Jay Gordon helped define the 1990’s modern rock era with Orgy. The brilliant sounds within Orgy’s unique industrial movement, pushed beyond the normal boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll and took it into a completely original dark territory that had nu-metal kids weeping in joy for months on end! That originality still thrives today within Orgy’s latest Talk Sick E.P. A release no Orgy fan should skip. Your music hunger pains will be gone for good once you press play and listen to Talk Sick all the way through, full blast, over and over again until your ears finally bleed out in astonishment.
Interview By Chad Thomas Carsten
From July 2016 Vandala Magazine
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Can we discuss your early childhood and how you developed your own musical taste?
Jay: I grew up in the music business. My dad was a manager and I was just kind of around whatever was happening in San Francisco growing up. San Francisco had a lot of different flavors. So we were in the breeding ground for a lot of new things, but not just new, old things too.
What’s your average day like when not touring and away from music?
Jay: I’m never away from music! When I’m not touring, I’m working in my studio or working with a solo artist or even making EDM music.
You just finished touring with Filter! How was the experience overall?
Jay: It was a tour. [Laughs] We were support slot for the tour and it was good and the tour was successful. Everybody did pretty good! It was cool! That’s it, really.
How much has Richard Patrick influenced you as a recording artist?
Jay: I definitely bought the first Filter record (Short Bus) and I think a lot of people in my area bought the first record. I thought it was cool. I don’t sound similar to him musically or stylistically, but he has his own vibe and I have mine. I guess my influences came from other places. Musically speaking, my influence would be more Ministry and vocally, I would say more towards the Bowie lane, somewhere around there.
What do you like most about tour the touring life?
Jay: Definitely performing in front of people I’ve never played in front of before. Playing in front of large audiences with big stages really is my thing. You have a lot of room, so that works out great! I like the small club vibe too, because sometimes it’s better to get that up close personal vibe.
What do you anticipate the most when performing live?
Jay: We strive for the audience’s reaction. I try to focus on staying out of everyone’s way and not killing myself up there. [Laughs]
For the Orgy fans that may have overlooked the newest Orgy E.P., why should fans give the Talk Sick E.P. a real deep listen?
Jay: I think it’s because it’s not that crazy of a departure from where we were years ago to where we are now. It’s definitely an upgrade in a lot of areas. I’m not blown away at the way that some of the vocals were recorded. I would have done things differently, as far as how they were shaped into the mix and stuff like that. But overall I’m happy with our first real record together (as a new band). I think you’ll hear a lot more of that upcoming. I think it’ll just get better from here. A lot of people really do like the record. It’s definitely different. Sonically speaking, there’s a lot of things that I’m fixing from that record till now. Not that’s it’s broken to me, there are a lot really cool things on that record. There’s some great production on there from some of the outside people that we brought in and it’ll catch on! Some of the producers/DJ’s that worked with us on that record are up incoming. So, when those guys get huge, then you’ll see why it all works. There is more of a new fan base coming up. Not that I don’t want the old ones too (I love all Orgy fans, they’re all good!), but it definitely is going to capture some new people. You just gotta keep an open mind and kids nowadays have way more of an open mind!
Entropy is your next full length! What kind of content and sounds can fans expect within the next LP?
Jay: It’s definitely going to be different in a lot of ways and the more things change the more they stay the same. Orgy is gonna evolve with me always, because whatever I’m into is what Orgy’s going to be. I like to keep an open mind and I’m listening to a lot of really heavy stuff right now, so we’ll see if that gets added in there too, ya know?!
How did the album title Entropy come about for it’s title?
Jay: It was just something that popped in my head and I kinda just went with it. It may not even be called that in the end. But I think right now it’s a good working title. We’ll see what happens.
What do you want to accomplish with Entropy/the next record?
Jay: I want to reach a much larger audience! I want to play a lot of these big festivals with all those DJ guys, which is where all the people have gravitated towards. I want to jump into that Prodigy or Pendulum range. I’d like to get in there and just feel it! I love those kinds of shows and it would just be really cool to be able to do that kind of stuff!
Like, Electric Forest?
Jay: Yes, exactly! You’ve got the right idea!
When are you and Jonathan Davis (Korn) going to rock shit on a track together again? Any fond studio memories you’d like to share between you two?
Jay: I love Jon! I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a long time. I give him a message every now and again, and he responds and that’s about it. There are a lot of fun moments/memories in the studio with Jonathan. He’s a great guy! We’ve had a lot of fun. He’s really the reason that my band was able to get out there. Him and David Silveria were really the reason why Orgy could be brought out. They threw us the bone and brought us with them (Korn). I’m pretty grateful for Jonathan.
Can we discuss the song “Slept So Long”?
Jay: I had a lot of fun on the Queen of the Damned Record. That was awesome! He wrote all that, Jonathan did. I just sang what he wanted me to and it worked out really good! They wouldn’t let Jon do it for the movie soundtrack and so he gave a bunch of his friends the opportunity to sing those songs (featured on the soundtrack), so they could put the record out physically, but inside the movie he sang the actual songs. Slept So Long is Jonathan’s song through and through. I love his version of course. That’s what made me like the song to begin with.
Any advice to vocalists just starting out that you’d like to share? What not to do on tour?
Jay: Prepare yourself for the road. Singing five to six nights in a row is not an easy thing to accomplish by any means. Some nights with Filter there were eight nights in a row before a day off. Get your stamina up and get your vocal game right. Don’t over-exert your voice too much or you’ll lose it. No underage chicks! That’s a pretty important one for all bands!
Orgy is taking a break from the road and heading into the studio so follow them online to keep up to date with the band and details.
Vandala Magazine 