BY JOHN ZEWIZZ
ADULT MATERIAL. SOFT NUDITY. NOT FOR VIEWING BY MINORS. ADULT VIEWING.
I Look back constantly at this release. It waz a true Magick time for SLEEP CHAMBER -(two words)-Now one word- SLEEPCHAMBER. It waz when SLEEP CHAMBER waz still finding its sense ov direction. I waz and always will be the Leader. The Alpha. Very few members ever had a problem with this rule. We started in 1983 in Newbury Sound Studio in Boston with this project. A girl Judy Timpa waz finishing up in a degree for Musick at a College in Boston. I forget which one. She paid for studio time at Newbury Sound. They were a 16-Track studio at that time. We-(Darline Victor, Richard Geller and myself) did two songs-(“3-HANDS” and “VICTIM”) in a 10 hour session. Well, since none ov us had any experience in professional rekording the songs were a nightmare. I waz use to small 8-Track home studio machines. I had no idea that the production from the EQ ov every track and the EFX ov each track took a very focused effort. I ended up rekording on an 8-Track our first vinyl LP self titled SLEEP CHAMBER in 1984. It waz mastered very bad. The production levels were poorly low. So I only had the 300 copies made. Pasted on SLEEP CHAMBER Strips to a Black cover. Although there waz good material on the release I waz not interested in remastering it again. I left it az a Limited small run and waz working on new material when it waz released.
The Favorite song on the first LP waz “Flesh on Flesh”. I Loved the reviews by the Musick critics. I knew I waz no singer. Its more like narration. They called it ‘Cold and void ov any emotions.. Especially deadpan and uninteresting” … Yet somehow a group ov Individuals were drawn to this song. We rekorded it in one take. I knew it waz a Charm. I liked it. Which iz rare. BAND-(Richard Geller-Guitar / Darline Victor-Drums / John Zewizz-Synth and Vocals).
Next Song waz “INSPIRATION” witch included Malcolm Smith from DOKUMENT on Synth. The rest ov the band featured Richard Geller on Guitar, Darline Victor on Bass and Drums and Me singing. We rekorded it at Malcolm Smiths home 8-Track studio.
We also rekorded “VIVISECTION” on the same day. Same Line-Up ov members.
SLEEP CHAMBER picked up popularity and interest after this first Vinyl LP. Darline Victor had a unique way ov programming her Oberheim DMX drum machine. She iz actually playing Bass lines for a beat. That’s what makes it so different. Darline waz close friends with Judy Timpa. And shortly after releasing the self titled LP in 1984 Darline invited to pay to return to Newbury Sound Studio to rekord Musick again. This time she presented the chief engineer Paul Arnold. Who had produced a few major label artist releases. Yet it waz R&B Musick. Not our experimental doom & gloom darkwave. All in all it started with the cover ov “Warm Leatherette”. Which moved quickly along with no overdubs at all. Just rekorded each track after Darline’s drum programs on a Linn Drum. The same session we did “Fetish”. Mixed and Produced in 10 Hours. I waz very impressed with Paul Arnold. Az he waz excited working with SLEEP CHAMBER and our rogue style ov writing and arranging new songs in the studio. We mastered the two songs and I had 1000 numbered copies ov a 7″ 45rpm made ov WARM LEATHERETTE/FETISH. I allowed my new girlfriend Svea to design a unusual cover for the picture sleeve and layout featuring a photo ov her I took in Darline’s car. Svea waz an Art Student and new to the Pride. She worked out pretty well az a model and a designer.
I also designed a Poster for the record release. Only thing no record shop would hang it up in the store. They just kept it for themselves.
By this time Malcolm Smith had left SLEEP CHAMBER. After being on the first LP and playing some live shows he decided he waz more interested in Spiritual Awakening from Genesis P-Orridge (Temple ov Psychic Youth) and Crowley Magick to an evolution into a Tibetan Monk. Malcolm waz a real unusual Individual. When I first met up with him doing DOKUMENT he waz a Skinhead. From Dr Martin boots to red braces. Later changing in 1984 with myself az “Psychic Skins”. Skinhead appearance but with the PTV Pony tail. It always had a reaction with people. So, they made up the name “Psychic Skins’. I also played a few times with hiz band DOKUMENT Live when they opened for SLEEP CHAMBER. We played an hour on Milton Cable TV Show “INSTANT ACCESS”. It waz broadcast Live on a Saturday morning. Replacing kids cartoons. I remember the phone would not stop ringing. Then some angry parents showed up at the TV Studio. They started banging on the doors & windows. But we were playing live and there waz only the TV engineer. The biggest problem waz there waz No Monitors. We had to listen to our sound played back on a TV Set. It ended up better than we thought it would.
