Asmodeus X
Encyclopedia
Asmodeus X is an American
electro-industrial
band whose music is frequently characterized as a mixture of EBM
and darkwave
and typically includes the use of environmental sampling
. Their style is said to be influenced by the music of Laibach
, Kraftwerk
, Death in June
, and Front 242
, among others. The vocals have been described as following in the EBM/synthpop tradition of being “somewhat flat”, lending a “darker edge” to the music. The band is promoted as “the original and ex officio 'Black Corps' of the industrial underground”.
, Texas
in 1999. Fredric (Paul McAtee) and Marshal were originally members of a Goth band called, “Morphine Angel”, formed in Lincoln
, Nebraska
in 1993, and later based in Chicago
, Illinois
. During this time, part of Fredric's musical training came from work with Thomas Thorn
, lead vocalist for the industrial metal
band Electric Hellfire Club
, contributing vocals for EHC's song "Pack 44".
Recording on the St. Thomas, Black Pepper and Delinquent record labels, Morphine Angel developed a significant following. Their song "Age of Man" was included in the soundtrack to the independent film, Shut Eye, alongside other popular goth-oriented electro bands such as In Strict Confidence
. However, the band fell apart as members relocated to different cities; Fredric and Marshal leaving in March 1999. Later that year, the two formed Asmodeus X.
. This was followed by the release of two singles with St. Thomas Records, one being a cover of the Fever Tree
hit, "San Francisco Girls".
Their first studio album, Nova Futura, was produced in 2001 by Victor Peraino, former keyboardist
of Kingdom Come
, and included the song, "The Tiger", featuring guest drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson
, formerly of MC5
as guest drummer. The album also contained re-recorded tracks of their singles. However, differences between the studio and St. Thomas prevented the album’s release.
The first studio album that was released was 2002's Wolf Age, put out under the Black Pepper Records label. The album showed off a key element that defines the band's sound—rich programming
with extensive use of environmental sound samples and “darkened neo-classical noise-scapes”. The lyrics of the band's music are generally described as thoughtful or intellectual; meditations on “the darkest realms of the animal mind and the human condition” with “Goetic, Objectivist
and Left-Hand Path elements”. A further example of this is seen in their choice to remix a sound recording, Underground Tunnels by a proponent of the Left-Hand Path, Tapio Kotkavuori . Later, Fredric provided philosophical contexts for their two subsequent albums in a self-published 2009 book, The Erbeth Transmissions.
Soon after Wolf Age, Lesikar passed away. His guitar wasn't replaced. Instead, Asmodeus X brought in Joel Schafer (Joel 313) to fill in on electronic percussion in 2003. They had previously worked together at a concert at the Satellite Lounge in Houston prior to the production of Nova Futura, then playing on acoustic drum
s.
The band signed with Latex Records for their third album, Morningstar in 2004. It was picked for album of the month for January 2005 by Electrogeneration. This album also yielded their most popular downloaded song to date, a cover of the Psychic TV
hit, "Roman P
".
This was followed two years later by Sanctuary, which in addition to new tracks, also revisited past songs. It featured guest stints by the Los Angeles
band Typhon Vortex on "Microcosm" and former Morphine Angel guitarist Deros Mezmeronicus (Carl Gibson) on "On a Spaceship with Beelzebub", as well as posthumously reworking guitarwork of Lesikar.
With Next-Gen Records in 2008, they released the two-disc style collection The Greater Key
– primarily a compilation of remixes of music from the band’s prior two albums by prominent genre DJs and groups, such as Australian band Masquerade, Weltklang
, The Evolutionaries (who contributed to the Xbox 360
Dead Rising soundtrack) and members of Written in Ashes, Provision
and Bozo Porno Circus. The following year, the band produced two new singles and won Best Album for Sanctuary, Best E.P. for the untitled promotional version of The Greater Key
, and Live Performance at the Revolutions Music Awards. This year also marked Joel 313 leaving the band to re-form Provision. Currently, Kirk Graham of the California
-based synthpop band Phase Theory fills in on live performances of Asmodeus X.
, performing "Wicked Little Town (Reprise)" with a lead vocalist from The Black Math Experiment
, Jef With One F. Later in 2006, they went on to remix a Black Math song, "Ruler of the Rock Robots (A Love Story)", which was retitled, "Ruler of the Trance Robots".
Fredric has stepped away from the band occasionally to fill in on electronic percussion for the synthpop
band Red Flag
and splits his time as a founding member (Mixmaster Fritzi) of Phase Theory, working in production and playing synthesizer and electronic percussion. In 2006, he teamed with author and singer Alice Karlsdóttir and guest artists like Ian Read of the dark folk band Fire + Ice on a neo-folk project called Verdandi. He also founded Sakaki 4, which released an album in 2009. Fredric further recorded with TG Mondalf a Subgenius “rant” aired on Hour of Slack #993 by Rev. Ivan Stang
, founder of the Church of the Subgenius
.
