Foetus
At his first gigs in New York in the early 80s, Thirlwell clearly stood out from the local no-wave scene. The trashy sound elements paired with disturbing lyrics (themes such as incest, pedophilia and abuse) earned him the reputation of a “perverted psychopath”. As a result, curiosity attracted many visitors to his gigs. Even then, he used various pseudonyms for his recordings, which always revolved around the term Foetus. In order not to distract from the music, he avoided printing his face on the covers. The trained graphic designer took over the cover artwork himself in the 1980s and has become just as style-defining and popular as his music.
.