03:42
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15.
Avant-Dernier Pensés no 3 (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 04:23
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16.
Holothurie – Embryons Desséchés (ΘΕΛΗΜΑ) 02:35
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about

It all began in the fall of 1987. SPK-553 hosted a show on CKDU (Dalhousie radio) called Radiophage. He played a lot of Wiseblood, Front 242, Cabaret Voltaire, and for some bizarre reason, lots of covers of “Jolene”. Brian Damage accepted the challenge of producing a heavy noisy version of the track. SPK-553 liked it and suggested they do some music together. The resulting project was called The Thelema Boys (later shortened to ΘΕΛΗΜΑ. The lineup for the recordings was usually Brian Damage on electronics and SPK-553 on vocals and tapes. On some tracks, their roles are reversed.

ΘΕΛΗΜΑ was at once serious and sincere, exaggerated and parody. It introduced many themes that were adopted by Phÿcus, and several Phÿcus songs began as ΘΕΛΗΜΑ tracks, such as “Mistress Lisa`s Dominant Tanning Salon” and “I Eat Art”.

In March 1988, Damage starting collaborating with art school rebel Bruce X, forming the first version of Phÿcus. SPK-553 became part of Phÿcus a couple months later. ΘΕΛΗΜΑ co-existed with Phÿcus until the end of 1988, and was resurrected briefly when SPK-553 and Brian Damage were both living in Montreal in 1990 as an Erik Satie cover band. In 1991, SPK-553 left Montreal and ΘΕΛΗΜΑ was disbanded.

Here is a sample of ΘΕΛΗΜΑ material.

From “The Discovery of Orgone” (early 1988)
01 Bat Puke
02 Mediocre White Unpleasantness

From “The Naberhood Tape” (late 1987 or early 1988)
03 Smothered Hope

From “The Magickal Spring” (spring 1988)
04 Why Jesus Wept
05 Steve Slator – Antichrist

From “Dominant Tanning Sessions” (June 1988)
06 Mistress Lisa`s Dominant Tanning Salon
07 Radio Death Conference 88
08 Mongoose Jazz

From “Prop. Mouth. Fist.” (summer 1988)
09 Prop. Mouth. Fist. (vocal version)

from “Art Jam” (summer 1988)
10 Paisley Event Horizon
11 I Eat Art

from Do You Know What An Axolotl Is? (fall 1988)
12 Profound Profanities


from “The Emotional Plague” (late 1988)
13 Electric Green Sideflash
14 Designed To Provoke

From “The Satie Sessions” (November 1990)
15 Avant-Dernier Pensés no 3
16 Holothurie – Embryons Desséchés

credits

released January 1, 1988

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Phÿcus Montreal, Québec

Phÿcus was a Canadian industrial / experimental band that existed from 1988 to 2000. Phÿcus transformed from the traditional band format into a network that included over 50 contributors in a dozen locales, with Montreal as its centre of operations. Phÿcus' success was minimal, but their output was prodigious. Now in 2020, Phÿcus is back with a new release, "CrowleyWood". ... more

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