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~Articles & Interviews~
Here are some articles that I have collected from around the 'Net.
Now you can enjoy them as well. Happy Reading!
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Division 1
CDnow Division 1
Orgy's Jay Gordon Readies First Two Bands From "Division 1"
by Corey Levitan
Jay Gordon's record label is up and whirring. The Orgy singer and aspiring entrepreneur will soon have two bands recording for his Division 1 Records –- Two Hit Creeper and the Ex-Supermodels.
"Two Hit Creeper is like death accordion rock," gushes Gordon about the L.A.-based hardcore combine, fronted by a singer who plays the squeezebox and goes only by the name Michael. "I love the true psychosis of the band. It's intelligent and angry, if you can actually use those words in the same sentence."
Gordon will co-produce for the group when it begins recording at an L.A. studio in June. "We're gonna track about 30 songs in four days, and then overdub our asses off -- make everything sound perfect," he says.
The Ex-Supermodels, the first Division 1 signing, are currently in a New York studio with producer Paul Logus (Jennifer Lopez). Gordon describes that band -- which features House of Pain's Danny Boy O'Connor -- as "Crystal Method meets DMX." He says he may also co-produce a track or two.
Division 1 resides under the umbrella of The Firm Records, which is owned by The Firm Management company -- the same company fired by Orgy last year (allstar, Nov. 6, 2000). "We're great friends," Gordon says. "We didn't have a nasty spill or anything. It was just a matter that certain things were conflicting. But we all get along great."
By hooking up with producer Jay Baumgardner last year to start his own imprint, Gordon follows the lead of Korn, Papa Roach, and his own Orgy partner, Amir Derakh, into a good hedge against rock's fickle future. "I just want to do some things that I like to do -- produce some records, maybe write a screenplay or something like that," Gordon insists. "But I don't see myself being David Geffen just yet."
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A Day In the Life
ORGY Commitment to Decadence
by Katherine Turman for Smug
There's a legion of empty beer bottles in the kitchen, guitars and road cases stacked in front of the fireplace, and the only chair to be found is of the inflatable variety. Then there's the "party casualty" lying fully clothed but face down on a bed in the third bedroom/recording studio. Various clues scattered amid the aftermath however, indicate that this is not the crash pad of mere musicians. First, there's an ironing board at the ready, and a half-empty, industrial-sized bottle of Ketel One vodka. Then there's that framed platinum album over the fireplace. And on the mantle sits a "Best New Artist Award," albeit a fake one created with a Ken doll outfitted in silver foil. The humble L.A. area abode that's home to Orgy singer Jay Gordon and bassist Paige Haley points to men who like to look good (the iron), party in style (the vodka), have a sense of humor (the "award"), and, most importantly, achieved the success that made the others possible their debit Candyass (the platinum plaque and fully equipped recording studio).
9 p.m. Wednesday-An Orgy Outing
As friends and band mates file in, ready for an Orgy on the town, chatter is of the band's forthcoming second album, Vapor Transmission (Reprise), and visuals for the "Fiction (Dreams In Digital)" video. Guitarist Amir Derakh arrives decked out in platform shoes ad lip-gloss. Drummer Bobby Hewitt and his wife, adult film star Shane, new parents of just six weeks, follow, bottle of Captain Morgan in hand. Guitarist Ryan Shuck and girlfriend Stephanie canoodle on the sofa before the energetic musician leaps up for a beer run. A film crew that's been documenting Orgy's recent escapades arrives, as does a Lincoln Navigator limo big enough for lesser bands to live in. The mood is festive.
Heading towards Hollywood's spot de jour, Las Palmas, the members of Orgy marvel at their fortune. "We're getting back into the "on the road, party, let's have fun' mode, even though we're still stressing on a bunch of things," begins Derakh. "But the record is done, and that's the big thing. We wanted to make sure everybody was convinced that it was right. We didn't want to come out with a second record and have it fall by the wayside."
"It's like everybody is shocked: "Wow, "Blue Monday" isn't their only song," adds Gordon. "It was never 'our' song to begin with...why did I get so much shit for that one?"
