Sasha Grey's 'aTelecine' Band Profiled

LONDON — Sasha Grey flirted with the idea of mixing porn and music on stage during performances of her ethereal electronic band aTelecine, but the former star sat virtually motionless fingering her laptop at the band’s first ever show at the Unsound festival in Poland.

A stark departure in character for a performer known for her energetic and often over-the-top scenes that vaulted her to stardom in and out of the adult industry.

But that was then. In a review in The Guardian that profiled Grey’s foray into music and her reflections of her porn past, the former star said she got out of porn just in time because of content piracy and tight budgets.“It’s fucked now, no puns intended. It’s the wild west."

And although she's swapped porn for music, Grey compared the two as both requiring an element of performance art — a method she used in her adult scenes.

Grey said she contemplated staging some porn with her band’s music, described as eerie, synthesized and psychologically probing with “mysterious landscapes and half-memories” in order to grab the audience’s attention, but dropped the idea because it would have been too expected.

Although the article noted how Grey shunned the literal use of porn to push her music, her personal style and avant garde aesthetic nevertheless influences the experimental band’s zeitgeist that she claims has no real process.

She told how she asserted herself in porn, bucking the wishes of some producers and directors who wanted her to play typical fantasy girls. "People can dress you the way they want, they can do your makeup the way they want, but they can never take away your voice," she told The Guardian. "There were times I had to fight against it — people wanted me to shut up, and just put a pretty smile on, and I'm not going to do that. I would literally come planned with ideas of things to say. It's a hyper me though — I'm not that loud and obnoxious all the time. I don't write dialogue when I'm in my own intimate situations."

Not surprisingly, Grey and music partner Ian Cinnamon don’t consider themselves a traditional band, pointing to Cosey Fanni Tutti of the band Throbbing Gristle as one of her heroes, and with whom she provided vocals for Throbbing Gristle's final album.

"Their ideology as individuals has always been very inspiring, and I wish as a 13-year-old I had known who they were," Grey said. "To feel proud as an individual, not feeling guilty about yourself or your tastes because of societal norms — that's not something we're encouraged to do."

"The Falcon and The Pod" by aTelecine is out now on Pendu Sound Recordings.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Hankey's Toys Releases 'Kitsune's Knot' Dildo

Mr. Hankey's Toys has introduced its new Kitsune’s Knot dildo.

Velvet Thruster Signs Distro Deal With ECN

Velvet Thruster has inked a distribution deal with East Coast News (ECN).

Kiiroo Introduces New Agatha Vega Stroker

Kiiroo has debuted the new Agatha Vega stroker sleeve from its FeelStar line.

'Groove Thing' Sets Kickstarter Funding Record for Insertable Pleasure Product

Groove Thing, an insertable pleasure product that plays audio, has set a funding record on Kickstarter.

Nalpac/Entrenue, Ohdoki Sign Distro Deal for 'The Handy'

Nalpac/Entrenue has inked an exclusive U.S. distribution deal with Ohdoki Products for The Handy.

Onahole Debuts New 'Miss Boss Cup' Stroker

Pleasure brand Onahole has introduced its new Miss Boss Cup stroker.

ProDx Health Introduces 'Trust 1' HPV Test

ProDx Health has introduced its new Trust 1 Home Collection Kit for HPV testing.

Eye of Love Debuts 'Pheromone Roll-On Duo' From Bloom Line

Eye of Love has introduced the Pheromone Roll-On Duo fragrance set from its Bloom collection.

Full Circle Releases 'Grinders' Collection

Pleasure brand Full Circle has debuted its new Grinders collection of discreet vibrators.

Doc Johnson, Polynesian Pleasures Ink Distro Deal

Pleasure brand Polynesian Pleasures has signed a deal with Doc Johnson for global distribution.

Show More