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Interview with Kevin Moore - OSI
The following is an email interview i conducted with Kevin Moore of Chroma Key, OSI and former Dream Theater member. I had done some research to make these questions as original, different and even as fun as possible. However, most of the questions that were actually ANSWERED were neutral questions that i considered less important, and were perhaps, the entree before the main course.
Who came up with the name OSI?
I guess that was my idea.
Who came up with the logo on the album cover, does it symbolise anything?
Jim had the idea of altering the american passport. it's the same thing as an american passport except the arrows are double-headed, the olive branch is wilted, and the eagles wings are clipped. Not very subtle, really.
The album has a very ambient sound to it - what category do you think the music aligns with?
I think its just a new approach to progressive rock.
Genereally speaking - what is your stance on categorising music?
It's inevitable. It basically just comes down to a short description of the music. I probably wouldn't frequent a record store that had say new age CDs mixed in with the childrens music, soundtracks, and death metal.
What is your favourite song on the album, and why?
I guess i like Horseshoes and B52's the best because i had the most fun doing it. Plus, it's instrumental, so i don't have to listen to myself sing.
Are you one to frequent the internet, read reviews and browse the forums
where fans talk about you?
I visit my forum at CK was in a while, but not too often. It's not a very smart thing to do.
The OSI sound is one that is very different to that of your work on Images and Words and Awake. In fact, it closely resembles the sound on your chroma key albums. Had you not departed from Dream Theater, do you think the OSI sound would have come through on their more recent albums?
I don't think so. I probably wouldn't have changed as much musically if i had remained in DT.
What were some of the inspiration for the song names on OSI. EG: Hello Helicopter.
That song was about the the US supplying military arsenals to foreing countries to protect our own national interests. Mainly i was thinking about israel/palestine.
In most of the songs on OSI there are voiceovers, or soundbites. Where were these obtained from and how do they relate or contribute to the music?
Mostly from the internet, which is a great resource for that kind of thing. They realate directly to the lyrics of the song and act as kind of a smoking gun for the position of the lyrics.
It's been asked many times, however - as an update, are there any plans for an OSI tour?
Yes, after the next album!
Once again, as an update - you have mentioned in previous interviews that another OSI album is a possibility. What is the status on that issue at the moment?
Yes, for release early next year.
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Below are the questions Kevin Moore never actually answered:
What compells someone to write music like that of OSI? The music is very different to what is out there so where does this influence spur from? What inspires you to compose music of this calibre?
What was the reaction to the album from friends or relatives of yours?
Were any nostalgic feelings in the air during the process of production?
How did you think the fans and general public would receive OSI? Was the outcome of its sales and popularity anything that you expected?
If for a given reason you were unable to play keyboards anymore, what would be your next choice of instrument?
On the OSIband.com website there is a photo in the gallery of a dog? Whose dog is that and why is it in a 'band gallery'
What was the last cd that you bought?
What was the last movie you enjoyed?
What was the last book you read?
Do you have a favourite author or genre?
Lastly, you've described the brief, week long time in which you worked with Mike Portnoy as being "awkward".
My two questions are as follows:
If you knew there wouldn't be chemistry with Mike Portnoy because of your history together, then what prompted you to record with him. Normally, wouldn't the relationship between band members affect the sound of an album?
and secondly:
Now that you have recorded the album and it's 'out there', do you think that if another OSI album comes to pass, the 'interaction process' between you and Mike Portnoy will be more fluid - in the past you have made it sound like a very detached process of recording that you had with him? Almost, quick and painless.
-------------------------------------------
Those are the questions that were not answered by Kevin Moore, presumeably because 'he's Kevin Moore and does not have to answer anything he does not want to'.
Initially this was arranged to be a phone interview, but was actually cancelled a few days before the arranged date due to some scheduling problems on OSI's end. I highly doubt that this man would have avoided ALL of these questions had I asked them directly to him on the phone. In the end, that is really just sad - because some of the questions are innocent and neutral enough, and were more personality based, so people reading this could find out about the Kevin Moore, behind the Kevin Moore.
