Location: London, UK (Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire)
Active: 1980-present

Rudimentary Peni began in the UK (north of London) in 1980. Prior to that vocalist/guitarist Nick Blinko and drummer Jon Greville were The Magits. Joined by Grant Matthews, Rudimentary Peni released their first self-titled EP in 1981, followed by the Farce EP in 1982 which began their relationship with Crass Records and it’s Corpus Christi imprint (UK Decay).

Combined with their sometimes morbid themes, the artwork of Blinko was their dominant visual characteristic and earned them a reputation as dark and twisted. One look at the deluxe gatefold sleeve for their ‘Death Church’ LP should be enough to convince the non-believer! Though their association with anarcho-punk bands through the Crass label wasn’t unwarranted due to the social-political context of some half of their songs, Rudimentary Peni were deemed too weird for that clientele. They were often shunned by anarcho punks, but loved by generations of deathrockers to come.

After a hiatus due to Matthews’ cancer diagnosis, and Blinko’s stint in a mental institution, Rudimentary Peni returned with Cacophony in 1988, exploring the themes of Lovecraftian horror, which at the time was an oddity, and reaffirmed their interest in things weird and surreal. Since then, their output has continued on the slow but steady track with an album every half decade or so. Notoriously reticent to appear live or be photographed, the surreal artwork of Nick Blinko is the primary representation of the band outside the music. 

In addition to his work for the band, Blinko’s illustrations have also earned him a name in the outsider art category. His work was used on the album cover for Coil’s ‘Unnatrural History III’ collection. Blinko also authored his own fictionalized auto-biography, Primal Screamer and the Haunted Head novel. Nick Blinko: Visions of Pope Adrian 37th is an art book detailing his output of illustrations during his 1983 institutionalization. 

Links:

Discogs.com: https://www.discogs.com/artist/253948-Rudimentary-Peni
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudimentary_Peni

Related: Magits, Crass, UK Decay, Coil, Corpus Christi Records, London

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