Whom is Edley ODowd, some may ask, while others would know him as the musician that formed a deep friendship with the late and great, Genesis P.Orridge, and brought about the rejuvenation of Psychic TV in 2003. After a period of mourning, ODowd has found the inspiration to start forging ahead again, with his style/s of music. What sort of music? Ah well, that is the beauty of an experimental mind, for their art can traverse genres at a whim. At the beginning of 2023, under his own name, Edley released the electronic noise-scapes of F(OUR)-WARD and of recent, joined by bandmates, Christian Cruz and Anthony Diaz in the new deathrock inspired project, Scorpion Tea. Onyx has very lucky in getting the opportunity to talking to Edley about his time in Psychic TV and his new projects. Impressively, I think he may have been channelling his fellow Scorpion Tea members
Edley ODowd, welcome unto the paradox that is Onyx, that rests in the realm between worlds. Why? Because the rent is cheaper!
Thank you! Sounds like an awesome place to be!
You are based in New York, so I am curious to know if you have always lived in this iconic city and what does being a New Yorker mean to you?
I was born in the suburbs just outside the city and moved to Manhattan shortly after I finished high school. It was the late 80s and an incredible time. I’ve lived short-term in other places but always came back to New York. In 1991, I did a semester abroad in London. I ended up joining a shoegaze band called The Butterflies. Hard for me to even imagine that I was part of the first wave of it, what is now considered a major music movement. I never thought the genre would become as validated and warmly regarded as it is today.
A few years ago, I met the love of my life and moved an hours drive away from New York City. It’s been a radical change that has me raising chickens, gardening, and exploring nature in a way I was never tapped into before. Currently, I travel twice a week to New York to meet with graphic design clients, rehearse with my band, and catch up with friends. I have to admit that I now view the city in a different way. I am inextricably connected to it, but having a 24/7 existence there is not something I feel I would be able to manage long-term at this stage of my life.
How has the city moulded you and your tastes in music?
Being in a city, no matter what city it is, has a concentration of people. So no matter what, you are bound to come into contact with all sorts of music, not to mention culture. Being influenced by acting pot like New York City is inevitable.
Waking the same streets that members of The Velvet Underground did in the late 60s or waking along 3rd Street in Alphabet City dreaming about what Sun Ra gig sounded like at Slug’s in the late 60’s…. I could go on and on, but to me, those are the types of things that have kept me inspired over the years. The streets and buildings of New York are soaked in such rich history.
Not only are you a graphic designer, but you actually lecture as a professor. Do you find your artistic and musical pursuits often prompt each other, and how much do you find your students influencing you as much as you influence them?
I taught courses at several universities during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The experiences were enriching, and I stayed in contact with a handful of them. I am always happy to hear their success stories and see them develop as human beings. I feel very lucky in that regard.
Back then, I think that my main focus was to keep my musical pursuits and personal interests out of the classroom and stick to teaching they types of traditional design skills that would ensure you get a job when you graduate… I worried about that kind of stuff and wanted to demystify the whole process for those close to graduation.
if I were to be asked to teach again today, I would approach it very differently and integrate all of my influences because now, 25 years later, I have found my voice as a visual artist and have something more realized now to share with the world.
When and how did you manage to fit in learning to play percussion?
Growing up in the late 1970’s I was obsessed with big rock bands like KISS and Cheap Trick. I wanted to play drums on a big stage. At 13 years old, my amazing mother bought me a second-hand drum kit at a garage sale for 50 dollars. I sat down, put on my headphones with “Love Gun” and “Live at Budokan” ready on the turntable. It sounded terrible and I immediately became disinterested. A couple of years later I connected with another person to play music with. We were a perfect match because we were both starting from zero. He had a few chords, I played 2 drums, standing up like Maureen Tucker, (though at the time, I was actually emulating Bobby Gillespie from the Jesus and Mary Chain!).
