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Orphx have to date released two full length CDs - the first through Malignant Records, the second through Hands - both acclaimed. Their third CD is due out in the next few months again from Hands, and the duo Richard Oddie and Christina Sealey are about to embark on a European tour as we speak to Richard about their music.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: You have a couple of new releases planned in the next few months - lets start with Hands, and the 12", Surface, and following CD, The Living Tissue - what can you tell us about each of these releases at the moment? - what ideas are behind them and are there specific release dates?

Orphx: For the next CD, I am going to be using recordings from my local environment as the primary source material for building new sounds and structures. I've been fortunate enough to obtain funding from the Canada Arts Council for this project, so there will now also be a companion video of processed images. I think that all of my recordings to date have reflected my concerns about certain issues, and this particular project is closely connected to my studies in ecology and my interest in environmental awareness and activism. With this recording, I am strictly limiting my sources and focusing only on those that are particularly meaningful and involving, letting the sounds and images suggest the flow and structure of each track. For the 12", I have used one of the CD tracks as the starting point for the creation of five new tracks, all of which use earth or soil as sound source. The 12" should be released during May, and the CD will be available before the end of the year.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Along with those you also have a 10" coming out called Sata from Auf Abwegen - how did this release come about and what can you tell us about it and the label?

Orphx: Auf Abwegen is a German magazine and record label that focuses on truly alternative music, from the most experimental artists to more popular music. Christie and I were interviewed for Issue #26, in 1998. Sata will be part of a new 10" series on the label. This record was a great experiment and I am pleased with the results. I have described this record elsewhere, but now I think it is better to let the listener discover, without preconceptions.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Previously you have released several items including one full length on Hands and an earlier release on Malignant - how have the ideas and objectives that shape Orphx changed across these releases?

Orphx: The first few cassettes had a very raw, free-flowing sound, while the Fragmentation CD on Malignant focused more on aggressive percussion and rhythmic structures. There was a two year gap between the two CDs, and in that time our sound became more varied and dynamic. While the industrial aesthetic is still evident, there are also elements derived from techno and dub. The sound is always changing, but the objectives are still the same: creating music and images that reflect and explore everyday experiences and the larger themes of social and psychological disorder.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: I believe that your upcoming tour in Europe is to accompany the release of Surface on Hands - at this stage what can you tell us about your dates with Winterkalte? I know this also takes in the WaveGothic Treffen in Liepzig - how much are you looking forward to events like this?

Orphx: We will be playing with Winterkalte in Gent, Belgium, on May 19th and again on May 20th in Berlin, at the Stellwerk venue. We are also playing in Rostock, Muenster, Erlangen, and Prague, as well as Austria and Scotland. The Leipzig festival should be very interesting. I am looking forward to meeting the other groups who are playing there.

The sound is always changing, but the objectives are still the same: creating music and images that reflect and explore everyday experiences and the larger themes of social and psychological disorder.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: This is your second tour in Europe, how did your first tour go and what did you learn then that you think will be of value this time?

Orphx: During our first trip, we only played three concerts, but we really enjoyed them all. We were very encouraged by the response we received and it was great to be able to meet other artists, writers, and promoters who share our interests. This time, we will be travelling by car so that we can bring more equipment and have the freedom to travel whenever we like. Carrying backpacks full of instruments and records on trains and buses was a unique experience, but not an enjoyable one!

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Following your dates with Winterkalte you are planning to come to the UK to do some dates - prior to this we have discussed your date with the promoters House Of Dubois in Edinburgh - how did you come into contact with this organisation in the first place? How many other dates in the UK do you currently have in place, and can you give us details of those? In terms of the music you are doing there is not the largest scene in the UK - so what are the attractions of doing several dates here while many wouldn't bother?

Orphx: We will be playing in Edinburgh and possibly in Dundee as well. We tried to book a show in London as well but the window of time was very small and we weren't able to secure anything worthwhile. Christie was studying in Edinburgh for the last two years, so we now have many friends to visit in Scotland. She had attended many of the events presented by the House of Dubois, so we got in touch with them about organising a show in Edinburgh. We also have a good friend in Dundee and we are hoping to perform with him. We will definitely have larger audiences in Germany, but we have a lot of friends in Scotland, so we really wanted to play there.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: As I have already mentioned you have previous releases - your first CD Fragmentation on Malignant followed by Vita Mediativa on Hands - how did each of these releases come about through each of these labels?

Orphx: Malignant offered to release our first CD after having heard our first few cassettes. After the release of Fragmentation, Hands offered to release a 10". We were very pleased with that release and we decided to go with Hands for the next CD, as it continued in a similar musical direction.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: The sound of Orphx for me is very much about structures which provide soundscape material, but also the percussion and rhythms which you populate these with. How do you view the sound of Orphx in terms of sound influences and how do you approach the construction of the music in general?