Back to Darline Victor. Who waz pertsistant on rekording again at Newbury Sound Studio. So we ventured in again and started with “Fetish”, it took little time to Remix a version.
Then we rekorded “Kum Kleopatra Kum”. The first time doing any overdubs. I did another Vocal back up and we added some odd percussion. This version ov “Kum Kleopatra” iz posted up on You Tube. It iz Not the original song. It waz rekorded from a live WZBC Broadcast-Boston in 1986. So, a true analog version iz Not posted to You Tube for you who feel it should be.
A few weeks went by and we were visiting Newbury Sound Studio again. We rekorded “Subterranean Subhuman” and I had Darline narrate the lyrics and we rekorded them backwards with some moaning or something. It waz a great new sound for SLEEP CHAMBER. We were using a ‘Reverse Gate’ and a ‘Reverse Reverb’ on the Vocals.
The singer for HOLY COW -(Chris Means)- a good friend came by for a visit and Rich Geller waz absent. So Paul Arnold had him in the bottom ov the 3-story elevator shaft playing the Guitar for “Submit To Desire”. You got to remember with professional producers, they are minmal when it kums to production. I thought the Guitar should have been higher but I let him loose with hiz Mix. Producers always mix everything Mid-Range. No Bottom, and they like the high end. But what did I know I mastered the first LP az a failure in mastering quality. I brought the reverse vocal again with Darline in the song. I just loved that speaking mix in the Musick.
The Title track “SUBMIT TO DESIRE” waz the favorite instantly. I designed the cover using models Svea and her friend Malisa. I used some heavy Magickal intentions designing a visual photo az a Talisman ov sexual Desire. I Started with Black & White photos first. The Erotick image had to be Enchanting. This waz a major goal. I could see the Blonde ‘bob’ haircut working with the two female curves and shapes. I knew almost right away that I had captured a ‘Golden Section’ picture. It just needed a little more focus to bring it to the album title az an image more than just a photo. The curves ov the breasts laced so perfectly entangled in harmony with the legs. Using the negative plate added more interest to the captured image. At the time I waz fixated on romantic adventures with me and two uninhibited women. Real Eroticka can be felt through visualization.
I knew I captured the Magick Talisman inside the Image. I could feel it. It waz beyond my expectations. A true reflection ov a Grimoire. With contained Musick inside. I knew the sexuality that had been captured in this image would invoke a form ov Enchantment. Record shops would say ..”People ask about the record, and buy it just for the Cover” …Ov course not all waz az well az a ‘Fairy-tale’. The first take ov SUBMIT TO DESIRE waz being mixed while I waz putting down the vocals. Paul Arnold experimented with a radio weaved into the song. I hated the version. Not to mention my Boston accent waz very strong and unacceptable to my planned arrangement. We saved a copy but will never release it. The version contains too much reverb in some places. Some good some not. So, there it waz the first song we had to do over. I’m sure you will agree the original haz far more mood and intention than the ‘Rejected” highway ov sound version.
Next waz “The Videos”. I had to go all the way since I had reign ov nude models from Mass College ov Art. That had little to no inhibitions -(at the time)-. We filmed the same models from the LP cover photography for the SUBMIT TO DESIRE Video at Arlington Cable TV Station. There waz no direction. It waz all improve to the image ov the cover. And I must admit. Colorizing it made it more surreal. It waz a 2-camera shoot. Both at the same time. There exists 2-Video versions released. One haz No EFX on the video other than ghosting Slow motion blend. Filmed by Michael Moynihan and John Zewizz. Produced & Mixed by John Zewizz.
