Genesis P-Orridge and Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth: Digital Innovation and Media Experiment in a Transgressive Esoteric Order

Abstract: Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY) was established by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950-2020) in 1981, after the demise of Throbbing Gristle and COUM Transmissions (the industrial band and performance art collective led by P-Orridge). Similarly, TOPY partnered with P-Orridge's next band, Psychic TV, and for ten years the two engaged with chaos magick, made art, crafted esoteric practices, and played with the imagery of 'destructive cults', including Peoples Temple, the Manson Family, and the Process Church of the Final Judgment. In 1991 TOPY ended; Tim Berners-Lee's World Wide Web interface was two years old, and the internet was still a new space. In the three decades since, P-Orridge and TOPY have been rediscovered, hailed as pioneers, and venerated by contemporary occultists. This article investigates the magickal frameworks of TOPY, to evaluate its significance for esotericism, popular culture, and political rebellion, focusing on artistic and creative methods as the source of magick and spiritual power. For TOPY, Chaos Magick is the dominant tendency, and individualism the dominant mode; this context strongly influenced the nature and impact of their activities.