Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton (of Nurse With Wound) has appeared on nearly every Current 93 release. Michael Cashmore has also been a constant contributor since Thunder Perfect Mind. Douglas P. of Death In June has played on well over a dozen Current 93 releases, and Steve Ignorant of Crass (using the name Stephen Intelligent), Boyd Rice, runologist Freya Aswynn , Nick Cave, Björk, Andrew W.K., Will Oldham, Ben Chasny, Rose McDowall, Tiny Tim, Tony Wakeford of Sol Invictus, Marc Almond, John Balance of Coil, Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons, Baby Dee and Ian Read of Fire + Ice have also lent their talents over the years. Tibet is fond of the works of American writer Thomas Ligotti, and invited him to collaborate with Current 93.
Current 93 have released over twenty albums and many singles as well as having been a guest on many of the above listed artists' records. Tibet has also collaborated with Nature and Organisation and The Hafler Trio.
Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorted, excoriating vocals. This early work became influential with the goth scene. Later works found Tibet mostly casting off such trappings in favor of a more organic sound, labeled by some as "apocalyptic folk" music, occasionally featuring his sinister nursery rhyme-influenced singing and primarily acoustic folk-styled music.
Tibet's lyrics have been fairly consistent, regardless of delivery: The earlier recordings reflect his preoccupation with death, Christ, mysticism, Aleister Crowley (Tibet borrowed the term "93 Current" from Crowley - the 93 Current being the current of Thelema or Agape), Tibetan Buddhism, Gnosticism, runes, swastikas, Noddy, The Wicker Man, and a variety of occult notions. The later to present-day period of Current 93's recordings increasingly reflect Tibet's interest in Christian mysticism. Tibet has stated that he identifies as a Christian.
Literary influences include Lautreamont's Les Chants de Maldoror, the Bible, The Poetic Edda, Hildegard von Bingen, John Dee, Heptarchia Mystica, The Thunder, Perfect Mind, William Blake, Louis Wain, writer Thomas Ligotti, occult British author Arthur Machen (originator of the title "The Inmost Light"), M.R. James's various ghost stories, The Cloud of Unknowing, Count Eric Stenbock, and Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker.
Musical influences include religious chants, traditional folk music, The Tam Lin ballad, The Incredible String Band, Sand, Comus, Blue Öyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Love, Shirley Collins, some progressive bands such as Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and the British composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.
David Keenan's book England's Hidden Reverse - A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground (SAF Publishing 2003) extensively covers Tibet's musical evolution along with that of Coil, Stephen Stapleton, and others.
Diana
Current 93 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the steaming woodlands
His darkened blood through bulging veins
Through the steaming woodlands
Virtue knows he follows softly
Through the steaming woodlands
Travel light the deathly shudder
Down the leafy pathway
And she knows by the sound of the baying
By the baying of the hounds
Diana Diana kick your feet up
Lust bares his teeth and whines
For he's picked up the scent of virtue
And he knows the panic signs
Lust cries running with his eyes
The white-clad figure fleeting
Mud burns his eyes but desire burns his mind
Fear in her eyes as the forest grins through the steaming woodlands
Lust now his soul destroyed with enmity disarmed
The lyrics to Current 93's song "Diana" are difficult to decipher at first, but upon closer examination, they tell a story of lust and virtue in the midst of a forest. The song seems to describe a chase between two figures, one representing lust and the other representing virtue. The subject matter of the lyrics is quite dark and unsettling, with the chase bringing about a sense of panic and fear in the pursued.
The forest serves as a metaphorical backdrop for the story, with the steaming woodlands being a place that is simultaneously alluring and treacherous. The line "Lust he follows virtue close" speaks to the idea that these two things are often intertwined and can be difficult to separate. The imagery of the "darkened blood through bulging veins" suggests a sense of urgency and intensity to the chase.
The figure of Diana appears to be caught in the middle of the chase, perhaps serving as a symbol for purity or innocence. The line "Mud burns his eyes but desire burns his mind" represents the internal conflict that the figure of lust is experiencing, torn between their physical desire and their moral compass.
Overall, "Diana" seems to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of giving in to our base desires and the consequences that can arise from doing so.
Line by Line Meaning
Lust he follows virtue close
Desire closely follows righteousness
Through the steaming woodlands
This pursuit takes place in a dense forest with hot mist
His darkened blood through bulging veins
The passion he feels is strong and physical
Virtue knows he follows softly
Righteousness is aware of the intense desire, but not deterred
Travel light the deathly shudder
The journey ahead is ominous and foreboding
Down the leafy pathway
The chase continues on a path covered in foliage
The dim light she comes peering through the forest pines
A faint light shines through the trees, indicating a possible destination
And she knows by the sound of the baying
The noise of hounds barking alerts her of the pursuer's proximity
By the baying of the hounds
The dogs' howls confirm the presence of the pursuer
Diana Diana kick your feet up
The artist calls out to Diana, a goddess of the hunt, for protection
Lust bares his teeth and whines
Desire is agitated and frustrated
For he's picked up the scent of virtue
Desire has discovered the trail of righteousness
And he knows the panic signs
Desire is familiar with the fear that its presence can induce
Lust cries running with his eyes
Desire runs towards its target with intense emotion
The white-clad figure fleeting
The object of desire is dressed in white, and moving quickly
Mud burns his eyes but desire burns his mind
The terrain is difficult, but desire is overpowering
Fear in her eyes as the forest grins through the steaming woodlands
The pursued is afraid and the forest adds to the sinister atmosphere
Lust now his soul destroyed with enmity disarmed
Desire's pursuit ends in failure and its emotional state is devastated
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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