"NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED" - a biographical attempt about Thinguma*jigSaw
Thinguma*jigSaw is a "splatterfolk" duo, consisting of Martha Redivivus aka Little Myth (saw, flute, melodica, ukulele & guitar, vocals, artwork & illustrations) and Seth Buncombe aka The Severed Headmaster (banjo, vocals & poetic musings).The less said about their origins and backgrounds, the better. To quote Jandek: "You may not get all the answers you want. It`s better that way".
Let us start with the genre "splatterfolk"; "Splatterfolk" is Thinguma*jigSaw`s very own artistic niche, subtly combining influences from the darker domains of Irish/British/American/Scandinavian folk-music with contemporary art music. (This is not to say that "splatterfolk" is the one and only suitable nickname for the style of the duo. Numerous others have been proposed, such as "snuff-pop" - "doomballadry" and "deathbed lullabies". However, the term "splatterfolk" tends to stick)
This mixture of "folk" and "art music" is then topped with components from horrorfilms (hence "splatter"), experimental theatre and modernistic litterature. Splatterfolk contains a cornucopia (or plethora, if you insist) of filmatic, philosophical and popcultural references: Thinguma*jigSaw pays homage to such diverse phenomena as the writings of Fiodor Dostojevskij, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Edgar Allan Poe, Roald Dahl, Dante, Stephen King, Lewis Carroll, T S Eliot, Kurt Vonnegut and e.e. Cummings - the paintings of Edvard Munch, Frieda Kahlo, Hieronymus Bosch and Francis Bacon - horrorfilms such as Friday The 13th, Halloween, Evil Dead, Night Of The Creeps, Dawn Of the dead, Creepshow, Carrie, The Dead Zone,The Thing from another world, The Blair Witch Project, The Changeling (and numerous more) and Art films such as Who`s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ?, Equus, One Flew Over The Cuckoo`s nest, Dancer In The Dark, Breaking The Waves, Mulholland Drive, The Tenant, Wisconsin Death Trip, Koyaanisqatsi. And so on. It can therefore be said that the members of Thinguma*jigSaw are not afraid to combine high art with that often dismissed as "low-brow". Musically, the duo is especially influenced by the classic lo-fi cassette albums (1980-1990) of Daniel Johnston - the horror-rock of the vintage Alice Cooper albums (such as "Welcome to my nightmare") - film soundtracks by Philip Glass, John Carpenter and Goblin -the songwriting and lyricism of songwriter extraordinairre Sport Murphy (especially his "Magic Beans" album) - the more recent Scott Walker recordings (such as "Tilt") - the twisted cabaret of The Tiger Lillies and Tom Waits - the beautiful folk-renditions by singers as June Tabor and John Jacob Niles - the experimental wanderlust of Norwegian noisegurus Maja Ratkje and Lasse Marhaug. But these are merely references to the work of others. The art of Thinguma*jigSaw is infinitely more coloured by their own twisted creativity, and by their own personal experiences and philosophies, of course.
So, what then, does Splatterfolk express in terms of emotions and ideas? Well, a lot of it is to be found in the name of the duo, meaning something like "a nameless puzzle/a mistery beyond the realm of language" (the name is also a portmanteau, of course, meant as a nod to Joyce). It`s all about embracing the elusive mysteries of existence, according to Redivivus and Buncombe. Being deeply interested in the ambiguities of the human soul, Thinguma*jigSaw refuses to succumb to simple, one-dimensional songwriting and performance. Their art is all about intensity and sincerity, but is equally suffused with unpredictabilty and wit. They certainly have a flair for the dramatic and an appetite for the adventurous. " How about a quietly, noisy, relaxed intensity?" - to quote Edward Albee`s classic play "Who`s afraid of Virginia Woolf?". This "quietly, noisy, relaxed intensity" can certainly be found in the music of Thinguma*jigSaw.
The themes of Thinguma*jigSaw tend to be grim, ghoulish and grotesque; angst, perversions, mortality, the beyond, zombiefication, snuff-films, insanity, demonology, exorcisms, murder, metaphysical conundrums, physical decay,teenage psychosis, jack the ripper, the apocalypse, doom & gloom, nothingness, the death of God. Mindboggling material. These themes are expressed through ingenious, poetic lyrics - performed with a nervous authority, an anarchistic intensity, an infantile and androgyneous vulnerability and a peculiar angstridden charm. The duo has often been described as "insane children", and there`s certainly enough lunacy and playfulness in the art of Thinguma*jigSaw. And, as we know; "...even the most primitive societies has a respect for the insane..." (to quote The Motorcycle Boy in the Coppola film "Rumble Fish"). So, insane or not, Buncombe & Redivivus dive headlong into the abyss of the human experience, they face the horrors found therein - and somehow they manage to emerge from this smutty dungeon, bringing with them peculiar newfound insights. It`s about a personal and universal catharsis. Simple yet utterly poignant. So, yes - here be monsters, demons, dread and sorrow. Despair abounds. But pay closer attention and you will detect tiny presents of hope and comfort, wrapped in profound generousity. There is kindness here. Even humour. This is what Thinguma*jigSaw is about. Redivivus and Buncombe are here to fondle your brain and nourish your heart. Still, Thinguma*jigSaw may not be for the fainthearted. (But they may be just the thing for YOUR heart - and that`s what matters, ultimately, innit?)