Anyway - his responses to the questions he did answer were still not up to any standard i had hoped for, and in all i think i wasted a lot of time. What it boiled down to was, i conducted a lot of research and invested a fair amount of time just to receive one giant anticlimax. This is definitely one interview that i am going to try to put out of my memory as soon as possible."
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Written by Yoni - 4/30/2003 |
This article has been shown 7545 times. Go to the complete list.
RevelationZ Comments
| Comment by kidgloves2 (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | Don't get so upset. He's a busy dude. I did an interview with him that's posted on the Chroma Key site. I sent him a lot of questions and he sent an email back to me saying he types slow. He wanted to know if I could narrow it down to ten questions. Which I did and it's no big deal. He answered my questions the same he did yours. Short and to the point.
I actually liked your interview.
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| Comment by Yoni - Staff (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | I guess you are right about him being busy. But, i guess busy people should not be scheduling interviews...
Had he asked me, like with you to narrow my questions a little, i would have gladly done it.
But the general tone of his responses were that i was pestering him.
You must remember that this is one of my all time prog heroes. So i had a lot of hopes riding on this interview.
In the end, he's just a great musician. He just could have taken the time (PUN INTENDED!!!!)
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| Comment by kidgloves2 (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | [quote]In the end, he's just a great musician. He just could have taken the time (PUN INTENDED!!!!)
[/quote]
Ba Dum Tis!!
Seriously, I don't think he feels you were pestering him. I think he just wants to be himself, which is cool. Also, He did a bunch of other interviews right when OSI was released and covered a lot of your questions. Maybe he feels that info is already out there.
Anyway that's my opinion.
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| Comment by Yoni - Staff (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 8, 2003 | Regarding the questions i asked - i must say that i went to some length to make sure they were original as i feared he wouldn't take the interview seriously if he didn't feel the questions were up to a certain standard.
I went to chromakey.com and read your interview too, kidgloves2 (assuming yours has the link 'an interview with a fan'). I actually like it a lot, and felt you did a good job.
Cheers,
Yoni
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| Comment by kidgloves2 (Anonymous) - Friday, May 9, 2003 | Yea, that's the interview. It was put together by myself and a couple other forum members. I messed up one part, I copied and pasted to questions together so it sounds weird. But that's the only thing I don't like about the interview.
It's funny, when I edited the questions down I took out a few that are basically the same a a few of yours. I laughed when I saw that.
I say between both of our interviews there is some cool information. Like the one big interview that each of us wanted. LOL :)
I look forward to the new OSI he admitted to in your interview. Rock!!
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| Comment by Mike R (Anonymous) - Sunday, May 11, 2003 | I agree Yoni..
he almost seems like he couldnt give a fuck. Not very inspiring.
Well he is the one that lost out, and DT now have the genius Rudess instead of this stupid fuck.
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| Comment by Yoni - Staff (Anonymous) - Sunday, May 11, 2003 | Ahh Mike my friend,
When are you going to learn that Moore (although not providing the best interview) comprises THE ESSENTIAL DT catalogue of brilliance.
end of story.
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| Comment by kidgloves2 (Anonymous) - Friday, May 16, 2003 | Mike, Jordan is all technique and no soul. He must have a small penis.
On the other hand, Kevin's manhood must extend to great lengths. He doesn't sound like he needs to prove something.
It's all in the pants.
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| Comment by sarcastic comic book store owner from the simpsons (Anonymous) - Saturday, May 17, 2003 | worst logic EVER.... :)
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| Comment by kidgloves2 (Anonymous) - Saturday, May 17, 2003 | Yea Baby!! ;)
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| Comment by Mike (Anonymous) - Wednesday, May 21, 2003 | No soul my rectum
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| Comment by Kidgloves2 (Anonymous) - Tuesday, May 27, 2003 | Na, just kidding. He has a soul, but I still think Kevin is a better fit. That's just my taste though. It seems like Kevin is more about atmosphere, mood, melody, songwriting, art, and everything else good. And Jordan is more about impressing people. I really can't get into Jordan, but I will say he did a fine job on Disc 1 of SDoIT. I think he plays well when someone gives him direction. I can't listen to his side projects and solo stuff, with the exception of David Bowie's Hethen. But he didn't write any of that.
