New Xordox Album Out Now!

OmniverseOmniverse, the second album from JG Thirlwell‘s synthesizer-based project Xordox is now available. Omniverse has been years in the making, and was recorded primarily at Self Immolation Studios in Brooklyn and mixed with Al Carlson at Gary’s Electric. Thirlwell used both hardware and software synths, as well as Buchla and Serge modular synth recordings he created while in residence at EMS in Stockholm. The album was released by Editions Mego. The initial blue vinyl run on the LP is now sold out but it is available on black vinyl (with free download), CD and download. The vinyl contains a shorter version of the track ‘Oil Slick’, edited for the time constraints of the medium. The track is in its full 13 minute glory on the CD and download.

Buy it on CD, Vinyl or as a downloadable MP3 through the Shop or via Editions Mego.

JG Thirlwell appears on Willner’s T.Rex tribute album

September 4 2020 sees the release of a new star-studded tribute album to Marc Bolan, produced by the late Hal Willner. AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan and T.Rex is out September 4 via BMG. It features contributions from Father John Misty, Lucinda Williams, U2 with Elton John, Joan Jett, Peaches, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Todd Rundgren, Nick Cave, Kesha, Elysian Fields, Devendra Banhart and more. JG Thirlwell created arrangements of “Teenage Dream”, which is sung by Marc Almond, and “Ballrooms Of Mars”, which is sung by Emily Haines. Thirlwell’s arrangements were orchestrated by long-time Thirlwell collaborator Simon Hanes (Tredici Bacci). The album was Willner’s final project before his untimely death from Covid 19 in 2020.

JG Thirlwell & Simon Steensland Collaboration LP

The long-awaited collaboration between JG Thirlwell & Simon Steensland will be released by Ipecac Records on April 24 2020. Entitled Oscillospira the album will be available on CD, double LP and digitally.  JG Thirlwell and Simon Steensland’s collaboration first began in Stockholm in 2017 while Thirlwell was conducting his commission for the Great Learning Orchestra. Steensland happened to be sitting in with the orchestra, and Thirlwell was  a fan of with his work already. The extraordinary drummer Morgan Ågren (Mats/Morgan band, Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend etc) plays on all the tracks, bringing them to life in an explosive manner. The record also includes contributions from a variety of guest musicians playing oboe, bass clarinet, violin, voice and further sonic embellishments to enrich the album. You can hear the first ‘single’ from the album here, and you can purchase the album here.

JG Thirlwell + Ensemble performs in London

JG Thirlwell + Ensemble will be performing at St Pancras Church in London on April 18 2020.
JG Thirlwell + Ensemble is a chamber group project initiated by Thirlwell in 2018. JG rearranged several pieces from the Foetus repertoire and one Wiseblood song with long time collaborator Simon Hanes (Tredici Bacci) for the instrumentation of harp, piano, viola, acoustic guitar/bass and drums. In February of 2019 they played two sold-out shows at National Sawdust in NYC.
The London iteration of the ensemble will include Manorexia alumni Angharad Davies (viola, violin), Tim Parkinson (piano) and Adam Morris (percussion) along with Thirlwell and Hanes. Tickets are available here

*UPDATE* Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, this show has been postponed indefinitely.

JG Thirlwell performs at Roulette’s 40th Season benefit celebration

Roulette_509-Atlantic-Avenue_ExteriorJG Thirlwell is proud to announce that he will be performing at a special benefit concert to celebrate the end of Roulette’s 40th Season on July 21 2019. Thirlwell will be performing a new solo set with electronics, prepared piano and theremin in front of an immersive backdrop of new visuals created by Sten Backman. The bill  also includes John Zorn’s Simulacrum (featuring John Medeski, Matt Hollenberg and Kenny Grohowski) as well as a solo set by John Medeski plus Val Jeanty and Fay Victor.

The previous night of the two day festival will feature performances by Ikue Mori & Craig Taborn, Matana Roberts, Nels Cline with Zeena Parkins and the Sylvie Courvoisier Trio (with Drew Gress and Kenny Wollesen).

Roulette is located at 509 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn NY 11217.

Tickets are available here.

JG Thirlwell creates string arrangements for new Helm album

Helm-Robin-Christian-616x440Luke Younger is an electronic producer who releases music under the name Helm. For his new album,Chemical Flowers, he enlisted JG Thirlwell to compose string quartet arrangements for four of the songs. Thirlwell also recorded the parts at 30 Below in New York and sent them to Younger, who incorporated them into his pieces. The quartet consisted of Ludovica Burtone and Leah Asher on violins, Joanna Mattrey on viola and Clara Kennedy on cello. The album is released on May 17 via the Pan label.