To experience Thinguma*jigSaw in concert is quite the experience, indeed. It is safe to say that there`s something about this duo that touches audiences in the strangest ways. The duo perform their songs with no amplification (unless there is 500 people or more in the audience), and move about amidst the audience, channeling their songs directly to them. Thinguma*jigSaw insist on intimacy - and never fails to obtain it. How do audiences react to this intimacy and the quality of the material performed? Often with tears. Often with joy. Some feel provoked. Many feel inspired and uplifted. None are left indifferent. You hereby stand warned. This is dangerous music - on every level imagineable.
Following their "birth" in Oslo, Norway in 2007 (their first gig as "Thinguma*jigSaw" was in Sound Of Mu, Oslo - the 6th of January, 2007), the duo has brought their unique brand of "folk" to thousands of enthusiastic listeners worldwide: They have performed in New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Hudson, Syracuse, Rochester (USA) Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig(Germany) Reykjavik (Iceland), Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork (Ireland), London, Oxford, Dorset, Colchester (England) Lublin (Poland), Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Leiden, Haarlem, Tillburg (Holland) Paris (France), Caceres and Madrid (Spain), Oslo, Drammen, Hamar, Gjøvik, Bergen (Norway) - at such noted venues as Pete`s Candy Store (New York), FriedrichSTATTpalast (Dresden), Whelan`s (Dublin), Roisin Dubh (Galway), Paradiso (Amsterdam), Patronaat (Haarlem) and Cafe OTO (London) - to mention but a few highlights from the extensive CV of Thinguma*jigSaw - and they have gained themselves a reputation as a fantastic and unmissable live-experience along the way. The English magazine TIME OUT LONDON even rated Thinguma*jigSaw as the definitive international live-experience of 2008 (next to Bon Iver), and NEW YORK POST described Thinguma*jigSaw live as ..."deeply unsettling, yet strangely comforting...". The Norwegian newspaper DAGBLADET wrote "...høydepunktet må være verdens ledende splatter-folk duo -Thinguma*jigSaw..." (..."the highlight must be the world`s leading splatterfolk-duo, Thinguma*jigSaw..."). Legendary British songwriter Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) exclaimed;"Fuckin`incredible"! when he experienced Thinguma*jigSaw live in Dublin. The duo has been featured in shows on Dutch radio and television (VPRO), American radio; WNYC ("Spinning On Air" hosted by David Garland, New York). Thinguma*jigSaw has also performed at festivals such as ZXZW (Holland) and End Of The Road (UK), The Sensual Walk & Bloomsday - celebrations of James Joyce (Dublin, Ireland), By:larm and By:alarm (Norway).
Thinguma*jigSaw has done concerts together with fine artists within the idiom of folk & "neo-folk" (such as Meg Baird/Espers, Sharron Kraus, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Sport Murphy, Pantaleimon, Noa Babayof, Cian Nugent, Baby Dee, Arlt, Curtis Eller, Charles Frail, Knut Reiersrud, Mahsa Vahdat, Ola Kvernberg, Ergo, Eric Carbonara, Laura Sheeran & Cora Venus Lunny (Fovea Hex), Sharon Van Etten, Samara Lubelski, Noa Babayof, United Bible Studies, Agitated Radio Pilot, The Family Elan, The Driftwood Manor, Al Duvall, Now we`ve got members, Larkin Grimm), with noise/jazz/impro-artists (such as The Thing, Sidsel Endresen & Humcrush, Lasse Marhaug, Thomas Truax, Tore Honore Bøe, Talibam!, Dead Rat Orchestra,Tord Gustavsen, Mari Kvien Brunvoll) and with performers of indie-rock or "alternative" artists (for lack of better words...) (such as The Tiger Lillies, Mercury Rev, Jape, Efterklang, Niagara Falls, The Skels, Monotonix). Thinguma*jigSaw has also presented many artists to Norwegian audiences, including Sport Murphy, Peter Delaney, Arlt, Sharron Kraus, George Worrall, Charles Frail, Cian Nugent, and numerous others.
Thinguma*jigSaw has been based in Dublin, Ireland (on and off) for some time, and released their debutalbum (awakeinwhitechapel) on the Irish label Deserted Village. The album was a "concept album" of sorts, dealing vaguely and enigmatically with the killings executed by one "Jack The Ripper" in Whitechapel, London, 1888. This album was produced by Nicky Coghlan, recorded in Dhulaigh Studio, Dublin, and mastered by Steve Fanagan (NorthStation). It was released in July 2007, featured twelve original songs, and one cover of "walking the cow" by Daniel Johnston. The liner notes were written by Sport Murphy (legendary American songwriter, having released three timeless albums on Kill Rock stars). The album soon obtained a massive cult-status, it was met with wide international acclaim, and was rated by many as one of the very best albums of the year.The album is currently sold out.
Following the success of the (awakeinwhitechapel) album, Thinguma*jigSaw toured extensively, but also found time to compose heaps of new songs. In 2008 & 2009 they started recording their new albums, doing sessions in The Kennel Studio (Brooklyn, New York - with James Pertusi & Jim Santo), Dhulaigh Studio ( Dublin, Ireland - with Nicky Coghlan) and Crystal Canyons Studio (Oslo, Norway - with Robert Jønnum). Summer 2012 "Ghoul's Out" was released, featuring guest performances by Sharron Kraus, Cian Nugent, Sport Murphy, Peter Delaney - and more. On the 2nd of november "Misery Together" will be released on double vinyl (and digitally) on Deserted Village / Derodidymus! This album features 20 new Thinguma*jigSaw compositions, and stellar guest performances from (among others) the legendary actor Brad Dourif, Lasse Marhaug and Knut Reiersrud!