Vasquez appears on the band's music videos for On a Spaceship with Beelzebub and Theos and remixed two songs for The Greater Key. Other musicians who played with the band onstage include Reverend TiG (keyboards) from Bozo Porno Circus and Bamboo Crisis and Allison Scott (acoustic drums and keyboards) (Opulent).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electro-industrial
Electro-industrial
Electro-industrial is a music genre drawing on EBM and post-industrial that developed in the mid-1980s. While EBM has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial has a deep, complex and layered sound. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and other groups,...
band whose music is frequently characterized as a mixture of EBM
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
and darkwave
Darkwave
Dark Wave or darkwave is a music genre that began in the late 1970s, coinciding with the popularity of New Wave and post-punk. Building on those basic principles, dark wave added dark, introspective lyrics and an undertone of sorrow for some bands...
and typically includes the use of environmental sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. Their style is said to be influenced by the music of Laibach
Laibach (band)
Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with industrial, martial, and neo-classical musical styles. Laibach formed June 1, 1980 in Trbovlje, Slovenia . Laibach represents the music wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Death in June
Death in June
Death in June are a neofolk group led by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P. The band was originally formed in Britain in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the group became the work of Douglas P. and various...
, and Front 242
Front 242
Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.-Formation:...
, among others. The vocals have been described as following in the EBM/synthpop tradition of being “somewhat flat”, lending a “darker edge” to the music. The band is promoted as “the original and ex officio 'Black Corps' of the industrial underground”.
Morphine Angel
Asmodeus X was founded by Paul Fredric and Brad Marshal in HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1999. Fredric (Paul McAtee) and Marshal were originally members of a Goth band called, “Morphine Angel”, formed in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
in 1993, and later based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. During this time, part of Fredric's musical training came from work with Thomas Thorn
Thomas Thorn
Thomas Torquemada Thorn was born August 2, 1964 in Madison, WI.He is best-known as co-founder of, and lead vocalist for, the industrial metal band The Electric Hellfire Club....
, lead vocalist for the industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band Electric Hellfire Club
Electric Hellfire Club
The Electric Hellfire Club is an industrial metal band mixing elements of glam metal, techno, gothic rock, psychedelia, black metal lyrical themes and experimental noise...
, contributing vocals for EHC's song "Pack 44".
Recording on the St. Thomas, Black Pepper and Delinquent record labels, Morphine Angel developed a significant following. Their song "Age of Man" was included in the soundtrack to the independent film, Shut Eye, alongside other popular goth-oriented electro bands such as In Strict Confidence
In Strict Confidence
In Strict Confidence is a German electro-industrial band. Formed in 1989/1990, they were known as Seal of Secrecy until 1992. In Strict Confidence has been signed to several record labels, including Metropolis Records and WTII Records.-History:...
. However, the band fell apart as members relocated to different cities; Fredric and Marshal leaving in March 1999. Later that year, the two formed Asmodeus X.
Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X’s first release, The Cult of the Nassarene, was released the year prior to their live debut at the Houston club Instant Karma on February 26, 2000. The band grew with the addition of guitarist Frank G. Lesikar and their performances earned the 2000 Critic's choice for Best Industrial/Noise Band from the Houston PressHouston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
. This was followed by the release of two singles with St. Thomas Records, one being a cover of the Fever Tree
Fever Tree
Fever Tree is a former American psychedelic rock band of the 1960s, chiefly known for their anthemic 1968 hit, "San Francisco Girls ".-History:...
hit, "San Francisco Girls".
Their first studio album, Nova Futura, was produced in 2001 by Victor Peraino, former keyboardist
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
of Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Arthur Brown)
Kingdom Come were a British band of the 1970s, that played psychedelic, experimental progressive rock music. They were fronted by Arthur Brown, who gave them his theatrical style and voice...
, and included the song, "The Tiger", featuring guest drummer Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson
Dennis Thompson (drummer)
Dennis Thompson is the drummer with the 1960s/1970s Detroit proto-punk/hard rock group MC5, which had a #82 US single with "Kick Out The Jams" and a #30 US album with the same name....
, formerly of MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
as guest drummer. The album also contained re-recorded tracks of their singles. However, differences between the studio and St. Thomas prevented the album’s release.
