INTO A CIRCLEHigh on Platforms
Bee's latest project is High on Platforms. The first stage is the ThaiCapsule project featuring spoken word sound vignettes that appear in a book and cassette tape entitled Spirit Inclusion Spirit Delusion. The project also includes a limited-edition series of 60 actual ThaiCapsules in steel boxes and a line of t-shirts. The stories are dark dispatches from a parallel realm punctuated with echoes of animism on acid. You can view and purchase ThaiCapsules and other items here
TheBeeNow
TheBeeNow is a website detailing the past and current projects of Bee, covering his writings, music and art. It covers his music career from founding of Danse Society, to his time spent as part of Panache, as well as his time as singer in both Getting The Fear and Into A Circle. TheBeeNow also covers his Bangkok based groups Futon and Goo. With videos, photographs and music from all groups featured. Also covered are his writings for Bed Supperclub magazine along with excerpts from his forthcoming novel Angels In Jet Trails. TheBeeNow also includes a blog.
Barry Jepson
After Into A Circle Barry Jepson took a hiatus from recording and became a tour manager, responsible for groups such as Placebo, Arcade Fire, Nick Cave and Girls Aloud. In 2013 he returned to recording and launched a soundcloud page featuring new material and reworkings of Southern Death Cult tracks that he felt had never been recorded properly. These have now been removed but the page remains.
Rose McDowall
Formerly one-half of the polka-dotted pop–punk outfit Strawberry Switchblade, Rose McDowall provided backing vocals to all Into A Circle releases as well as featuring regularly in their live performances and photo shoots. Around the same time Rose McDowall also sung with Psychic TV, and added her bittersweet voice to numerous Current 93 and Death In June releases between the years 1987–1996. Her own project, Sorrow released the albums Under The Yew Possessed and Sleep Now Forever. Night School Records have started a reissue program of her solo work including the post-Strawberry Switchblade album Cut With The Cake Knife and the Our Twisted Love EP. She currently performs under her own name.
Annie Anxiety aka Little Annie
Annie Anxiety provided backing vocals to Into A Circle's final performances. After arriving in the UK from New York, Annie Anxiety issued recordings on CRASS Records and Corpus Christi Records. She hooked up with the On–U Sound posse on the albums Jackamo (One Little Indian) and Short and Sweet (On–U Sound). Perhaps now better known as Little Annie, she has released a number of acclaimed albums, in collaboration with Antony Hegarty, Baby Dee and Paul Wallfisch. Now living in Miami she continues to record, paint and write. Her most recent album is Trace featuring collaborations with Ryan Driver, Opal Onyx and Paul Wallfisch.
Pre–Into A Circle
Getting The Fear
Prior to Into A Circle, Bee and Barry were members of Getting the Fear, alongside Buzz (guitar) and Aky (drums). Formed from the remnants of Southern Death Cult – vocalist Ian Astbury went on to form Death Cult and subsequently The Cult – and although they gigged regularly, they released only one single, 'Last Salute' / 'We Struggle', on RCA. Heavily influenced by the thought of Charles Manson, the group were beset with problems: a major record label, RCA, that didn't know how to market them and an audience that expected a continuation of Southern Death Cult. Despite their short lived tenure they recorded two Radio 1 sessions for David Jensen and Janice Long and appeared on the Oxford Road Show television programme where they were interviewed and performed 'Yurune'.
Dais Records have released a retrospective compilation featuring select tracks from the demo cassettes of the pre-Into A Circle group, which featured Bee and Barry, together with Buzz and Aky. 'Death Is Bigger 1984-85' is available on CD and on vinyl in a number of colours from Dais Records.
An article on Getting The Fear providing a biography of the short lived group that looks at why it has taken over 30 years for anything aside from 'Last Salute' released on the major label RCA to emanate from Getting The Fear?
A list of downloadable Getting The Fear recordings, sessions and demos can be found here.
Post–Into A Circle
Futon
Futon were Thailand's first electroclash band, created by Bee and David Coker, who at the time were running the Bangkok based club, Rehab. They released the albums including Never Mind The Botox, Love Bites, and Pain Killer (produced by Tim Simenon, with cover photography by Peter Christopherson). Initially fronted by Gene and Momoko the line-up changed frequently and following the departure of original singer Gene, Futon were fronted for a short period by Bee. Simon Gilbert formerly of Suede was also a member. Highly regarded by pop svengali Simon Napier–Bell! The Futon albums and their 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' CD EP featuring a remix by Coil, along with photos and videos can be found at Last FM.
Goo
Goo were formed from the ashes of Futon featuring Oh+ – bass and vocals, Bee – guitar and vocals, Simon – drums and Tuan – guitar. Goo made regular appearances on MTV Asia and appeared on TV in China, Japan and Ireland. They released the Sniffin' Goo EP, inspired by the Sex Pistols original bootleg recordings, Spunk. Sniffin' Goo and some remixes along with videos can be found at Reverbnation.
Influences and Inspiration
Brion Gysin
Brion Gysin was an artist, poet, writer and philosopher. It was Brion Gysin who discovered the cut-up technique, which would be used by his friend and long term collaborator William Burroughs. Brion Gysin, along with Ian Sommerville, created the Dreammachine, "the first art object to be seen with the eyes closed".
A mentor to Bee, his inspiration is found within the Into A Circle lyrics ('Beirut'–"Here To Go") and his novel The Process, lent its name to Bee's post Getting The Fear, pre Into A Circle project that performed as part of Psychic TV's multimedia event The Feast Ov The Flowering Light. His stories about Hassan i Sabbah, the old man of the mountain and master of assassins inspired the Into A Circle song 'Assassins' while his travels in Morocco spent recording the Master Musicians of Joujouka during the Festival of Bou Jeloud where a young boy dressed as "Bou Jeloud, the Goat God" formed the basis of 'Seraphin Twin'. Bee (along with Genesis P–Orridge) visited Brion Gysin at his home in Paris prior to his death in 1986.
A high quality print of Bee and Brion Gysin photographed by Genesis P–Orridge can be purchased from Bee's High on Platforms
Genesis Breyer P–Orridge
Another mentor to Bee, Genesis Breyer P–Orridge was a member of archetypal industrial group Throbbing Gristle, alongside Peter Christopherson, Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti. Along with Peter Christopherson and Alex Fergusson s/he went on to found Psychic TV and its sister organisation Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth, a philosophical outlet whose views on sex directly fitted with Bee. Bee featured in the booklet of the Psychic TV 'Roman P.' single issued by Sordide Sentimental, with members all decked out with Charles Manson t–shirts. Artist, musician and cultural engineer, Genesis P–Orridge was at the vanguard of the tattooing and body piercing movement. Together with his wife Lady Jaye, Genesis Breyer P–Orridge embarked on a pandrogeny project, undergoing surgery to look more like one another, cutting-up identity to create a third being. Lady Jaye died in 2007. Based in New York s/he continues to record as Psychic TV/PTV3 and Thee Majesty. Genesis Breyer P–Orridge died in March 2020. Bee wrote a touching tribute for The Brooklyn Rail which details their friendship.
Other links
Into A Circle at Wikipedia
Into A Circle at Discogs
Bee's profile at The Blitz Kids