A product of Britain's early-'80s Batcave goth punk movement, the North London-based
. A staple of the London scene as a member of such relatively obscure groups as the Earwigs and Mr. & Mrs. Demeanour, he made his recording debut under the name
.
Mixing the theatrical horror-movie antics of
Alice Cooper with the menacing synthesizer pulse of
Suicide,
Alien Sex Fiend debuted with the single "Ignore the Machine," a favorite among goth club denizens; the full-length
Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain? appeared in 1983. A series of indie chart hits followed in 1984, including "R.I.P.", "Dead and Buried," and "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)"; the success of the album
Acid Bath further increased the group's visibility, and in Japan,
Alien Sex Fiend became major stars, resulting in the 1985 live release
Liquid Head in Tokyo.
Following the departure of
Johnny Ha Ha, the group continued as a trio to record 1985's bleak
Maximum Security. After the following year's
"It" the Album, released to coincide with
Alien Sex Fiend's opening slot on
Alice Cooper's
Nightmare Returns tour, they recorded 1987's
Here Cum Germs, the final offer to feature
Yaxi Highrizer; now essentially a duo,
the Fiends explored more synth- and sample-oriented territory on 1988's
Another Planet, a trend continued on 1990's
Curse, which featured the minor hit "Now I'm Feeling Zombified."
With a revitalized lineup including new guitarist
Rat Fink Jr. and keyboardist
Doc Milton,
Alien Sex Fiend resurfaced in 1992 with
Open Head Surgery. After a 1993 live album,
Altered States of America, they composed the music for the CD-ROM game Inferno; with the release of the compilation
The Singles 1983-1995, the band's affiliation with longtime label Anagram ended, and
the Fiends soon established their own 13th Moon Records imprint. With the release of the trance-influenced 1996 EP
Evolution,
Alien Sex Fiend traveled even further away from their goth beginnings into the realm of electronica, a move continued on 1997's
Nocturnal Emissions.
–
Jason Ankeny, Rovi