"And," Derahk furthers, "we're trying to make this video happen, which is a big priority now. But we're still fighting, still struggling
Struggling? In a limo, on the way to a club where a velvet rope will be lifted for Orgy and its entourage? This from a band who parties with Dennis Rodman? Derahk and Shuck chuckle, humbled but pleased. "Well, you know...You live in Hollywood, and you get caught up in shit pretty easily," says Derahk. "But there are plenty of times when we're like, 'We're working leave us alone,' Even then, we still have people showing up at six in the morning."
10 p.m. - Let the Games Begin
At Las Palmas, everybody know Orgy. Or wants to. Gordon, who towers above the beautiful people, is happy to talk about Vapor Transmission, his position above the crowd allowing him to spot exquisite women who inevitably wander over.
"Our record will go 'cardboard' for sure," he jokes, comparing the new album to it's platinum-selling predecessor. On the more serious tip, though, the singer notes that Vapor Transmission comes with a "cautious element, straight-up elements, and a humor element." Its goals include "mind expansion," though Gordon clarifies, "not through chemicals." That said, the lanky frontman is doing a double-fisted dose of "Orgy Lemonade," a tall glass of Ketel One with lots of lemon wedges. "I drink this so much, I'm sure the acidic intake is NOT doing me wonders," he wryly notes.
As the crowd begins to swell in size and volume, Gordon voices a desire for stronger communication skills, the din of the club notwithstanding. "I wish I could make myself a little more clear...I have so many outlets of emotion: lyrics, music, vocals, delivery...I'll ramble all night. But on this record, what I try to portray is "expand yourself," he says, finding a groove. "If you can elevate your frequency...This guy told me that everybody is walking around at, say, 96.8-- like a radio frequency. The general brain is turned to that. If you can elevate that to a 97.1 or a few notches higher, you've done a lot. I feel people actually could be a part of an uprising of mental consciousness. I'm not real spiritual, but that's kinda where I'm at. People need to discover themselves, and if they can do it through my songs, I'm flattered.
"Hey," he suddenly shouts across the patio to Shuck, "did you renew your NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) membership?"
"I was a member way back," the ever-ready Shuck retorts.
Midnight at the Oasis
Orgy pal and former tour mate Stan Frazier, Sugar Ray's drummer, appears. Hugs all around. The tall tales begin as the drinks continue to flow. When the bands toured together, Frazier recalls, "You would go to Orgy's bus, and take one look inside and either run away scared or swan dive onto the couch naked. It was psycho, but in a good way. They live, eat, and breathe true rock'n'roll."
This evening they're living it, though Gordon, surprisingly down-to-earth, as is the entire band, notes, "I don't like to get involved in the 'rock' world- like everybody has something to say about Fred Durst. Well I don't." Gordon does have something to say about drugs, however. "I'm not against 'em, but I'm not totally for 'em either. I'm not saying I'm some drug superhero, but it bores me after awhile. The main focus is to get the music across and present a good show, which means staying healthy, especially on the road."
1 a.m. - On the Road Again
As the Orgy crew again pile into the embarrassingly massive limo, the group has grown in size, and approximately 16 people are kicking it in the car. Candy and beer fly down the length of the limo, music pounds, and spirits and people are high. As the limo idles outside the club, a homeless women dances wildly in the street. Gordon calls for a collection of funds, and kindly presents her with before Orgy motors into the warm So Cal night. Rolling down Hollywood Boulevard, behind the tinted glass, two of Derakh's uninhibited female fans kiss, while at the other end of the limo, a breast is flashed. "Is this the biggest car they could find?" Gordon jokes.
After a quick liquor store stop (for Bud Lights, no less!), something is wrong. The car is lurching oddly. The driver's head turns and a maniacal laugh is heard. It's Gordon, who has somehow convinced the real driver to abscond the wheel. Funnily enough, the singer manages to pull up in front of Crazy Girls, L.A.'s most popular strip club. The Orgy posse piles in and hits the bar for last call. On stage, a dancer gyrates to System of a Down's "Spider" but the real action is in the audience. It's musician central, as members of TapRoot, Papa Roach, and Powerman 5000 mingle with the Orgy assemblage.
Derahk gets a kiss from a comely employee. "Everyone needs their own Crazy Girl," he says with a shy smile.
