BloodLust!: Tote Bag

NEW BLOODYMINDED "202" DESIGN

What can I say about the connection between BLOODYMINDED and the Roland MC-202? It was the ideal choice of synth, when I was contemplating the end of Intrinsic Action and the beginning of BLOODYMINDED, in late 1994/early 1995. In the later era of Intrinsic Action, we were playing live with a Moog Rogue and a Roland SH-101, which meant that we were tied to keyboard stands or bar tables, or something similar. Using the attachable mod-grip and a guitar strap was never an option with the 101. Never. Back then, I pictured a point where we could be more mobile, onstage, even if we didn't start that way. But a small, battery powered synth, like the 202, opened up more possibilities for dynamic performance, and I'd say that we got there, relatively quickly. Also being being familiar with the 101 made using a 202, its "little brother," a no-brainer. I had already acquired two of the synths, prior to our first studio session, and from the start, we seemed very certain that 202s would be a big part of our band. On one of the spines of our "Trophy" CD, we included the phrase, "Twin 202 Power-Electronic Death-Noise," and we included a 202 on the inside artwork of our "West" 7-inch, with the name BLOODYMINDED replacing the Roland logo.

The 202 photographed for this new design is one that was used extensively on tour by Pieter, and it suffered tremendously, in his hands. Over the years, we've learned that 202s are not just musical instruments, but they're shields and sometimes defensive weapons. After nearly every show, I'd discover that another fader cap or knob was missing, and I finally removed all of them from this synth to replace missing parts on other 202s that were also seeing hard use in live shows. Pieter ultimately bashed this one up so badly that not only did the body crack in several spots (thus the gaffer tape), but the circuit board actually cracked in two pieces. I also recall that one of the bare faders punctured his hand during one particularly rough show. This one's been out of commission for years, and several other of our 202s are also in pretty rough shape.

In 2010, when the majority of our 202 "fleet" had fallen into disrepair, I initiated a departure from our signature synth and I bought a few tiny Korg Monotron synths. It was worth a try, right? They'd typically break after just one show, because the mini output jacks are so delicate. A very kind Guitar Center salesperson, who'd seen me return several times with broken Monotrons, recommended that I buy a new one with a protection plan. While I would normally never waste money on that, she explained that for the low cost of the plan, I could keep bringing back broken synths after using them during shows. Huh!?! So, we went down that route, for a while, until the novelty of jumping around on stage with smartphone-sized synths simply got old for us. I kept a box full of broken Monotrons, but that seems like it would make for a boring shirt design.

I used to care more about synths, although I still have a variety of small to medium-sized analog mono-synths to write and record with. Over time, however, I think I pretty much lost interest in music gear. I even relaxed our 202 rule again, so you might see Isidro and Will onstage with something else in their hands -- maybe Roland, maybe Korg. Sure, maybe some new micro-synth hitting the market will catch my eye in the future, but I'm not holding my breath. In the back of my mind, I always wondered if BLOODYMINDED would have the natural expiration date of when all of our 202s were destroyed. In the 1990s, they were easier to find and they only ran about $350-$400. By the early 2000s, they were at least double that price, and now they're frequently priced well over $1000, with really clean ones even reaching $1500. That seems a lot of money for something that'll probably get destroyed.

Luckily, we've still got some back-ups, so we're not giving up, anytime soon...

https://BLOODYMINDED.threadless.com/designs/bloodyminded-202

https://bloodyminded.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bloodymindedchi/
https://www.facebook.com/BLOODYMINDED/

Intrinsic Action CBGB
New T-shirt, Hoody and Tote

Intrinsic Action played at famed NYC music venue CBGB a few times, and our last appearance there was kind of a strange one. We were initially booked for Saturday October 15, 1994, but as had happened before, we were bumped from that bill and shifted to a lineup on Friday November 18. I think we were paired up with Drag because they were an industrial band from Chicago that had a connection to Ministry. Sacred Addiction was a post-punk leaning rock band that played around NYC at the time. More surprising, as I'm a huge fan of Blue Öyster Cult, was that we followed The Brain Surgeons, a new band launched that year by Albert Bouchard, a founding member of BÖC. That just didn't quite compute, but I was definitely pleased to share that stage with them, even if our music was at odds. I still have my copy of The Brain Surgeons' debut CD, "Eponymous," which was released earlier that year.

I don't remember it being a remarkable show, for us, and it certainly wasn't a particularly friendly or easy bill for us to be on. It was our last show of the year, and following one more show the following spring, Angel, Megan and I launched BLOODYMINDED. I have a recording of the show, which definitely sounds solid, though. And loud! Typically, if you had a sound engineer at CBGB record your set, you got a very high-quality board recording. I also recall that they charged an arm and a leg to do so. I suppose it was a lucrative way for them to supplement their paycheck. Listening to the tape as I type this, I can't hear much audience interaction (heckling), compared to what we were used to, especially for a crowded Friday night at CBGB. Not surprising, really, since it was such a diverse bill. The best part is probably how well the recording picked up Megan screaming on "Mantra." I'm planning to release recordings of select Intrinsic Action shows, so maybe this one will make the cut. Songs from prior CBGB shows ended up on our "Manhattan Power Surge" single (also on the "Peepland" CD), as well as on the CD re-issue of "Bad Jack."

As soon as we finished playing you can hear Ozzy Osbourne's "Diary of a Madman" over the PA. I've heard far worse choices of music during tear-downs, over the years. Looking at the ad that I clipped from the Village Voice, it's also cool to see that our friends Crisis played there the night before. And on a fitting side note, one of my favorite albums of 2020 was Albert Bouchard's "Re Imaginos," which only came out in November, but which I've already played, a ton.