The first studio album that was released was 2002's Wolf Age, put out under the Black Pepper Records label. The album showed off a key element that defines the band's sound—rich programming
Programming (music)
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
with extensive use of environmental sound samples and “darkened neo-classical noise-scapes”. The lyrics of the band's music are generally described as thoughtful or intellectual; meditations on “the darkest realms of the animal mind and the human condition” with “Goetic, Objectivist
Objectivism (Ayn Rand)
Objectivism is a philosophy created by the Russian-American philosopher and novelist Ayn Rand . Objectivism holds that reality exists independent of consciousness, that human beings have direct contact with reality through sense perception, that one can attain objective knowledge from perception...
and Left-Hand Path elements”. A further example of this is seen in their choice to remix a sound recording, Underground Tunnels by a proponent of the Left-Hand Path, Tapio Kotkavuori . Later, Fredric provided philosophical contexts for their two subsequent albums in a self-published 2009 book, The Erbeth Transmissions.
Soon after Wolf Age, Lesikar passed away. His guitar wasn't replaced. Instead, Asmodeus X brought in Joel Schafer (Joel 313) to fill in on electronic percussion in 2003. They had previously worked together at a concert at the Satellite Lounge in Houston prior to the production of Nova Futura, then playing on acoustic drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s.
The band signed with Latex Records for their third album, Morningstar in 2004. It was picked for album of the month for January 2005 by Electrogeneration. This album also yielded their most popular downloaded song to date, a cover of the Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
hit, "Roman P
Roman P
Roman P is a song by Psychic TV about director Roman Polanski."Roman P." was first performed in nascent form during Psychic TV's 1983 gigs. This early version can be found on the live albums N.Y. Scum and Those Who Do Not...
".
This was followed two years later by Sanctuary, which in addition to new tracks, also revisited past songs. It featured guest stints by the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
band Typhon Vortex on "Microcosm" and former Morphine Angel guitarist Deros Mezmeronicus (Carl Gibson) on "On a Spaceship with Beelzebub", as well as posthumously reworking guitarwork of Lesikar.
With Next-Gen Records in 2008, they released the two-disc style collection The Greater Key
The Greater Key
The Greater Key is a compilation of remixes of recordings of the electro-industrial band Asmodeus X. It was released in North America through Next-Gen Records on July 11, 2008. This two-disc style release contained 20 tracks, one of which was a re-release and a second track that was a new release...
– primarily a compilation of remixes of music from the band’s prior two albums by prominent genre DJs and groups, such as Australian band Masquerade, Weltklang
Weltklang
Weltklang is a German electronic music project that was formed in 1980.Current members are Thomas Voburka and René Steuns.- Background :Weltklang was formed in the East-German town of Schwerin, German Democratic Republic in 1980....
, The Evolutionaries (who contributed to the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Dead Rising soundtrack) and members of Written in Ashes, Provision
Provision (musical group)
Provision is an electronic musical group based in Houston, Texas. Provision was founded in November 2000 by Breye 7x and Leslie Hyman ....
and Bozo Porno Circus. The following year, the band produced two new singles and won Best Album for Sanctuary, Best E.P. for the untitled promotional version of The Greater Key
The Greater Key
The Greater Key is a compilation of remixes of recordings of the electro-industrial band Asmodeus X. It was released in North America through Next-Gen Records on July 11, 2008. This two-disc style release contained 20 tracks, one of which was a re-release and a second track that was a new release...
, and Live Performance at the Revolutions Music Awards. This year also marked Joel 313 leaving the band to re-form Provision. Currently, Kirk Graham of the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based synthpop band Phase Theory fills in on live performances of Asmodeus X.
Asmodeus X side projects
In 2004, Asmodeus X played the role of the Tommy Gnosis band in a Houston stage production of Hedwig and the Angry InchHedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The text is by John Cameron Mitchell, and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Trask. The musical premiered in 1998 and has been performed throughout the world in hundreds...
, performing "Wicked Little Town (Reprise)" with a lead vocalist from The Black Math Experiment
The Black Math Experiment
The Black Math Experiment is a band described as a unique blend of 1980s synth pop and new wave music with similarities to “The B-52's crossed with Berlin, The Dead Milkmen, and Talking Heads.” Based in Houston, Texas in 2004, the band is known for their offbeat pop songs with irreverent or strange...
, Jef With One F. Later in 2006, they went on to remix a Black Math song, "Ruler of the Rock Robots (A Love Story)", which was retitled, "Ruler of the Trance Robots".
Fredric has stepped away from the band occasionally to fill in on electronic percussion for the synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
band Red Flag
Red Flag (band)
Red Flag is a synthpop band founded in 1984 in San Diego by brothers Chris and Mark Reynolds.-History:After growing up in Liverpool, the brothers, following their father's itinerant job, moved to locations such as Montreal and Seattle; in 1979, the family settled in California, arriving first in...
and splits his time as a founding member (Mixmaster Fritzi) of Phase Theory, working in production and playing synthesizer and electronic percussion. In 2006, he teamed with author and singer Alice Karlsdóttir and guest artists like Ian Read of the dark folk band Fire + Ice on a neo-folk project called Verdandi. He also founded Sakaki 4, which released an album in 2009. Fredric further recorded with TG Mondalf a Subgenius “rant” aired on Hour of Slack #993 by Rev. Ivan Stang
Ivan Stang
Rev. Ivan Stang, born Douglass St. Clair Smith August 21, 1953 in Washington, D.C., raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended the St. Mark's School of Texas. He is best known as the author and publisher of the first screed of the Church of the SubGenius...
