moodorgan: prv2 [process remixes volume 2]

composed, performed and produced by Peter (with additional contributions described below) in Los Angeles (Sunset Junction, Silverlake and Hollywood), 2009

Perhaps "remixes" is the wrong word. It may be better to think in terms of organic development rather than a mix/remix paradigm. On this record, we revisit and revise (and, yes, remix) some old tracks (dating back the the nexus era), and we also introduce some new ones. Young and old, developing. The process continues.

1. Treasure [Assemblage 23 mix] 120bpm

And all I ever wanted
And all I ever thought I'd need
Were there and all around me
Were there in everything I see

And there's a way we'll be together
And there's a way that you will know
I've been waiting for so long to find the answer
And I know my world's a dim illusion

And there's a shining little treasure
Awaiting there and all alone
Nothing I know anymore will help me further
And I know my world's in dissolution

All the things that flow together
All the things that flow from heaven
Knowing magic knowing reason
Everywhere in every season

And there's a way we'll be togther
And there's a way that you will know
Then you'll never walk alone I'm there beside you
And I know ... you're waiting ...

All the things that flow together
All the things that flow from heaven
Knowing magic knowing reason
Everywhere in every season
Through yourself to every other
Harmony like flowing water
Ever onward ever further
Everything in divine order

Remix by Tom Shear of Assemblage 23.

2. Remember the Truth [9.9.9 mix a.k.a. the prv2 mix] 132 bpm

Rising before me
The towering facade
This is our reality
A symbiotic enervating hell

Where guile is sovereign
Behold and glorify
The goddess of mendacity
Now lift the veil you'll recognize yourself

Lie to me always
Deceit internalized
Sacrificing verity (on)
An edifice of enigmatic lies

Rising before me
The towering facade of lies
Forms the walls around our minds

And all you know is the shadow-world you wander
With the light forgotten
When so very far you've fallen
And so much you've lost
But like the falling star you will remember who you are
And in this moment you'll find truth

Rising before you
The glittering facade
Empire of insanity
Hypnotic domination of our lives

Rising before you
The towering facade of lies
For the strength to close our eyes ...

Living illusion we are
(so far we've fallen down)
Living illusion we are

Like the Morningstar
You will remember what you are
And in this moment you'll find truth

violin by Ysanne Spevack

As the title suggests, this mix was started on September 9.
It's probably still not finished.
If you're familiar with the I Ching, you know that 9-9-9 is also a trigram composed of moving lines ...

3. Velveteen [Bone China mix] 96 bpm

Life it's like the rain that's ever falling down
We are we are lost
Full of your modern ideas (I'll lie where you're near)
Here's a story, nothing more than your pretending we are real

And the meaning of real life we're never knowing
For you and I there's no salvation we're lost on the way

Now we feel the end is slowly drawing near
And we are we are lost
Full of your modern ideas (I'll lie where you're near)
Here's a story, nothing more than your pretending we are real

As alluded to in the liner notes for the process EP, this song is based on an unlikely (on the surface, at least) conceptual mashup of The Velveteen Rabbit and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ... in the case of the latter, Rutger Hauer's Nexus-6 was the greater influence ... and, interestingly, "Roy Batty" is an anagram of "Toy Rabbyt" ...

This mix incorporates elements from the soundtrack composed for a dance performance at a special event here in LA.

4. Darkness [Silent Tears mix] 114 bpm

(let it come and take you home)

God of our weary years
God of our silent tears
Thou who has brought us thus far along the way ...
(from the hymn "Lift Every Voice" by James Weldon Johnson 1871-1938,
spoken by Rev. Joseph Lowrey)

And you're alone
And you're afraid you've lost your way
It's all right, it's all right
Things fall apart
When there's a sadness in your heart
It's all right, it's all right
Now

You'll look inside
You'll see you're held by your desires
It's all right, it's all right
And then you'll know
You'll find the strength to let it go
And it's all right, it's all right
Now
There is darkness all around
(our little world)
We live in fear and silence
(forever desiring)
Let it come, let it come, let it come
Let it come and take you home
To a world you've never known

We had more hope at the beginning of 2009, didn't we?

5. Darkness [Predator at the Gate mix] 114 bpm

The name of this mix refers to Rob Papen's formidable Predator softsynth. And the use of sidechained/midi-controlled noise gates as a rhythmic device.

The highly manipulated (and, yes, gated) vocal track and guitar/eBow parts are derived from Celeste Lear's tracks from the process EP sessions.

6. Innocence [9.9.9 mix a.k.a. the prv2 mix] 78 bpm

And now you realize that life is such a bother and a bore
What you're avoiding can you see it now what are you waiting for?
And every day is just like any other
Though you're older than before
And who you are you're still not sure
And if they ask, then will you reply
An innocent man, living life in his own simple way?

You live in silence mounting stairs by candlelight
You left behind a world of pain but still you live you life in chains
And here's your reward for what you brought into this world
Innocence lost forever

Are you secure behind the trim facade of what you have become?
Safe in the knowledge that you know precisely what you're hiding from?
Motionless within the course of history's design
In plain sight you are concealed
Still one day all will be revealed
And when they ask, how will you reply?
An innocent man, living life in his own simple way?

