Moodorgan

A Live Darkwave Experience


This project was a highly visual dark synth/futurepop rock band. The melancholic, introspective musical and visual themes expressed in performances invoke a range of influences — from esoteric philosophy to Victorian science — and also alluded to cyberpunk literature (as suggested by the Philip K Dick reference in the project's name) — all of which was complementary to the progressive goth/industrial attitudes of the era.

In the first decade (or so) of the 21st century, this project was seen and heard regularly in the Los Angeles scene, on the stages and dance floors of legendary clubs such as Bar Sinister, Malediction Society and Batcave.

The project is currently on indefinite hiatus, but this era birthed musical and narrative threads that continue today — in The Continual Return (of Pierre Ordinaire).

black.empathy.box

The younger, more aggressive sibling to the moodorgan project (with a name also derived from a speculative device in the same PKD novel) was occasionally manifested in Hollywood live sets. The sound is characterized by a harder, more driving EBM/industrial attitude, mechanical samples and harsher, more distorted vocals (addressing more immediate concerns) ...

AUDIO



The Moodorgan Project

black.empathy.box

PHOTO GALLERIES



Gallery 1 - Remember The Truth

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Gallery 2 - Batcave 2010

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Gallery 3 - DTLA 6th St 2009

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Gallery 4 - Bar Sinister 2008

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Gallery 5 - Hollywood 2007

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Gallery 6 - Bar Sinister 2007

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VIDEO



DISCOGRAPHY



The Hollywood
Archives
2014
Coredark
PRV2
2009
MPLA
Coredark
Process EP
2007
MPLA
Coredark

Nexus
2000
Ben-Eve
Beauty Salon
Coredark

PRESS



Denizen of the Dark

Lip Service Webzine | March 2011

This month’s featured Denizen of the Dark is none other than Pierre Ordinaire, founder and mastermind of the Goth/Industrial live multimedia project known as Moodorgan. Pierre exemplifies the transcendent Piscean spirit in his metaphysical and philosophical perspective. If you’ve seen the live Moodorgan show, you know it is a total immersion experience in which timeless archetypes are brought vividly into the present tense in living, breathing energy. Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The inventive spirit that infuses all aspects of this audio/visual artistry is the work of a modern-day alchemist of the highest order.

Pierre provides us with a glimpse into the central theme of “alive-ness” that distinguishes Moodorgan among the vast range of contemporary Goth/Industrial artists … “ … important is the idea that a live performance should indeed be live. In an age of seemingly ubiquitous ‘just press play’ electronic bands Moodorgan’s creative manifesto demands that everyone on stage be playing real (and plugged-in) instruments and that computers and sequencers should be under the live control of humans, not the other way around.” Creative minds that are hungry for sophisticated and inspiring music are in for the ride of their lives. The only way to really know what Moodorgan is all about is to experience the show, first-hand ...

Moodorgan:PRV2

Janine Szakacs, Reflections of Darkness | January 2010

... the complex musical soundscapes ... should please fans of dance music across genres ... the mixes often stray from what might normally be considered a darkwave style into the meanwhile established style of futurepop ... taking tones from synthpop, new wave and the gothic genres makes Moodorgan quite an audio experience ...

Moodorgan:PRV2

Joseph Graham, ReGen | November 2009

... rich in glossy futurepop production, gothic attitudes, and trancelike atmospheres ... Moodorgan certainly has more than a few tricks up its sleeve and has made quite a name for itself in the live club circuit scene in Los Angeles ...

Moodorgan

Joe Zipnock A.K.A. Dj Iv.0, Carpe Nocturne | January 2008

Moodorgan definitely knows how to set a mood. The music is atmospheric, sexual, beautiful, and danceable all at the same time. The look ... is as appealing as the music ... Their stage show includes video and a passion for the music that makes for a great set ... regulars at the popular Bar Sinister ... if you're in the LA area you should definitely make it a point to catch Moodorgan live.

Moodorgan:Nexus

Alex Steininger, In Music We Trust | July 2001

Lush pop songs with electronic wizardry backing them up, Moodorgan's Nexus is a catastrophic collection of tight programming and performances, slick production, and an over-the-top pop sensibility, all spun around quirky electronic tones, adding layers upon layers of sophistication. This is an album that doesn't hit you right off the bat but slowly grows on you with each additional listen ...

LITERARY
REFERENCES



Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Philip K. Dick | 1968

"... I was in a 382 mood; I had just dialed it ... then I realized how unhealthy it was, sensing the absence of life — do you see? I guess you don't. But that used to be considered a sign of mental illness; they called it 'absence of appropriate effect.' So ... I sat down at my mood organ and I experimented. And I finally found a setting for despair."

Her dark, pert face showed satisfaction, as if she had achieved something of worth.

"So I put it on my schedule ... "

"But in a mood like that," Rick said, "you're apt to stay in it, not dial your way out. Despair like that, about total reality, is self-perpetuating."

"I program an automatic resetting ... A 481. Awareness of the manifold possibilities open to me in the future; new hope that — "