Anyway. All hail Kevin Moore!!! :)
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| Comment by Mike R (Anonymous) - Friday, June 20, 2003 | I shit on Moores head, smear it all over his face and then piss it off until he is clean again.
RUDESS for ETERNITY
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| Comment by Magical Man (Anonymous) - Tuesday, July 22, 2003 | Hum...
I Always enjoy reading Kevin interviews.
But didn't like the way you wrote the unanswered questions. Just like the "because he's Kevin Moore, blah blah blah".
I easily understand why he chose to ignore them. You find they are original and clever, but they seem to be the same things he was asked since he left DT or very unimportant questions, the kind of "what's kev underpants like?".
It's nice to write reviews and ask the man what he thinks of this and that, keeps the world interested in his music, but you have to keep the man interested too. I could imagine the next questions before actually reading it. Do you think he would give a fuck?...
So let's "try to put this interview out of memory asap."
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| Comment by Yoni - Staff (Anonymous) - Wednesday, July 23, 2003 | Well, magical man, it's nice to see you have such solid opinions about my interview - you sound like you've been in the business for ages....
of course, if you were in the business of trying to make interesting, informative and fresh interviews then you would most likely be aware that:
a) thinking of decent questions is not a 5 minute job (at least with me it wasn't)
and b) not everybody bothers to read every single interview out there.
Of course, i attempted to cater for both the new K.M fans, and the older ones who have followed the timeline of his career.
Nice to see in forming your opinions you made some quaint presumptions about what you believe my next question would have been - and nice to see that you attack my questions with frivolous references to K.M's underpants...
Sorry, but until you put your heart into writing something and to catch the attention of a musician who does not partake in many interviews, i suggest you refrain from voicing your claims.
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| Comment by zenpill (Anonymous) - Wednesday, August 20, 2003 | Ha! Quite stenchy childish humour shMIKER... pull rudess'head out of your ass and put your diapers back on.
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| Comment by berg (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 6, 2004 | Ha. Guess you always like to have the last word, Yoni. I actually agree with magical man, and you, who claims to be a KM fan should know of the questions he's ALWAYS gotten in interviews. But somehow I think you're gonna slaughter my post as well, since you don't seem to face the critics you're given. Childish indeed. I can see you're disappointed and all, but seriously... You also say that you "went to some length to make sure they were original as i feared he wouldn't take the interview seriously if he didn't feel the questions were up to a certain standard." Well, asking him about movies, books, last-bought-cds and relatives in an OSI interview is right to the point and relevant (<--SARCASM, if you didn't get it) No, I can truly say that I did like some of your relevant questions, i.e. the "Hello Helicopter" q., but overall, I'm really disappointed, sorry. I really disliked this interview as a whole, very thanks to your immature "disclaimer" or whatever the 3 paragraphs at the end are.
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| Comment by Yoni - staff (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 6, 2004 | Well, berg, i guess there is nothing else to say but - you are right.
Personally i don't know what a 'true kevin moore' fan is - im just an admirer of his work with dream theater and in OSI (even his vocals!).
In the end, how you perceived my disclaimer or my annoyance is completely an objective viewpoint, so i have to take that into account. If you really think i did a bad interview then i can't hold that against you, but by no means am i to then simply agree with you.
The truth is i really did try to make it as original and worthwhile for KM and for readers. But as the saying goes, you can please some people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all of the time.
anyway, i hope that you got at least something out of it, ie the hello helicopter question.
best,
yon.
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| Comment by THE LAST WORD (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 6, 2004 | NOw I am the last word! haha!