My friend learned some more chords and I began to implement more drums to the setup and learned to play sitting down. I ended up joining my first band the following year and playing my first two gigs.
In 2003, you persuaded Genesis P.Orridge to bring out Psychic TV out of the mothballs and also became a member. What has it meant for you to be a part of such a significant group? /Edley, you became extremely close with Genesis, even before the revival of Psychic TV, and sadly, we lost them in 2022. How did you meet, what was the real Genesis like, and do you feel a hole where they once were?
I’ll answer these two questions at the same time since they are so interconnected. Psychic TV’s out of the mothballs renaissance was a direct result of my friendship with Lady Jaye and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. I was in another band at the time called Toilet Boys. We called it quits after a big European tour with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Once I returned home, I went to visit the Breyer P-Orridge’s, who were recovering from plastic surgery procedures towards their “Pandrogeny” living art project. I posed the question to Genesis of doing a one-time performance of Psychic TV songs at a rather unique club in New York City called The Coral Room.
Wanting to “call my bluff”, Genesis stated that they loved the idea but had no interest in “running the ship” and just wanted to be responsible for performing only. Knowing that I had the ability to put together a band and fantastic event, I agreed to take it all on.
The event took place December 5th of 2003. Within days, I began receiving phone calls and emails from publicists and booking agents wanting to work with “PTV3”. We played our final show on November 15th of 2018. I could have never predicted fifteen years of a productive collaborative relationship with Genesis. The fun we had and the things we learned and experienced together !
I’m my opinion, it was the friendship, trust and camaraderie that made the new Psychic TV the machine that it was. Over time, Genesis and I grew to have a very strong understanding of each other and a very loving friendship, which we could always rely on.
What do you feel being in Psychic TV taught you about the music industry?
I had already been in the music industry for a while before meeting Genesis. I started working as a graphic designer for major labels in 1993. I saw time and time again, bands getting terrible deals and having unrealistic expectations bestowed upon them. As I began to learn more aspects of the industry, I also learned what I didn’t want. Which was to be tied to a company that sees only numbers but does not see any value to the creative side of music and visual art.
After two albums with Psychic TV on an indie label, I decided to experiment and financially rolled the dice on a new EP for the band, self funded. I didn’t print jackets or any colorful art. I had a small embroidered manufactured, affixed one to the front of a kraft paper LP jacket, and rubber stamped the information on the back. I made 230 of them and thought “this might be a slow burn”… however, the edition sold out in two weeks simply by word of mouth. Based on the success of this EP, I was able to launch a label called Angry Love Productions. From then on, we released our music almost exclusively through this, with the profit from each project funding the next.
What has Edley ODowd been doing with himself since then until 2023?
First and foremost, I took time to grieve and focused on my work as a mental health counselor, which put me in the position of being a front-line worker during the Covid pandemic. Shortly after transitioning to my new home and job in 2021, I started work on F(OUR)-WARD…
In February of 2023, the solo release of “F(OUR)-WARD” that houses 6 tracks of sprawling soundscape magnitude, heavily based in experimental electronic, was unveiled. What was the inspiration behind “F(OUR)-WARD”?
The inspiration came from a friend who was starting a new indie label and wanted to work with me on a solo project for it. I had rudimentary skills in building music on a computer, but the pandemic afforded me time, and I began to learn. I would primarily perform sections live, record them, and then arrange them on the computer.
Some tracks are expansive journeys into the ghostly ethereal such as “Morgue Wheel” or apocalyptic science fiction like “Galactic Immersion.” How enjoyable is it for you exploring these subjects in such a visceral way?
My goal was to create sound for transcendental experiences. I simultaneously began to work with video and began creating short vignettes to launch a visual relationship with the music and build a visual space where the listener could relax into the audio through staring at the visuals in the videos
It is a burning question I have about possibly the coolest name ever….what is the Weirdo Factory?