Though the band is clearly in its element, Orgy's new album overlooks this extravagant lifestyle in favor of concentrating on more personal issues, a theme evident in the song "Eva," which Gordon terms "the best song Orgy has ever written." The song is about producer Josh Abraham's late mother. "I had to make Josh go home, because I didn't want him to hear what I was going to say, and I really wanted him to like it," the singer explains. "When I started [working on] the lyrics, I got that goosebumps thing. Eva was a very special lady in the Orgy foundation; she gave us the grounds to spawn our work."
Haley jumps in, "Amazingly enough, a lot of people who hear it get teary eyed when they know the meaning behind it, and how deep it really is."
Gordon nods in assent. "Radio is already jumping all over it. What we're doing too, is trying to give the kids a visual perspective on every song."
How so?
"I can't tell you yet... we haven't figured it out!" he admits. "But the ultimate phase of this thing is going to be outrageous. Everybody goes, 'Oh, you're doing a movie.' It's not. We're putting together an alternative strategy for visuals and stuff." Oh. Gotcha.
Though the party is reaching its apex, L.A. is an early town, and shortly before 2 a.m., Crazy Girls is ushering patrons onto the street...and into Orgy's limo. The movable party is up to about 18 people, singer Coby Dick of Papa Roach now included. To the strains of the Foo Fighters, champagne is popped, pot is smoked, and the vehicle heads back to Orgy central.
3 a.m. - Home for Vapor Transmission
The party has reassembled back at Gordon and Haley's house. In the home studio, where some of Vapor Transmission was cut, the "party casualty" has left the bed, and everybody piles into the tiny room. It's after 3 a.m., and as members of Papa Roach sit rapt, Gordon cranks up the new Orgy CD to a near-deafening volume. Bud Light tops are popped and heads begin to nod in rhythm.
Clearly no candyass, Gordon seems ready to go all night. As members of Orgy and pals drift home, the streets are quiet, unlike the Orgy studio, which blessedly is soundproofed. Gordon is as happy as a kid in a candy store, playing back Orgy music for newfound musical compatriots. "Don't get me wrong," the frontman says, as P-Roach's Dick grooves to "Opticon" and "107," "I would just rather work and do my thing and have a good time."
"But I've never done all this before," he concludes, encompassing the band, the evening, and his whirlwind, often decadent life. "And I'm loving the experience."
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Video View- Hitparader
It's great when a band can get to a point in their career where MTV asks them for a video. Such is the case of Orgy, who were discovered by the super-successful metal band, Korn. The challenge in Orgy's case was that they were so in-demand with live shows and media meet-and-greets, that it was hard for them to come up with time and focus to create a video.
"It was a nightmare," Orgy drummer Bobby Hewitt told Video View. The band had a futuristic vision for the song Blue Monday, but needed to find a video director that agreed with their approach, and had the professionalism to follow their directives. "We went through lots of video tapes submitted by many directors. It was a grueling process looking at videos." Ultimately they chose Gregory Dark, whose ideas seemed in synch with the band's. They faxed treatments back and forth, and set a time and location to shoot. "We came on the set, and it didn't look like we wanted. It seemed 'industrial,' not futuristic. In addition we wanted to be seen playing on camera more than what the director had in mind for us."
At the shoot Orgy diplomatically stated that they wanted to be more presented as a performing unit in the video. This was important because videos ultimately are projected as a band's personal approach. "Also as we edited the video, we felt that things were looking closer to our vision, and were happy with the final clip." In addition to finding successful rotation on MTV, Blue Monday has now been seen all over the world.
Hewitt says he enjoys performing in front of the camera, and Blue Monday was not his first national exposure. About four years ago, a casting director friend asked him and his twin brother Fabio if they'd like to portray twins in a Billy Bob Thornton flick called Don't Look Back. "Making movies and videos have the same vibe. You have your cues and places to stand, and you have to perform to the best of your ability."
Hewitt is not a regular viewer of MTV, but enjoys TV shows like Seinfeld and Friends. He loves actresses. "I think Sandra Bullock is very funny and witty, and discovered that by seeing her on talk shows. You can tell a lot about the personality of celebrities by watching talk show." He also enjoys Elizabeth Hurley and Courteney Cox.
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