The interview was lame...not because of Yoni...because of Kevin Moore. while I admire some of his work I can say I only like OSI that he has done. It is a good album but will by no means be remembered as a great album. YOu have quite possibly the three biggest perfectionists in the world of music making an album together...Portnoy, MAtheos, and K.Moore. It'a amazing in that respect that it even got done at all! Maybe if Kevin put as much time into interviews as he does music we would find that he is more interesting. If he "types slow" as mentioned by kidgloves2 then maybe he shouldn't do email interviews at all. Kevin should really take the time to realise that music writers are fans too and we get excited to interview our musical heroes...that we are taking our free time to research and think of cool questions to ask, not only for ourselves, but so that the artist is maybe entertained as well at being asked these things. So all you nay sayers go ahead and rag Yoni...you show your ignorance of what it takes and the love involved to create interviews and reviews so that YOU can be informed and entertained...nobody on this webzine gets paid a dime for the work they do...it's a labor of love and that is why you get someone like Yoni being upset at Kevin Moore for pissing on his interview that way. Kevin if you ever read this: Just don't do anymore interviews if you aren't willing and able to appreciate the time it takes and the love we have for you and your art, which we are promoting for you for free, and which the interviews and reviews are OUR works of art...then just don't do them.....because i feel Yoni's great dissappointment....and i don't believe he is wrong or misplaced at all for feeling them.
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 6, 2004 | What was the last cd that you bought?
What was the last movie you enjoyed?
What was the last book you read?
These aren't cool or original questions. They sound like they were pulled from the April issue of Teen Girl Squad Monthly.
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| Comment by The Last Word (Anonymous) - Friday, May 7, 2004 | So TL......you picked three of the unanswered questions to make your point huh? Although there are 13 questions total(some with two or more parts to them)that Kevin didn't answer, you choose to rag Yoni for three or four that are basic to most interviews and actually are good questions to be able to relate to Kevin from a more regular guy aspect.
Also i have never heard of this girl magazine you refer to, perhaps you can give a brief description of what it's about:)
DICK!
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Friday, May 7, 2004 | It's called having a sense of humour, dickhead. Why not lighten up, pull yourself out of your own egotistical ass and get one?
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Friday, May 7, 2004 | Or are you just touchy because you're taking it up the ass from Yoni?
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Friday, May 7, 2004 | ...Maybe you ARE Yoni. And you're taking up the ass from Yoni. Either way, learn to take a joke. Man.
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Friday, May 7, 2004 | On second thoughts, you probably find that whole idea -- taking it up the ass from Yoni, that is -- disgusting. You seem narrow minded enough.
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| Comment by The Last Word (Anonymous) - Saturday, May 8, 2004 | Learn to take a joke? HAHA
Learn to write one meatball!
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Saturday, May 8, 2004 | This guy is DEFINITELY taking it up the ass from Yoni.
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| Comment by berg (Anonymous) - Sunday, May 9, 2004 | Ok.. To get back on track again, (disregarding some of the last posts....) I just wanna make it clear that I did not totally, ultimately DISlike the interview :) Just wanted to say that. Thanks for the answer, and keep it up;)
Berg
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| Comment by The Last Word (Anonymous) - Sunday, May 9, 2004 | Tl,
You're sure hung up on the whole gay sex thing. Not very original...couldn't you come up with something better? That's why i said you need to learn to write a joke! Cause see... you're not very funny! AT ALL.
So take your queer jokes on over to Blabbermouth where they will be appreciated and possibly even laughed at! For this is my last word to you and Bergerhead about the whole deal!
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Sunday, May 9, 2004 | So, in closing -- the LAST word --you do admit you are both doing Yoni up the ass, and taking it up the ass from him?
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| Comment by Steen (Staff) - Sunday, May 9, 2004 | 
View Profile
Comments: 518 | | I would just like to point out that "Nobody is taking anything up the ass!"
Don't know how this got so silly...
Did I get the last word? Ahh, thank you!
Posted by Steen (Staff)
Sunday, May 9, 2004 |
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| Comment by The Fat Friar(alias:Thae Last Word) (Anonymous) - Monday, May 10, 2004 | YES...You Did!
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| Comment by The Fat Friar(alias:The Last Word) (Anonymous) - Monday, May 10, 2004 | YES...You Did!
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| Comment by TL (Anonymous) - Sunday, October 24, 2004 | *I* got the last word, assholes.
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| Comment by Pat (Anonymous) - Thursday, April 6, 2006 | For everything answered, it was a good interview. I don't see how expressing dissapointment would ruin it for the readers. Anything Yoni writes is gold. Too bad she's gone.
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