Ha ha ha! When I moved into my house, my partner would hear these eerie sounds coming from the basement while I was experimenting and recording. “What kind of ‘weirdo stuff’ is going on down there?” they would say in their adorable Brooklyn accent. After that, whenever they’d ask where I was going if I was headed towards the basement door, I said “to the Weirdo Factory”.
You do a lot of collaborative work. How important is it for you to be able to include others in the process?
What I love about collaborative work is that I believe everyone has something to contribute. Sometimes it’s amazing to mash two brains together to see what evolves. The trick is to be a little vulnerable, and a little curious. Above all, you have to listen and set aside ego. This kind of level playing field is a place I really thrive, and I greatly credit Genesis for teaching me how to work in this way.
This brings us to your latest project called Scorpion Tea which you have created with other band members Christian Cruz, Anthony Diaz and Fern Puma. What prompted you to get together this group?
Christian and I have known one another for a good number of years. He had spent about seven years traveling in Latin America and stayed in touch throughout that period. When he was forced to settle down in his birthplace of Colombia to ride out the pandemic, he started to write new music. When travel was permitted, I booked a flight to visit him and we realized the project. He agreed to come back to the States for awhile to get the project off the ground.
Chris brought in our vocalist Anthony. The two of them have been friends and collaborators since their early 20’s, so there was already a high volume of creativity between them. I brought in Fern Puma to play bass, which will be a rotating role in Scorpion Tea. There are no plans for a permanent fourth member of Scorpion Tea.
We did pre production last Summer, mostly in my home, and recorded the full length with Tomas Dolas (Osees, Mr. Elevator) at Studio 22 in Los Angeles. Since March of this year, we are all based near New York City and have been feverishly rehearsing and getting ready to do our first public performances.
The first single, “Scarlet Misquote” has been released on the GIVE/TAKE label and I am going to admit I didn’t realise that it was a gothic/deathrock track. It is has an early Rozz Williams/Christian Death sound to it and thoroughly enjoyable. Were you aiming for that style of music or is it just the way is turned out?
The album itself was an experiment. We were aiming to collectively include many influences in the music. It varies in style but is for sure tied together through a darker vibe, musically. When we began mixing, certain songs jumped out. We were originally planning on leading with a different single, but Scarlet Misquote turned out to be the track that we felt would represent us best as a brand new band.
What is the story behind “Scarlet Misquote”?
I’m going to turn this question over to our vocalist, Anthony to answer this question as he can describe it best:
“The lyrics to Scarlet Misquote are from a perspective outside oneself, in a state of vulnerability and heightened agitation. They touch on how, in the aforementioned headspace, even the smallest catalyst can wane your resolve and leave you susceptible to making an impulsive decision. Powerless to stop it, you can only live with the consequences.”
There is also the DEATHDANCE remix. The remix is a more electronic take, that ups the claustrophobic atmosphere. How did you get DEATHDANCE onto remix duties?
I requested that Deathdance do a remix for the track. I genuinely loved the previous work I had heard from them, and I made the suggestion to them. They graciously accepted and did a fantastic job. It has now become the standard that each of our singles (there will be two more before the album comes out) will be released with an accompanying remix.
The music video for the single is truly a beautiful thing with a beauty obsessed devil, go-go dancers, and probably my favourite scene of the band relaxing outside, then actively trying to avoid a blown in and creeping invitation. Who came up with the story board and how much fun was it making the video?
Again, I’m going to hand this one over to Anthony, who wrote and directed the video. He did an incredible job and I’m quite proud of his efforts!
“Ever since Edley introduced us to the whimsical, yet dead serious routines of the legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, while we were recording the album in LA, we were amazed at how his choreography resonated with us as a physical manifestation of the hypnotic quality and longing breathlessness of ‘Scarlet Misquote.’ When the band made
it clear, based on my initial proposal of the story for the video, that this particular project would be my baby, I got to work on the storyboard (something I’ve never tackled before), and it became clear that Fosse’s dark aesthetic meshed almost seamlessly with Scorpion Tea’s brand of brightside-facing hilarity.
