James Johnston and Philippe Petit

Bio:

..

PHILIPPE PETIT is interested in soundtracks, even if he creates original music he'd rather be introduced as a "musical travel agent" than a composer. His first solo album "Henry: The Iron Man" originated from a dream that Shinya Tsukamoto was working on a blurred remake of "Eraserhead", and he was to soundtrack the grotesque mutation of Henry into an "Iron Man". It is now released on Beta Lactam Ring Records. www.blrrecords.com

Aside his solo works, Philippe also runs BiP_HOp/Pandemonium Rdz. and composes for Strings Of Consciousness. He has assembled what people call a dream-team of collaborators, working with: Lydia Lunch, Foetus, Eugene Robinson, Kumo, Scott McCloud (Girls Against Boys), Andy Diagram (Spaceheads, Pere Ubu...), Cosey Fanni Tutti, My Brightest Diamond, Sybarite, Pantaleimon, Graham Lewis (Wire), Barry Adamson, Scanner, Mira Calix, Kammerflimmer Kollektief, Guapo, Leafcutter John, Simon Fisher Turner, Justin Broadrick and many more...

JAMES JOHNSTON is the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of influential UK band Gallon Drunk, the group's last studio album The Rotten Mile being released in 2007. He plays with Krautrock legends Faust, and has recorded and toured with a variety of other musicians including Lydia Lunch, Barry Adamson, Dot Allison, 2nd Gen and Ulan Bator. Johnston was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from 2003-2008, originally touring with the band in 1994. 1993 saw the release of the ground- breaking spoked-word album "I was Dora Suarez", which married the hardcore noir writing of Derek Raymond to the nightmare soundscapes of Johnston and Terry Edwards. He also composes for film, and has acted in independent movies including Clean (2004) by Olivier Assayas.

Johnston is married to the artist Geraldine Swayne (also a member of Faust), who's paintings form the artwork of the album "Fiends with a Face".

Member Since:

April 28, 2009

Members:

james johnston : organ, piano, violin, guitar, harmonica

philippe petit : electronics + turntables

Influences:

"Fiends With A Face" is the first collaborative work from James Johnston and Philippe Petit.

An hommage to the golden era of horror movies. Our two fiends wanted to conjure up blood-curdling and haunting soundscapes, playing with unsettling ambiances in order to create a contemporary soundtrack for those who like to be frightened. A musical voyage that allows this noisy delicacy to slowly make its way into your body.

Sounds Like:

"Fiends With A Face is absolutely terrifying". Forrest J. Ackerman

"I had to turn it off as it made me feel a bit paranoid". Mojo ****

"My cat left the room and I started crying" Rock and Folk *****

Record Label:

DIRTER / www.dirter.co.uk