Orphx: Christie and I both listen to many different kinds of music, from jazz and blues, to noise and sound art. I am very attracted to music that uses repeating patterns of melodies and rhythms, and I prefer music that has a simple structure in which the elements slowly unfold and interact. Techno and early industrial music obviously have the most direct influence upon Orphx, but I am also trying to integrate elements and techniques from other musical traditions. When composing, I usually begin with a concept that suggests particular sounds or structures, or I may begin with a particular sound or rhythm that is compelling. I like to combine improvisation and spontaneity with a more meticulous process of creating and arranging sounds. So, while improvisation often provides the raw material, the final product is usually the result of slow, deliberate processing. I am naturally inclined to be very careful and controlling, so I find it very liberating to try and embrace random accidents that occur while recording or performing. Sometimes, these "errors" yield really wonderful results.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Though you started as a trio there are now only two of you - could you give us an idea of how you met and how you came to your current set up? Also why was the name Orphx selected?

Orphx: Orphx began as a trio, with myself, Christie, and our friend Aron West. When we began the project, we were all students at a local university, and we found that we all shared an interest in experimental art. Aron and I created the word "oriphix" by combining the words "Orpheus" and "orifice" - a combination that refelected our interests in philosophy, mythology, and sexuality. Sex, death and religion are definitely the fundamental issues that this project concerns itself with, so the concept was right, but we decided to alter the name in 1994, in order to create something more ambiguous.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Through 1993 to 1997 you had several cassette releases - what role do you see cassette releases taking for lesser known/underground bands? Do you see the introduction of technology like CD-R and mini disc affecting this in the future (or even the present)?

Orphx: Well, cassette is certainly the most affordable recording media available. I still use magnetic tape for most of my work because I can't really afford to invest in mini disc or CD-R at present. Also, I am quite fond of the tricks that one can do with tape. Of course, digital technology is superior to tape in so many ways, especially sound quality and longevity. Now that CD-R is becoming more affordable, it seems that many groups are using this format for demos and even mastering. While tape might still remain attractive to some because of its unique qualities, you don't need a crystal ball to forecast a steady decline in the manufacture and use of cassette as digital technology becomes available to more people.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: You have appeared on as many as 14 compilations as Orphx and have tracks coming up on State Art's Widerstand compilation, the next Hands compilation, and a mix for the Conrad Schnitzler remix project on Plate Lunch. What role do you see compilations fulfilling? How many of the tracks that you have released on compilations are exclusive?

Orphx: I enjoy contributing to compilations occasionally, although I am now much more careful about which labels I work with. Sometimes the results can leave much to be desired. I sometimes enjoy working on a single track in isolation, and many compilations provide the opportunity for exposing one's work to a different audience. I think that the very best compilations are those that are held together by some sort of unifying theme, and I really enjoy working on remix projects like the Conrad Schnitzler "tribute".

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Who working in music today do you rate as being influential or just plain enjoyable to listen to? Who are your key influences that remain with you in some way from your formative listening years?

Orphx: I have always enjoyed music, and as a child I was always surrounded by the sounds of blues, rock and jazz. I think I was first introduced to electronic music via the group Yello, and this was a real revelation for me. The evocative moods and mental imagery that this music created in my mind was overwhelming. I soon discovered more popular groups like Depeche Mode and New Order, but I was always drawn to darker sounds and Skinny Puppy was the group that fulfilled all my expectations at the time. From there, I began listening to groups like SPK and Throbbing Gristle, which opened me up to the social and political implications of industrial music and helped me to discover the diversity of experimental music in general. At the same time, I was listening to a lot of interesting rock groups, like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, as well as various forms of techno and house, always searching for artists that moved away from the expected and into more psychedelic abstraction. This was the beginning of an ongoing obsession with experimental and electronic music. Over the last few years, I have rediscovered my love for authentic blues and jazz, as well as a taste for virtually every type of non-commercial music. My collection keeps growing in strange and unexpected directions.

RE:MOTE INDUCTION: Okay, I think we've covered a fair amount there - I look forward to seeing you perform on this forthcoming tour and hope it all runs smoothly. Do you have any final comments you would like to end with?

Orphx: I'd just like to thank you for this interview, Peter. Hope to see you in Leipzig!

NTVWR: PTR
May 2000

More Information

Hands - po box 1701, 90707 fuerth, germany

label run by winterkalte, responsible for release of vita mediativa and the forthcoming surface and living tissue

Malignant

label responsible for fragmentation

Vita Mediativa

re:mote review of this release

Fragmentation

re:mote review of this release