Philip Best
{{Short description|British musician and author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Philip Best
| image =
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|06|15|df=y}}
| birth_place =
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| nationality = English
| other_names =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
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| years_active = 1982–present
| notable_works =
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Philip Neil Best (born 15 June 1966) is an English industrial musician, visual artist, and author. A pioneer of power electronics, he formed the band Consumer Electronics in 1982.{{cite book |last1=Wallis |first1=Jennifer |title=Fight Your Own War: Power Electronics and Noise Culture |date=14 September 2016 |publisher=SCB Distributors |isbn=978-1-909394-41-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mo5XDwAAQBAJ |access-date=24 December 2020 |language=en}}
Best joined the group Whitehouse, in 1983. After a nine-year hiatus starting in 1984, Best rejoined and remained with the group until departing again in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.korperschwache.com/skull/disc/best_disc.html|title=Philip Best discography|publisher=Korperschwache.com|access-date=20 November 2014}}
Career
=Music=
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Iphar|title=Iphar|publisher=Discogs.com|access-date=20 November 2014}} Among these cassette releases were On to 83, with Gary Mundy. Torture Music by Iphar Clinic, a solo project, and White Power, a fake neo-Nazi compilation album with artists such as Maurizio Bianchi, Sutcliffe Jügend, and Best's other project with Mundy, Consumer Electronics.
Best has been a frequent collaborator with Gary Mundy on projects such as Ramleh and Skullflower.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Philip+Best|title=Philip Best|publisher=Discogs.com|access-date=20 November 2014}}
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.
Best continues to tour and release music as Consumer Electronics. The current line up includes Best, Russell Haswell and Best's wife Sarah Froelich. Their most recent LP, Airless Space was released by Harbinger Sound in 2019.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Consumer+Electronics|title=Consumer Electronics|publisher=Discogs.com|access-date=20 November 2014}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ Philip Best discography | |||
| Date | Title | Project | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2" | 1982 | Public Attack 3 | rowspan="2" | Consumer Electronics | (Not on label) |
| Leathersex | Iphar | ||
| 1983 | On To 83 | Male Rape Group | Broken Flag, Iphar |
| 1995 | Horn Of The Goat | Consumer Electronics / Merzbow | Freek Records |
| 2007 | Nobody's Ugly | rowspan="5" | Consumer Electronics | No Fun Productions |
| 2009 | Crowd Pleaser | Hand To Mouth | |
| 2014 | Estuary English | Dirter Promotions | |
| 2015 | Dollhouse Songs | rowspan="2" | Harbinger Sound | |
| 2019 | Airless Space |
=Writing=
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.{{cite web |last1=Best |first1=Philip Neil |title=Apocalypticisim in the fiction of William S. Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, and Thomas Pynchon |url=http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/994/ |website=Durham e-Theses |publisher=Durham University |access-date=24 December 2020 |date=1998}}
In 2016, a 60-page chapbook of writings by Best was published by Amphetamine Sulphate.{{cite book |last1=Best |first1=Philip |title=Captagon |date=October 2016 |publisher=Amphetamine Sulphate |isbn=978-0-9991825-3-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0A5QtAEACAAJ |language=en}}
=Art=
In 2010, a collection of Best's artwork entitled American Campgrounds was published by Creation Books, with a foreword written by Peter Sotos.{{cite web|url=http://www.creationbooks.com/creation-titles/AMERICANCAMPGROUNDSB.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917091150/http://www.creationbooks.com/creation-titles/AMERICANCAMPGROUNDSB.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-09-17 |title=American Campgrounds: Philip Best / Peter Sotos |date= |access-date=2020-05-19}}
In December 2016, Infinity Land Press published Alien Existence,{{cite web|url=http://infinitylandpress.com/2999170-alien-existence-by-philip-best|title=Infinity Land Press Web Page - Alien Existence by Philip Best|website=Infinity Land Press Web Page|language=en|access-date=2017-06-30|archive-date=12 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712011828/http://infinitylandpress.com/2999170-alien-existence-by-philip-best|url-status=dead}} a book of over 200 colour reproductions of original artwork by Best, as well as 40 pages of his creative writings, and an extensive interview conducted by Martin Bladh.{{cite web |title=Please welcome to the world … Philip Best Alien Existence (Infinity Land Press) – DC's |url=https://denniscooperblog.com/please-welcome-to-the-world-philip-best-alien-existence-infinity-land-press/ |website=denniscooperblog.com |access-date=24 December 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs artist|artist=413440-Philip-Best}}
- {{Instagram | id= philip.best}}
- {{Twitter |colourclimax}}
- [https://consumerelectronics.bigcartel.com/ Consumer Electronics website]
{{Whitehouse}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Best, Philip}}
Category:English experimental musicians
Category:English industrial musicians
Category:English male non-fiction writers
Category:Whitehouse (band) members
Category:Alumni of Durham University