John Murphy

Trivia

• He splits his time between living in Australia and the UK.
• Today he records solo under the name Shining Vril, as part of industrial electronic trio Knifeladder, and as a member of folk-noise group Foresta Di Ferro with Marco Deplano and Ostara's Richard Leviathan.
• He composed the song "Spit" that was used as the theme in the 2002 Apple Switch ad campaign.
• He formed, joined, or collaborated with, the following acts: The Associates, Dumb And The Ugly, Sooterkin Flesh, The Slub, SPK, Lustmord, Whitehouse, Death In June, Sword Volcano Complex, Browning Mummery, Current 93, Kraang, Sleeping Pictures, Naevus and NON, in addition to playing on sessions for Nico, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel and Shriekback.
• From the late 1970s until the mid 1980s he collaborated with vocalist Ollie Olsen in the post-punk bands Whirlywirld, Hugo Klang, Orchestra of Skin and Bone, NO, and Max Q.
• Murphy's first major band was NEWS the seminal Melbourne punk band in which he performed as "John Smith from the Suburbs".
• John Murphy is an Australian drummer, percussionist and multi-instrumental session musician who has played in numerous Australian and British post-punk, ambient and industrial music groups.

Quotes

• "I have also done the drums / percussions for the new Naevus album "Silent Life", just released via Hau Ruck!. I will be appearing on a full-length cd and vinyl releases for Sword Volcano Complex and also Foresta Di Ferro, both due out this year."
• "I have appreciation of literature in all its various forms (as well as the visual arts) and often visit museums, libraries and galleries in whatever part of the world I may find myself. I have a long abiding interest in sculpture and may one day pursue that, something perhaps inspired by the Cthulu Lovecraftian vein combined with many varied lucid dream images I have had over the years. More than a few people have suggested that one day I should perhaps write some sort of book of my particular
• "I generally think that they (such programs) are a positive (outweighing the negatives) with a few reservations attached. As of now, I think it is just too early to say whether it will revolutionize the music industry. I have a feeling thee will always be a place for specialist music stores. File sharing of musical acts is an excellent way for an unknown and previously obscure artist to gain a worldwide audience and valuable exposure. My only real concern is that, as the whole thing becomes extr
• "I don’t believe that (as of yet) we have evolved at all in regards to the Internet existing. This may change in the millennium ahead, perhaps when there may be some sort of ‘great change’, although I am not holding my breath about this. Humans have not until now essentially changed since the dawn of history. We have only really begun our journey. We certainly have the same enemies (we all know who these really are) that still view the distant past and modes of behavior/beliefs as living (releva
• "While I am no great lover of the Masses of humans alive (but not actually "awake" today), after a great deal of thought about this, I would have to say no. The only time that I get rather misanthropic point of view is when I am trying to walk through the center of London in weekday, late Sunday afternoon at Camden Markets or when I am stuck underground in a very crowded and slow-moving Tube train during the middle of summer."
• "I remember seeing the name (Death in June) semi regularly around London at various events / venues. I first properly met Douglas in October 1983 at a Death in June show at the Claredon Hotel (downstairs), with Dogs Blood Order (a live proto-type for early ritualistic Current 93) supporting. Approximately 10 years later (mid 1993), after returning to Oz for personal reasons I (by complete coincidence) ran into Douglas again while he was visiting Sydney at a local Industrial music event. We kept
• "I place a great deal of importance on human and general social interaction with certain others in my life. I like to laugh, which is interestingly difficult in our world now, where one runs the risk of being an outsider if you ignore PC barriers."
• "I first became aware of music at the very impressionable age of 2 ½. One of my earliest memories is playing (more like bashing, actually) along on the kitchen table to the local classical radio programs and howling my head off in anguish when the musical piece eventually finished. My formal musical training was from about 7 years of age learning drums/ percussion. I have always wanted to somehow create music, from as far back as I can remember, I am sure visual artists have felt the same way; i