This London, England-based quartet, formed in 1994, are led by the stunning black lesbian singer Deborah 'Skin' (b. Brixton, London, England). After attending a furniture design course at Teesside Polytechnic in Middlesborough, she returned to the capital and started meeting musicians on the local circuit. Her original band was shelved for being too 'rockist', but she retained the services of bass player Cass and began rehearsing with Skunk Anansie (who also include Ace, guitar, and Mark Richardson, drums) in January 1994. After signing to One Little Indian Records their debut single followed, 'Little Baby Swastikkka', available only through mail order from BBC Radio 1's Evening Session programme.
The controversial 'Selling Jesus' was then followed by 'I Can Dream', which skirted the fringe of the UK Top 40, while the group toured with Therapy? and Senser and as part of the New Musical Express 's Bratbus coalition. They also appeared on the first edition of Channel 4's The White Room television programme. After collaborating with labelmate Bj鰎k on her 'Army Of Me' single, Skunk Anansie began work on the band's debut album with Andy Wallace.
This contained the predicted brew of agit prop and funk metal, while Skin's lyrics remained forceful, but over the course of a full album, it was clear that there was a lack of development in style and in terms of the issue-led subject matter. This lack of progression was carried over to Paranoid And Sunburnt, which took a good idea and sound just 40 minutes too far. Stoosh was a harder-edged collection, characterized by metal-edged guitar and Skin spitting out her lyrics. Controversial lyrics can sometimes sound deliberately contrived, but on this collection, Skin sounds as though she means it. Her anger on the excellent opening track, 'Yes It's Fucking Political', is almost tangible.
