Biography
Rozz Williams of Christian Death oversaw numerous side endeavors, one of which was the provocative performance-art ensemble Premature Ejaculation. Drawing inspiration primarily from pioneering industrial-noise acts such as Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten, this group emerged in its initial form during 1981. In that year, amid a lull in Christian Death activities, Williams collaborated with Ron Athey for a limited number of shows, including an incident where Athey consumed and then regurgitated a deceased feline. Securing bookings proved challenging for the outfit, leading Williams to shelve the endeavor once Christian Death resumed its studio work.
Following his departure from Christian Death in 1985, Williams established a collaboration with Chuck Collison, initially under the moniker the Happiest Place on Earth. Sharing a passion for performance art prompted them to revive the Premature Ejaculation designation. After developing several wordless sonic textures, they presented a sequence of mixed-media performances across Los Angeles spanning 1987 and 1988. Fans of Christian Death anticipating somber gothic rock encountered instead a display featuring avant-garde sounds, spoken-word extracts, percussion from everyday items, aggressive projected visuals, and the duo hurling flesh, organs, and ocular animal parts toward spectators. Assistance in constructing these setups came from additional participants such as Kris Fuller, Erik Freeman, Todd Gooch, and Kendal Roos. Around this time, Collison put out a tape recording titled Death Culture, while the independently issued album Assertive Discipline surfaced in 1989, receiving broader re-release in 1996.
Williams increasingly focused on alternate ventures, notably Shadow Project alongside a reconstituted Christian Death lineup that vied with the original configuration. Still, he and Collison occasionally reconvened for Premature Ejaculation events. Cleopatra put forth a follow-up official release, Necessary Discomforts, in 1993, succeeded the next year by Estimating the Time of Death via Triple X. These efforts sustained the collective's explorations into audio sampling, electronic elements, and sonic disruption. The project concluded upon Williams taking his own life on April 1, 1998.
Following his departure from Christian Death in 1985, Williams established a collaboration with Chuck Collison, initially under the moniker the Happiest Place on Earth. Sharing a passion for performance art prompted them to revive the Premature Ejaculation designation. After developing several wordless sonic textures, they presented a sequence of mixed-media performances across Los Angeles spanning 1987 and 1988. Fans of Christian Death anticipating somber gothic rock encountered instead a display featuring avant-garde sounds, spoken-word extracts, percussion from everyday items, aggressive projected visuals, and the duo hurling flesh, organs, and ocular animal parts toward spectators. Assistance in constructing these setups came from additional participants such as Kris Fuller, Erik Freeman, Todd Gooch, and Kendal Roos. Around this time, Collison put out a tape recording titled Death Culture, while the independently issued album Assertive Discipline surfaced in 1989, receiving broader re-release in 1996.
Williams increasingly focused on alternate ventures, notably Shadow Project alongside a reconstituted Christian Death lineup that vied with the original configuration. Still, he and Collison occasionally reconvened for Premature Ejaculation events. Cleopatra put forth a follow-up official release, Necessary Discomforts, in 1993, succeeded the next year by Estimating the Time of Death via Triple X. These efforts sustained the collective's explorations into audio sampling, electronic elements, and sonic disruption. The project concluded upon Williams taking his own life on April 1, 1998.
Albums