Many do not know “Mood Two”-Side 2 contains instrumentals taken from different Live FM Broadcasts. SLEEP CHAMBER waz doing a lot ov them in 1984 and early 1985. We had run out ov money to go back and finish the remaining songs: “Under The Green Sky” and “Victim”.-(Not ‘Lost Version’)- Done with Darline Victor on Lynn Drum. So we also had the trax “Raindance”, The Empress”-(unfinished /waz to include Spoken words by John Zewizz & Darline Victor), and another Untitled song. I took “Priestess” and “Oral Maze” which included new member Michael Moynihan and included them on the album on side two-(Mood Two)- “The Empress” waz never completed with a vocal track and Guitar. On the VHS Tape there were ‘0fficial videos’ for “Raindance”. “Distant Lives”, “Erotik Appreciation”, and the “Submit to Desire” w/o EFX. All videos originally released on a 1985 VHS Video Tape. All Videos by John Zewizz except “Subterranean Subhuman”.(by Fred Goodrum)- Eugene Difrancisco and Michael Moynihan assisted in camera filming SUBMIT and ORAL MAZE. “Erotik Appreciation” waz done by Eugene. There were also Videos for “Priestess”-(very dark) and “Submit To Desire”-(stripped version).
SONGS & MUSICIANS : Mixed & Produced by PAUL ARNOLD at Newbury Sound 1985
SUBMIT TO DESIRE-(Darline Victor-Vocals, Bass & Drums, Chris Means-Guitar, John Zewizz-Synths & Vocals)
FETISH- (Darline Victor-Vocals, Bass, Drums. Richard Geller-Guitar, John Zewizz-Synths & Vocals).
SUBTERRANEAN SUBHUMAN-(Darline Victor-Vocals, Bass, Drums, Richard Geller-Guitar, John Zewizz-Keyboards & Vocals)
WARM LEATHERETTE-(Darline Victor-Drums, Percussion, Vocal,-Richard Geller-Guitar. John Zewizz-Synth, Vocals)
RAINDANCE-(Darline Victor-Drums, Percussion, Richard Geller-Guitar. John Zewizz-Vocals, Synth & Tapes)
DISTANT LIVES-(John Zewizz-Synths, Vocals, Percussion. Michael Moynihan-Percussion & Bells)
PRIESTESS- (John Zewizz-Synths, Percussion. Michael Moynihan-Percussion, Cymbal)
ORAL MAZE-(John Zewizz-Synth, Breaths, Tape Loops. Michael Moynihan-Percussion. Darline Victor-Voice)
KUM KLEOPATRA-(Darline Victor- Bass, Percussion & Drums. Richard Geller-Keys, John Zewizz- Vocals)
EROTIK APPARITION-(John Zewizz-Vocals, Percussion, Michael Moynihan–Percussion.)
THE EMPRESS-(Darline Victor-Voice & Drums. John Zewizz-Synth)
Material Rekorded at NEWBURY SOUND STUDIO-Boston 1985. Except for “Oral Maze” and “Distant Lives” Rekorded on various Boston Live Radio Broadcasts. Assistant camera men: Eugene Difrancisco, Fred Goodrum, Michael Moynihan. SUBTERRANEAN SUBHUMAN video by Fred Goodrum. Videos released on VHS Video Tape. Vinyl LP released with VHS Tape in 1985. Models in Video- Svea & Malisa-(Submit to Desire), Rachelle Royer-(Raindance), Kelly Jean Hughes-(Kum Kleopatra), Darline Victor, Svea, Lauren, Sandy-(Oral Maze). Svea-(Fetish), Sue Chopelas-(Warm Leatherette). Svea & Malisa-(Priestess).
BONUS MATERIAL
SUBTERRANEAN SUBHUMAN-(Early Demo with Video Demo)- John Zewizz-(Vocals & Synth. Darline Victor-Drums & Percussion)
DID YOU KNOW ? … Svea, my ex, the model for the SUBMIT TO DESIRE vinyl LP Cover and the model for the SUBMIT TO DESIRE-(official video) and the WARM LEATHERTTE vinyl 45 Picture Sleeve Designed the First SLEEP CHAMBER ‘Double E’ Logo in 1985. Which represents ‘Forever and Eternity’ … ‘Equivalent Exchange’-(in Magick) and follows the theme ov the Ying and Yang.
