Philip Best charts the shattered psychic landscape of the early 21st century in all its eerieness, wonder and confusion. 'Alien Existence’ is sure to both disturb and enchant

Philip Best, Alien Existence, Infinity Land Press, 2016.

Alien Existence is a disquieting selection of original artworks and all-new text by Philip Best. Amplifying the dark themes of recent Consumer Electronics albums such as Estuary English and Dollhouse Songs, ‘Alien Existence’ charts the shattered psychic landscape of the early 21st century in all its eerieness, wonder and confusion. Stunningly printed in full colour and accompanied by a wide-ranging and provocative interview with Best by fellow artist Martin Bladh, 'Alien Existence’ is sure to both disturb and enchant.

The book includes 40 pages of Best's creative writings, over 200 colour reproductions and an extensive interview with the artist conducted by Martin Bladh.

Infinity Land Press is one of the greatest publishing companies i had encountered. Founded in 2013 by Martin Bladh (legendary musician at IRM, Skin Area) and Karolina Urbaniak (a visual artist, graphic designer and professional photographer based in London). Infinity Land is a realm deeply steeped in pathological obsessions, extreme desires, and private aesthetic visions. In the words of Yukio Mishima, “True beauty is something that attacks, overpowers, robs, and finally destroys.” This time i will write some words about their especially interesting book - ALIEN EXISTENCE, a disquieting selection of original artworks and all-new text by Philip Best. Amplifying the dark themes of recent Consumer Electronics albums such as Estuary English and Dollhouse Songs, ‘Alien Existence’ charts the shattered psychic landscape of the early 21st century in all its eerieness, wonder and confusion. 'Alien Existence’ is sure to both disturb and enchant. The book includes 40 pages of Best's creative writings, over 200 colour reproductions and an extensive interview with the artist conducted by Martin Bladh.

Philip Best (born 1968) is an English pioneer of power electronics, who formed the band Consumer Electronics in 1982 at the age of 14. He joined the group Whitehouse, led by William Bennett, in 1983. After a nine-year hiatus starting in 1984, Best rejoined and remained with the group until departing again in 2008. In the early 1980s, Best also ran his own DIY label Iphar, releasing compilations of power electronics. Through the circulation of these controversial cassettes he succeeded in promoting the burgeoning extreme noise genre.

Best has been a frequent collaborator with Gary Mundy on projects such as Ramleh (c.1987-1997).[3] In 1995, under the Consumer Electronics moniker, Best joined forces with Japanese noise musician Masami Akita - along with several Ramleh cohorts - to release "Horn of the Goat."In 1998, Best published his doctoral thesis at Durham University entitled "Apocalypticism in the Fiction of William S. Burroughs, J.G. Ballard and Thomas Pynchon", and later received a doctorate in English literature.
In 2010, a collection of Best's artwork entitled 'American Campgrounds' was published by Creation Books, with a foreword written by Peter Sotos.

Now, Philip Best comes with his probably best work. Harsh, aesthetic and angry in a good sense of the word. It makes me shiver as the first sounds of Coil's Musick to Play in the Dark.

Now, Philip Best comes with his probably best work. Harsh, aesthetic and angry in a good sense of the word. It makes me shiver as the first sounds of Coil's Musick to Play in the Dark.

It is dark.

Heavy.

Death is death.

Sincere.

You know, you must read it.

Happiness. It's what you get from this book. Strange? It should be so.

Mindaugas Peleckis

http://www.radikaliai.lt/knygos/3878-review-philip-best-alien-existence-infinity-land-press-2016

American Suburb X

Philip Best “Alien Existence”: Interview With Infinity Land Press

 

Dennis Cooper Blog

Please welcome to the world … Philip Best Alien Existence (Infinity Land Press) 

Philip Best, Captagon, Amphetamine Sulphat,


"Midday sun and dust and flies buzz and buzz. Little good-for-nothings dragged from the marshes. Abandon the crops and go gather them to you. Initiations in the pens and years later voiceover confessions. You don’t seem to realise, Soldier, that we’re standing side by side, watching together those creatures on the ground, the rags of meat thrown around in the stones and the dirt. You don’t seem to realise the skin I share with you. And I’m there with you to watch the story unspool and see your daughter sat atop the stool the studio portrait on the side of the bed among the lipsticks and dregs the feigned suicide attempts no one is innocent I say no one. I was with you again in the bone-cold pits and when you taunted the kids with knives and with sticks. ‘Demons,’ you said, had entered your head, but I was there all the while, and it was you on your own I say just you all alone."

Philip Best is an English collage artist and pioneer of power electronics music. Since 1982 Best has written and recorded music with Whitehouse, Ramleh and Skullflower, and more recently with his long-running solo project Consumer Electronics, releasing Estuary English (2014) and Dollhouse Songs (2015). He has performed on numerous occasions in the USA, Japan, Australia and throughout Europe. In 1998, Best published his doctoral thesis at Durham University entitled Apocalypticism in the Fiction of William S. Burroughs, J.G. Ballard and Thomas Pynchon, and later received a doctorate in English literature. He has also released two books with collage artworks entitled American Campgrounds (Creation Books, 2010) and most recently Alien Existence on Infinity Land Press (2016).

Best now lives in Texas and publishes chapbooks under the Amphetamine Sulphate imprint.