Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson’s ‘Live at L’étrange Festival 2004’ re-released by Soleilmoon
The industrial music landscape is filled with influential figures, but few have left as indelible a mark as the late Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson. Born in Leeds, Yorkshire, on February 27, 1955, Christopherson was an English musician, video director, commercial artist, designer, and photographer, whose contributions to the music industry spanned various genres, from industrial and experimental to electronic.
Re-released now via Soleilmoon is “Live at L’étrange Festival 2004” holding his live performance at L’étrange Festival in Paris on September 13 2004. Titled “The Art of Mirrors (Homage to Derek Jarman)”, the 74 minute long track takes listeners on a sonic journey that reflects Christopherson’s mastery of samples and his otherworldly aesthetics. As a tribute to Christopherson and Balance, “The Art of Mirrors” was initially released in 2015 by Black Mass Rising (France), followed by another release in 2017 by Infinite Fog (Russia).
Christopherson’s career was as eclectic as his musical style. His father was a professor of engineering who later became master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Christopherson himself studied computer programming, theatre design, and video at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, where he nurtured his interest in performance art and avant-garde photography.
Co-founding the Industrial Records band Throbbing Gristle (TG), Christopherson helped pioneer the industrial music genre before moving on to form Psychic TV with Genesis P-Orridge and Geoff Rushton, who later changed his name to John Balance. Balance, a Throbbing Gristle fan who became Christopherson’s intimate partner, joined him in creating their own project, Coil.
In a career spanning over two decades, Coil released a myriad of recordings and contributed to the work of other artists. After Balance’s untimely death, Christopherson relocated to Bangkok, Thailand, in 2005, where he founded his solo project The Threshold HouseBoys Choir. While Christopherson’s death in 2010 marked the end of an era, his legacy continues to live on, influencing new generations of artists and reminding us of the transformative power of music.
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