JG Thirlwell included in huge print retrospective

Screen Shot 2019-03-20 at 12.15.51 AMAn artwork by JG Thirlwell will be exhibited at Pulled In Brooklyn, the International Print Center New York‘s highly anticipated spring exhibition co-curated by Roberta Waddell and Samantha Rippner, in consultation with printer Luther Davis.
This exhibition is the first in-depth exploration of the vibrant network of artists, printers, and workshops that has developed and flourished in Brooklyn since the early 1990s.

The exhibition opens April 4 2019 and runs until June 15, and is located at International Print Center New York, 508 West 26 st suite 5A, New York 10001

Other artists in the show include Matthew Abbott, Michael Adams, Reed Anderson, Rosaire Appel, Donald Baechler, Glen Baldridge, Brian Belott, Anders Bergstrom, Mel Bochner, Matt Bollinger, András Böröcz in collaboration with Robbin Ami Silverberg, Tom Burckhardt, Brendan Cass, Lauren Clay, Ian Cooper, Lesley Dill, Alex Dodge, Angela Dufresne, Nicole Eisenman, Jonathan Fabricant, Elise Ferguson, Dan Flanagan, Rachel Foullon, Chie Fueki, Ellie Ga, Ellen Gallagher, Ignacio Gatica, Ava Gerber, Robert Gober, Joanne Greenbaum, Jennifer Grimyser, Justin Hager, Anna Haifisch, Michael Hambouz, Susan Happersett, Erik Hougen, Peter Hristoff, Jacqueline Humphries, Matthew Day Jackson, Butt Johnson, Dion Johnson, William Kaizen, Raeleen Kao, Matt Keegan, Shelagh Keeley, Eliza Kentridge, Andrew Kuo, Alix Lambert, Robert Lazzarini, Juliana Cerqueira Leite, Sol LeWitt, Nicola López, Mikhail Magaril, Tim Maul, Kristen Martincic, Florian Meisenberg, Douglas Melini, Sean Mellyn, Michael Merck, Melissa Meyer, Jill Moser, Carrie Moyer, Robert Moskowitz, Sophy Naess, Michael Neff, Brittany Nelson, John Newsom, Jeanine Oleson, Sheryl Oppenheim, Claudio Orso, Jaime Palacios, Joe Peppe, Mylene Pionilla, Hanneline Røgeberg, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Jackie Saccoccio, Keris Salmon, Katia Santibañez, Isabelle Schipper, Dana Schutz, Dread Scott, Jonathan Seliger, Joan Snyder, Andrew Spence, Art Spiegelman, Ruby Sky Stiler, Donald Sultan, Keigo Takahashi, Craig Taylor, JG Thirlwell, Nicola Tyson, Jess Underwood, Joseph Velasquez, Charline von Heyl, Nathan Vincent, Kara Walker, Dan Walsh, Ouattara Watts, Mark Wagner, Michelle Weinberg, and Andy Yoder.

String Orchestra Of Brooklyn play JG Thirlwell commission

dpc_stringorchestraofbk_fb-533x399JG Thirlwell has been commissioned by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn to create a composition for their String Theories Festival. The piece will premiere at Roulette in NYC on April 10 2019, alongside premieres by John King and Lisa Renée Coons. Entitled ‘Exulansis‘, Thirlwell’s piece will feature the String Orchestra along with two french horns, two trombones and two percussionists. JG described the piece as “an urgent and cinematic work which explores escaping memories  through the prism of the culture of fear and dread”. Tickets are available here

JG Thirlwell remixes Alan Vega's final recordings

Screen Shot 2019-03-14 at 11.33.54 PMJG Thirlwell has remixed the song You Pay / Too Many Teardrops by Alan Vega. The frontman of the legendary electronic group Suicide, Vega died in 2016 at the  age of 78, and this was his final recording. The song was produced and co-written by Vega’s friend and collaborator, Mr. Pharmacist (aka Gregg Foreman), and features Yeah Yeah YeahsNick Zinner guesting on guitar. Released on Velvet Elk Records, the 12″ EP features the original mix of the song and a remix by JG Thirlwell as well as a remix by Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. You can stream and buy the EP on Bandcamp here.

Proceeds will benefit children’s Little Kids Rock, supporting music education programs nationwide.

Video of Thirlwell / Hanes composition "Felicity Grows"

Screen Shot 2019-03-12 at 1.51.22 AMThe new video from Tredici Bacci is “Felicity Grows”, a song was written by JG Thirlwell and Tredici Bacci leader Simon Hanes. The video was directed by Hanes and Chris Shields, who also served as director of photography. Simon Hanes is a frequent collaborator of Thirlwell, and they have written many songs together for the female voice – this is the first one to see the light of day. It’s featured on the excellent new Tredici Bacci album, La Fine Del Futuro, on NNA Tapes. The album also features a version of the ancient hymn ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’ reinterpreted in the style of a Morricone-ish gunfighter ballad and sung by Thirlwell. You can stream the album and order it on CD or colored vinyl at the Bandcamp page here.