About

Jack Christ is an ismist and autist (syntacto-semantic agent whose agency reflexively – consistent with a thematic relation of patient or recipient – induces autism, or autistic ismism), whose persistent isming, and its successive term ismist, is itself a Jack-Chrism (as distinct from a baptism chrism – that, it isn’t), a specifically Jack-Christic ism.  It is this Jack-Chrism, in essence, which, in sequence, makes Jack Christ [ˌdʒækˈkɹaɪst] a Jack-Christ [ˈdʒækɹǝst], and, in fact, it is Jack Christ himself who insists this.  His position in this band of musicists, as a lyro-linguicist (and guitarismist, by his description), came into existence in his initial discussion with Steve, and subsequent decision to initiate this business, and within the HHEA system, they coexist right at its crux, and right on its gist, in its history, with their respective isms and ists.  Neither by coincidence nor providence, there existed a synchronous decision to instigate the business that is Ism Escape (analysed, supposed, second guessed, appraised, and assessed erroneously by Pliny the isn’tist, himself an Escapist/Elusionist, and Ism Escape separatist, as a satiric and sarcastic escape from escapism and any related isms and their associated ists). Excessive unsolicited assessments and analyses by Pliny in his capacity as a nitwitticist, lead to his supposition, arising from his sustained omission and ostracism from the band, that it is a perceived figurative shortsightedness in this lyro-linguicist/musicist that elicited his (literal) diminished distance vision, and, although it isn’t, he (JC) still wishes, in an act of optical delusion, to distance himself from this astigmatism (of which, with stigmata, the stigma did not sufficiently mix it, although he wishes it were as significant, but it isn’t – by his own admission).

Introduced to isn’tism in his infancy, it isn’t until his decision to receive a reintroduction and re-initiation from his musical assistant, Pliny the Bassismist, Isn’tist, and Elusionist, that there exists, from within, a persistent resistance against the omission of a significance, a substance, or a gist (Isn’tistic in the sense: ‘Is it gistless? No, it isn’t’).  Despite the consequence of his isms and ists crisscrossing with his fits, seizures, confusion, convulsions, and delusion, he insists on the existence of, and stays fixed on, a gist.  It is this which elicits such epithetical descriptions as Jack-in-a-crux, Jack-at-a-cross, Jack-fixed-on-a-crux, and from which comes the term crucifixed, and subsequently Christ (anointed/blessed – hence a lexical connection with baptism chrism, one suspects).

With a twist of isn’tism, a gist, and astigmatism, with a hint of frenzied optimism, anguish, and paroxysm, Jack Christ himself really is an ism, and has a spasm.  This has long since picked its victim, and he says if it has or hasn’t.  And so it has. So here it is, isn’t it?

Steve, known to Jack as Apellido and Cognome, and dubbed by Pliny as Sir Name, along with Jack, is a founding member of the band.

Jacques Bacquet, known to his band mates as Chuck Bucky, initially became a percussionismist when his lifelong artistico-visming was violently interrupted by his sudden affinity, and obsession, with the Latin verb percŭtĭo –cŭtĕre –cussi –cussum.  It was specifically his interest in the verb’s component parts – the preposition per affixed to the verb quătĭo quătĕre quassi quassum – which further lead to his ultimate preoccupation with the verb repercŭtĭo -cŭtĕre -cussi -cussum – prefix-preposition-verb.  It is this verb which Jacques credits for his unique playing style, with its naturally reflective, and almost imperceptible, reverberation, which has been dubbed repercussionism by the man himself.  With an obvious etymological link to the noun percussor –ōris (a striker, murderer, assassin), this sparked his insistence that he receive the epithet Phoneuist.   Certain though he was that this would add an ostensible gravitas to his role within the group, this, in turn, earned him the title Auto-intimist amongst the other band members, seeing it, as they did, as the perfect metaphor for his self interest.  Jacques’ dual obsession with himself and repercussionism led to an ultimatum which he put to the rest of the band – either the music (and more pertinently, the musicists) be taxonomically divided according to his vision of the two distinct ends of the band’s musical spectrum (any percussor at one end, all non-strikers at the other), or else he leaves the band.  Initially, the band politely asked him to leave, however they later relented once they realised that the subject would not be dropped.  The band’s eventual compliance with his demand simultaneously struck a blow for, and a chord with, his overpowering egocentripetal appreciation, and his egocentrifugal influence on all surrounding art.

Jacques’ association with Jack Christ began in 2012 when they formed the band Τους βους, known (exclusively) to themselves for such tracks as The Witness, Meaning Making Machine, and Neither Here Nor There.  At around the same time that Jack and Steve were forming HHEA in 2013, Jacques and Jack embarked on a new linguo-visual project, sensing at the time that it would be a prudent move to eliminate the musical aspect of their association, which itself possessed a certain autistic ismism.  As such, Ism Escape was born.

Pliny Hornblower, known to his band mates as Pliny the blunder and Pliny the error,was a late comer to the band, and happily thinks of himself as a postscript (in a metaphorical iambic foot, where the final position takes the stress).  His failure to join the band any earlier than he did, followed on from a lifetime of failures, which, most notably, include many failed suicide attempts (including the serious one).  Curiously, these events make him simultaneously both an escapist and escape artist. In fact, it was these very suicide attempts, and their inspired failure, that inspired Jack Christ’s Rope Escape and its risk of failure.

His denial of all that is, which originally began as a personality trait, led to compulsive isn’tism, and ultimately his inevitable isn’tist epithet.  This denial is the very essence of his Bassism, providing a contrary position to the band’s musicism, and a particularly argumentative interaction with Jacques’ repercussionism.

Pliny’s relationship with bassism originally came out of a fear of fronting a band, despite his overwhelming desire to be in one.  This led to an obsession with being trapped in front of anything, and, by analogy, he is now openly a sufferer of LB-phobia (the mortal fear of being given out LBW, either literally or figuratively).  It is the contrariness of his isn’tism which benefits most from this, since the metaphorical application of his LB-phobia within the band is strained at best, as Pliny takes up a clearly defined position within the band at the non-strikers end (allegorically equivalent to the homophonous non-striker’s end).