Jim Thirlwell, aka Steroid Maximus, Clint Ruin, DJ OTEFSU,
Wiseblood, Baby Zizanie, Manorexia and numerous incarnations
centered around the name Foetus, either has a multiple personality
disorder or way too much imagination for his own good.
“Different projects have different intentions,”
Thirlwell said. “Steroid Maximus is a different kettle of
fish from Foetus. They’re different entities unto
themselves.”
Though most popularly known as Foetus, which in itself includes
names like Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel, Foetus Under Glass, and
You’ve Got Foetus on Your Breath, Thirlwell will assume his
Steroid Maximus identity for two shows, at 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.,
featuring arranger and trumpeter Steve Bernstein and a 19-piece
ensemble at the Knitting Factory this Thursday.
A Melbourne, Australia native who moved to England in 1978,
Thirlwell has dabbled in the arts of “sonic
manipulation” for two decades. However, working with a
19-piece ensemble will be a new experience for him.
“A sound that was created by manipulation will be played
with an instrument that is going to emulate, not necessarily that
sound exactly, but the spirit of that sound,” Thirlwell said.
“You’re getting a whole different feel.”
Though most of his sound-oriented music is done in the studio,
Thirlwell is no shrinking violet on stage. Don’t worry about
his personas getting blurred under the bright lights.
“I can’t say I get the same sort of juice,”
Thirlwell said. “I get a certain juice when I perform with
Foetus, where I’ve got a throbbing rock band pounding behind
me. It’s a totally different experience when I’m
working electronic equipments with a psychedelic, hypnotic visual
show behind me.”
On a first listen, Thirlwell is like David Bowie on acid. Both
share a penchant for adopting different names for different
aesthetic purposes. However, the similarities end there, for
Thirlwell is more than a musical chameleon. While Bowie transforms
himself according to his ever-changing tastes, Thirlwell evolves
without discarding any of his identities from the past.
“All my projects can run concurrently in different
stages,” Thirlwell said. “Depending on my calendar, I
can work, in any one day, on all of those projects. I might be
planning a tour on one thing and finishing up a mix on another,
then go out that night to perform under a different
name.”
Thirlwell’s name-changing fetish no doubt causes confusion
for fans. However, he believes it is only natural for some fans to
be turned off by his stylistic variations.
“Someone who likes Manorexia might not like Foetus,”
Thirlwell said. “Some might not like Steroid Maximus.
There’s a lot in me that I want to fulfill and not any one
project fulfills them all.”
If his long and winding road of a career is any indication,
Thirlwell is unlikely to be musically fulfilled anytime soon.
“The new instrumental thing that I’ve created is
Manorexia,” Thirlwell said. “It’s from a
different place ““ a more subconscious place.”
Known for creating a menacing ominous atmosphere in his music,
Thirlwell has served as producer and mixer for fellow industrial
rock icon Nine Inch Nails as well as Pantera, White Zombie and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers. But while these artists have claimed their
separate niches in the musical landscape of their times, Thirlwell
continues to push forward like the technology he exploits.
“Since I started, the technology has evolved a lot,”
Thirlwell said. “In my humble beginnings, I was working with
synthesizers and 8-track analog where I played all the instruments
myself. Fifteen years ago, the sort of studio set-up that anyone
can have now could cost you a million bucks. There are people
making music now that couldn’t be made fifteen years
ago.”
Steroid Maximus performs at the Knitting Factory Oct. 17 at 7:30
and 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $25-35, $15 for students.