I've been away and now I'm back

My Name is Adam Dorn. Mostly I watch old comedies and I’m the east coast chapter president of the Larry David Fan Club. In my spare time I make music under the name Mocean Worker ( its pronounced “motion” , I figure if people can say “bjork” they can finally figure out how to say “mocean” 11 years after I came up with the name! ).

I write music that’s mostly inspired by 30′s and 40′s jazz mixed with 60′s soul grooves and lots of bips and baps of found audio. The rest of the time I am a degenerate Football and Baseball fan.

Eat any good food lately?

Yes, I just had an amazing birthday meal at a restaurant in Philadelphia called Amada , it’s part of the Garces restaurant group and the head chef is Jose Garces. It is an amazing tapas restaurant.

What are some of your favorite pieces of gear?

Recycle by Propellerheads Software, Reason by Propellerheads Software, Record by Propellerheads Software, Pro Tools and my Nord Lead 1. I like to keep its simple.

Every artist has a process in one form or another, what is yours?

I listen to tons of records and earmark things to sample and eventually recycle beyond recognition. I recently got my entire vinyl collection back after having in storage for 4 years. Almost 3,500 albums of sweet unknown sounds , beats , blips , baps and textures. I think I will be very busy digging digging digging for sounds for a while before the new album is finished.

I tend to listen and search and then once I find something that moves me, I sample and then recycle. I then open up Reason and create a REX2 player and see what I have. Between my library of beats and samples off of CD’s I’ve gone nuts for the last two albums ( of course coupling that with live recording and playing). Now that my vinyl is back in the fold and I have not had a chance to make a MOWO! record based on really sampling my vinyl. I think my process should change greatly and the overall sound should change as well. I envision a truly low-fi but insanely hi-fo album in the works.

If you could collaborate with another artist (doesn’t need to be a musician) who would it be? What would you want to do?

Not too long ago I wrote a tune with Cindi Lauper. It was for an album she was making that was mostly a dance music album but we wrote a tune together for it that ended up not making it. I’d like to continue working on that tune and get it out on the right type of album. Mostly because its a great track, just totally not a dance track. Having said that the one singer on earth I’d like to really really really work with, without a doubt, is Annie Lennox. I think she is one of the most soulful, amazing singers of the last 25 years. She can really do anything.

So, let’s see if Peter Gabriel, Salif Keita, and Annie Lennox would all agree to sing on tunes on my next album. Everybody all cross your fingers now. Maybe we can make this happen! With Annie Lennox I’d like to make an actual neo-soul record that is actually both Soulful and Neo and just show off how she is the queen of any of these girls coming out of England.

With Peter Gabriel I’d love to do something really minimal and haunting with all sound design and ambience. He’s done so much of that I’D probably do a shitty version of it, but I’d like to try.

With Salif Keita, I’d love to just finally NOT TRY TO MAKE A WESTERN sounding album. I hate how African Artists like to try to sound western and have beats and synths and a “pop” sound. There was a remix on his last album I bought where you could tell they were going for like European radio play and it sucked. I’d like to make a song or two with him that was as organic as possible AND THEN mess around with additional production and sounds. His voice is so soaring and amazing. I’d hate to have synths in the way and loops and a 4 on the floor beat. He should never border on sounding like a bad Pet Shop Boys album!

Your thoughts on silence?

Man, to know me, is to know that in my presence things are rarely if ever silent. There is always something going on. Someone riffing, or interrupting or laughing. I grew up the youngest of 4 boys so – silence didn’t exist. Silence is NOT normal for me.

Regarding music, silence is where all the magic happens. The magic happens between the notes. Listen to almost any Miles Davis solo. It’s more about how he doesn’t play and rests that’s magical ( not to say that the notes played aren’t usually insanely lyrical ). In summation, a little more silence might be good. I just don’t always trust the silence. I always think something is going wrong when things are a little too quiet.

I believe music heals – your thoughts?

I know it does. When I need a lift Peter Gabriel, Salif Keita, Old Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, and Sam Cooke never fail to break me out of the funk I’m in. It’s like listening to the solution every time.

Your father, Joel Dorn, was a historic figure in the music industry, providing major producing contributions to some timeless creative works, from Roberta Flack to Lou Rawls – to being recognized by the Smithsonian Institute . How did he play a role in your life musically?