, founder of the Church of the Subgenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
.
Other band members
The band experimented with adding a fourth member to the band, like journeyman Chris Vasquez (Skeleton Dick) on keyboards.Vasquez appears on the band's music videos for On a Spaceship with Beelzebub and Theos and remixed two songs for The Greater Key. Other musicians who played with the band onstage include Reverend TiG (keyboards) from Bozo Porno Circus and Bamboo Crisis and Allison Scott (acoustic drums and keyboards) (Opulent).
In popular culture
Darker Shores from the Sanctuary album and Morphine Angel’s Breakfast with Cthulhu were reviewed in their relationship to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft in The Strange Sound of Cthulhu: Music Inspired by the Writings of H.P. Lovecraft, a 2006 book by Gary Hill of Music Street Journal.Current
- Paul Fredric – lead vocals, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, thereminThereminThe theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
(1999-) - Brad Marshal – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, synthesizers (1999-)
Former
- Frank G. Lesikar (Frank Faust / Gary Lesikar) – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1999–2002) - Joel 313 (Joel Schafer) – electronic percussion (2003–2009)
Full-length albums
- Nova Futura, 2001 – St. Thomas Records
- Wolf Age, 2002 - Black Pepper Records (Houston)
- Morningstar, 2004 – Latex Records; CD includes music video for Voices Of The Fallen
- Sanctuary, 2006 – Kreislauf Records
- The Greater KeyThe Greater KeyThe Greater Key is a compilation of remixes of recordings of the electro-industrial band Asmodeus X. It was released in North America through Next-Gen Records on July 11, 2008. This two-disc style release contained 20 tracks, one of which was a re-release and a second track that was a new release...
(Compilation), 2008 – Next-Gen Records - The Bright Ones, 2011 – Kreislauf Records
EPs
- The Cult of the Nassarene, 1999, limited release
- (untitled), 2003, promotional release for Wolf Age
- (untitled), 2008, promotional release for The Greater Key – Next-Gen Records
Singles
- "San Francisco Girls"/"Holy Fire", 2000 – St. Thomas Records
- "The Cow"/"Beyond the Water", 2000 – St. Thomas Records
- "God's Creation (Asmodeus X Remix)" (Remix of In[Perfektion] song), 2006
- "Own Little World (Asmodeus X Mix)" (Remix of CelldwellerCelldwellerCelldweller is a Detroit, Michigan-based Electronic Rock project that was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton, former frontman and songwriter of the bands Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, Angeldust . Celldweller's music is multi-faceted, often labeled electronic rock and more commonly being...
song), 2007 - "Underground Tunnels (Asmodeus X remix)", 2008 (as music video)
- "Theos", 2009 (as music video)
- "Watch Out (Asmodeus X Remix)" (Remix of Ex-VoTo song), 2009 – Poor Alice Music
- "Power Factory", 2009
- "Catatonic Refugee", 2009
Compilation appearances
- "Krishna (Weird Blue Light Mix)", Track #2, Primal River Valley – The Past By Way Of The Future, (various artists), 2005 – Latex Records
- "Ideal – Asmodeus X Remix", Track #10, Ideal Warfare, Provision, 2006 – Section 44 Records
- "Ruler of the Trance Robots (A Remix)", Track #14, Last Transmission From The Blue Room, The Black Math Experiment, 2007
- "Resurrection (Remixed by Asmodeus X)", Track #2, Resurrection EP, Warforge, 2007 – Xenobiotic Records
- "The Bright Ones", Track #11, Negative Impact V0.3, (various artists), 2008 – PfF Productions
- "Always the Same featuring Asmodeus X", Track #1-6, The Grey Years, Bleiburg, 2008
- "Find Another Way", Track #1-3, (various artists), Free Tibet Free, 2008 – Dark Transmission (Germany)
Remixes and covers of Asmodeus X
- "Crucified Serpent (Valhalla Mix)", Endymion, Track #2-4, Hunter's Moon, (various artists), 2006 Stark (Damon Law), Written in Ashes – Dark Horizons
- "Wolf In The Sky", Fremdheit (Germany), Track #5, North Country, Verdandi, 2006
- "Typhoon", Led Manville (Spain), Track #2-11, God Plays Dice, DJ Led Manville, 2007
- "Morningstar (Flaschback Mix)", Track #2-9, hEADaCHE re:mixes V2: Highly Dangerous Defects, hEADaCHE, 2006 – Underground, Inc.