Current 93 is an English experimental music collective founded in 1982 by David Tibet, a singular figure whose esoteric vision has guided the project through decades of sonic evolution. Initially rooted in industrial noise and tape-loop experimentation, the band soon pioneered a genre Tibet dubbed apocalyptic folk—a haunting blend of acoustic instrumentation, mystical lyrics, and ritualistic intensity. Tibet’s lyrics draw from a vast well of influences: Christian mysticism, Gnosticism, Aleister Crowley, surreal literature, and English folklore. Collaborators have included Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound), Michael Cashmore, Douglas P. (Death in June), and members of Coil, creating a dense web of avant-garde cross-pollination. Albums like Nature Unveiled, Thunder Perfect Mind, and Soft Black Stars showcase their shift from abrasive soundscapes to melancholic, poetic balladry. Tibet remains the sole constant member, and his work continues to explore themes of apocalypse, transformation, and the sacred through a deeply personal and often unsettling lens.