Well, its hard to really where to start on this one. He influenced me in every way really. We were best friends. We worked together extensively – he constantly turned me on to amazing music I didn’t know about and he was always the first person I played any new music I’d written first. It went through his filter first. It’s probably why since his passing I haven’t released any new music. Its still been tough to write and stay focused, it’s not that I don’t trust myself, I just don’t have my editor anymore.

I’m starting a new album though when I finish building this new studio and its gonna be dedicated to him and basically an homage to his body of work and influences on me. Some will be obvious but many will be inside and very personal. In your question you mention Lou Rawls and Roberta Flack, amazing artists but the thing about my old man is he also worked with The Allman Brothers, Leon Redbone, Charles Mingus, Jow Zawinul, Bette Midler, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Buddy Rich, The Neville Brothers, Aaron Neville. Just on and on and on and on the body of work is mind numbing. He once won a Grammy for Best Country Music Instrumental with Asleep at The Wheel. Just a ridiculous body of work when you think about it.

Producers with a grasp of knowledge like that don’t exist anymore. Nor have they for years and years. His main influence on me musically though was my window into the changing music business. He hipped me to the fact ( along with his best friend and legendary song writer Doc Pomus ) owning everything you do and taking the road less traveled of doing as little business with major labels as possible and owning your own masters was the future. He was dead on. He exposed me to major label projects when I was in my very early 20′s in the mid 90′s and showed me by example what it was like to work for “the man”. After being around that and seeing that that wasn’t for me with the exception of 2 of my 5 Mocean Worker albums I’ve self released and done everything on my own. It’s been really tough and its been hard to get access to certain audiences as a result because budgets just aren’t there – but I think I’m taking the marathon approach to my career. Maybe after 5 more albums folks will catch up? I don’t know I do know that it’s far more fun to do this myself and have creative control and scheduling control over releasing music and licensing. My old man is hard to talk about in one question. His influence went far beyond music with me. We shared so much together, especially laughter. He was such a great fucking guy. Imagine having George Carlin as a father mixed with Larry David and Lenny Bruce. That was my old man. How could that not be awesome?

What are artists / bands are you currently stoked on right now?

Adele is an amazing singer. I think she just sings her ass off, I watch her sing live and I think to myself singers like this don’t come around very often. She looks like she is literally using NO energy when she sings and yet all this soul and emotion comes out of her. She is amazing.

I’m also really digging Lady Gaga. I know that might seem like a “HUH!?!” kind of artist to mention but I like the major pop icon type artists that throw a lot of quality in there. Her tune BAD ROMANCE is a little symphony. She is just really on top of her game, no stone is left unturned.

I just finished a record with a great new artist named Cochemea Gastelum. He is in The Dap Kings and also tours with Antibales and numerous other artists. It’s really a sick album.

On another note, a producer named Sunny Levine has my ear, he is just making great records and is also a really hip solo artist. He is someone I think that is also gonna over the long haul hopefully get some major love for just putting some serious thought and soul into his work. He produced that Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson album and the last two Happy Mondays albums. Just a really good talent.

On a final note, If you could have a mythical creature as a buddy, who would you roll with?

Well who says I don’t already roll with some mythical creatures? I dont’ know about you but a Dragon can get you in and out of a lot of trouble. Nobody fucks with anybody that’s hanging out with a dragon. I’m thinking dragon on this one. ya feel me?

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Many Thanks to MoWo for his time and candid replies!

Check out these Mocean Worker titles and add ‘em into your iTunes for some added groove to your day and night:

You can also visit MoceanWorker.com to get the latest sounds, words, images, and all around adventures of MoWo, safe travels!

This video is amazing. Kudos to Alex Roman who did everything in this film, from shooting it, to post, to the CG, to the music. Inspiring and a job well done. Check it out below:

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Click Here To Download The .PSD!

He is not meant to be taken too seriously.

Jogo, indeed, is floating in the sea aka the Jogo aka the sea.

by Gianni Arone 2009

MEOW – The Zombie Kitten Apocalypse!

(the below resources for this posting were taken verbatim from the YouTube channel of Cyriak , who is also the animator of this video)

• Featuring the lovely illustration of Sarah Brown: http://domestica.spreadshirt.co.uk/
• The music is available here: http://www.beatsdigital.com/track/213625
• And if you like the video there’s a t-shirt to go with it: http://tinyurl.com/yg8d94f

ENJOY

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My buddy Jeremy Kove recently curated the ‘Crimes Against Design’ art show, his boy – Willie A from OcosoMedia shot and cut this vid. Check it!