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| Ultraviolence
was formed in 1991 by 21 year old Clockwork Orange fan and creative
psychopath Jonathan Casey. His self-financed debut single won praise
for the new fusion of dance beats and industrial sounds. Ultraviolence
became the first artist to record a Peel Session at a home studio,
and went on to a major record deal with home of Blur, Food Records.
Self-managed, and unprepared for poplife, the deal terminated after
only one EP. In a nod to his complete dedication to his music, Jonathan
renamed himself Johnny Violent and Ultraviolence sacrificed the chance
of mainstream recognition for artistic freedom, recording the classic
Life of Destructor album for small independent Earache Records,
leading to rave reviews including 5Ks in Kerrang and lead track Hardcore
Motherfucker receiving much club play right up to today. A further
4 albums, unique in their concepts as well as sonic structure followed,
and Ultraviolence's relationship with Earache culminated in 2004's
best of compilation Blown Away. The Ultraviolence mix of harsh synths, hardcore rhythms and emotive subject matters coupled with well placed lyrical extremities and some dark humour have proved confusing only to those who haven't heard it, and such diversity has led international tours with artists as diverse as Moby, Cubenate, The Exploited, Oliver Chesler (The Horrorist) , and shows and DJ slots with The Orb, Front Line Assembly, and The Young Gods amongst many others, as well as performances at events varying from Holland's gabber mecca Hellraiser to industrial and goth/fetish events such as Infest and Carnival of Souls in the UK. Such gigs were boosted in 2004 by the addition of glamorous live vocalist, angle grinder and DJ, Mel Allezbleu. Remix work has included the likes of Laibach and Terrorvision and hard dance legends Lenny Dee and Billy Bunter are amongst those to have tailored the Ultraviolence sound for 12" vinyl. Severe bouts of a painful chest illness (ironically unrelated to a lifestyle sometimes as extreme as his music) have seen Johnny out of action for much of this decade, however recovery in the form of regular 50 mile bike rides and temporary clean living will see Ultraviolence back in action for 2010. In the meantime, look out for news and exclusive tracks on TeamUVR.com. An insight into Johnny's thoughts on the wider world can be accessed via his blog, which are, like his music, utterly unique.
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