Violin Ysanne Spevack; Guitar Garrison Fagro

French vo Elise Massa in Hollywood

De Berlin, nous ne pouvons pas voir Londre, Paris ou Le Caire. Mais si nous voyageons vers l'ouest par train ou bateau ou sud par zeppelin nous les trouveront là bas. Les meme vies, les meme histoire continuent.
Nous aimons penser au temps comme une progression linéaire mais evidament ce n'est qu'une illusion pour rendre notre vie compliquée plus simple. La difference entre ce qui a été, est, et sera est artificiel. Pour cette raison, le futur est plus accessible que nous le realisont.
Et nous ne pouvons jamais éviter le passé.

German and English vo Thomas Bahr at the Ben-Eve's Bar in Boston

History - what is History? It never ends. We invented Time so we can deal better with the World, but the World doesn't care about that ... et cetera.

This is a working mix of this song ... it's not finished yet. It may very well (along with the principal character, vaguely described therein) reappear in a sort of postmodern gothic rock opera that has something to do with l'histoire extraordinaire de Pierre Ordinaire (apocryphe) ... again, moving lines ...

7. Martin [Moodorgan Mix] 90 bpm

(this is not love, it's bloodlust)

He has needles like teeth black and white scenes
Drugging his victims projecting them in dreams
He is oh so careful causing no pain only sleep
But you'll never wake after the cut that feeds his company

The family wants to save Martin's soul only to destroy what is old
A family curse and shame that carves his life by the things that they say
Martin would listen 'til the voices were out of their system
He'd hear it get crazy sometimes
He'd have to listen such is life

Tremble in your horror Martin in this gutter of departure
Robbing the gore of mankind the family speaks it's your time

Martin follows the destruction of the man in white
To a house where religion is the backyard
Where the only thing seems to be magic
But it's only belief if you can stretch that far ...

Martin follows the rotting of the man in black
To a playground don't look back
Where the devil runs incognito but there is no evil
It is only costumes of belief
It is only costumes that we seek

... it's your time ...

This is a song by Catalog with additional programming, production and backing vocals by Peter and guitar by Rikk Agnew (of Christian Death).

8. You Can't _ More Than I Can _ [Discipline Mix] 136 bpm

black.empathy.box is the bastard evil twin brother (or maybe sister) of moodorgan. Those of you who are hardcore PKD fans have probably already made the connection. This track is the result of an afternoon alone in the Hollywood rehearsal space with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a six-pack of Miller High Life; it was mixed and pretty much put in the can the next day. As you might have guessed, b.e.b is all about spontaneity and not overthinking. And maybe a little self-abuse. And probably a few more things, too, but it's best not to think about it too much. Anyway, we do this one live at moodorgan shows on occasion; it's fun.

the end of the process

Not really. But with the end of 2009 we mark the informal end to what we've come to call "the process era" - roughly the time the band has been active in Los Angeles from 2005-2009. Many of the sounds and images (and maybe places, and to some extent, sadly, people) that have gone into or influenced the last two CDs and live shows just don't feel ... right (for lack of a better word), anymore. Like their time has passed. It's difficult to articulate, but - in simple terms - it feels like it's time to move on. Stay tuned - the next go-around will be interesting ...

::

The moodorgan 2009 live crew is Peter (vox, synth, ableton), Scott Milton (midi drums, vox), Timothy Robert Smith (bass, synth, vox) with Crystal Lyn Moran (a.k.a. Catalyst Echo) behind the video mix rig.

The CD was released on November 28 2009 at Bar Sinister in Hollywood (release party). Digital release was December 21 2009.

Graphic design for the CD package by Peter (with contributions including the on-disc design from clm); downtown LA and texture photography by Peter; photo of Peter by Ryan Romero.

Thanks

The Aglago crew and Reed and TOW.
John C and Tenebrae and the Baron and Triskyl and the other DJs who make moodorgan a regular part of their playlists.
Tricia, Vicky, Constance and Tommy at Bar Sinister.
Peter at Shrine.
Dawn and Oni at Shinto Records.
Rachel, Sara, Erika, Eric Charles, Jason Loya.
And Forest.
... and everyone from the LA scene who has been supportive (with a nod to those whose opinions of a person are based on personal experience rather than rumor, anecdote or Facebook)
... and to those inadvertenty omitted, apologies; find Peter at the bar and make him buy you a drink.

We're all in this together.

Sunset Junction, Silverlake, Los Angeles on a rainy 11 December 2009
last updated on 12 December (still raining) and 22 December

Remember the Truth [prv2 (9.9.9) mix] video

Directed by P. Johnson
Live performance footage from Batcave LA, Bordello, Silver Factory Studios, Hollywood Rehearsal Studios, and the Moodorgan laboratory in downtown Los Angeles shot by Sherry Czerwein (Black Betty Productions), Jason Loya, Phil Miller, with additional footage by P. Johnson. Thanks to Brian Dickens for help with the Batcave shoot.
Motion graphics, CG and edit: P. Johnson.

May 2010, Silverlake, LA