When it came to putting the ideas into action on filming day, the sense of accomplishment was palpable, thanks to the hard work of the band, our lovely cast, and our videographer/editor Vlad Tipicidi, and seeing it all come to fruition was especially rewarding. I considered it a huge accomplishment as it was the second major project (the album being the first) that we had accomplished as a band.
The scene where the band is hanging out in the park was especially fun. We all (including Vlad and his assistant, Max) were having trouble keeping our faces straight as Max tossed the invitation at our feet and manipulated it closer to us using a fishing line. I drew inspiration for this scene from growing up watching The Simpsons, Looney Toons, Ren & Stimpy, and the like; shows based in worlds where absurd is the status quo.”
So, is there an album in the works for Scorpion Tea (I’m crossing my fingers for a yes here)?
Absolutely! The full length will be released digitally and on vinyl on October 27 via GIVE/TAKE!
What is it like having the guys of GIVE/TAKE covering your six/buttocks?
Because we live in different states, Scorpion Teas collective buttocks have yet to met the guys from GIVE/TAKE in person! It’s been a great collaboration thus far. It’s great to be with a label that encourages us to go further.
What bands influenced you into dark alternative music?
I’d say for the band it would be a different story. We all have very varied taste in music, but there are crossovers. It’s very interesting for me to work with Chris and Anthony’s brilliant minds. For example, one of the tracks on the album has a Reggaeton influence. This is not something I personally would think would enhance one of our songs. I personally believe this band to be a perfect storm for innovation. We are all influenced by music from our youth. Only my youth was 20 years before Chris and Anthony, so while I share music with them such as Princess Tiny Meat’s “Wigs On The Green” from 1985, while Chris may share some Latin folk music anther shore, Anthony sharing a rare track by a Death Matal band I’ve never heard of from the 2000’s.
For me personally, I’ve always had a hunger for music and visuals that make me think and consider. Sometimes it’s just a vibe that tickles me inside and I can’t stop listening or watching. When I was 8 years old, my first music love was the rock band KISS. Larger than life visuals with music that broke through traditions. That’s what excites me. To follow KISS were groups like The Plasmatics (Wendy O Williams blew up cars on stage and appeared publicly with her breasts exposed covered by pieces of electric tape over her nipples. Talk about blowing the minds of a 12 year old boys like me!), then on to The Velvet Underground, The Residents, The Birthday Party, Black Flag and the list goes on…
Who do you listen to now and puts fuel in the metaphoric rocket tank?
Lately I’ve been going down a rabbit hole of looking for music from the period I lived in England: 1990-1992. I was in a band called The Butterflies who were part of the Shoegaze scene (more specifically the “Lurch” scene, which sadly was never revived the same way Shoegaze has). There was a lot of music coming out of England at the time, much of which seems to have been forgotten. I’ve been scouring some Facebook group threads and have remembered and am re-listening to a lot of albums from that period. In particular, a band called Sidi Bou Said, who made an album called “Bodies” released on the Ultimate Recording label in 1995. I cant get enough…
Edley, you are going to release the next Scorpion Tea single and you have been told money is no object for the video. Also you can have anyone you want to shoot it or star in it, so what are you going to create and who is going to be in it? ps we have necromancers ready and waiting if so required….
To be honest, I’d have to say I would want it shot by John Waters and feature the cast of Pink Flamingos. But I’d like to change the location from Baltimore, Maryland to Papua New Guinea so a large quantity of Birds of Paradise doing their incredible mating dances could be featured 😉 When can the necromancers get started?
What is next for Edley ODowd?
My focus right now is very much on the development of Scorpion Tea as a live band. I have a follow up to my first solo effort “F(OUR)-WARD” in the works as well for 2024.
Thank you for your time and can’t wait to hear more Scorpion Tea!
My pleasure!!
Music | Scorpion Tea (bandcamp.com)
Onyx Music Reviews 