ORA ISO

Hello Kathleen & Jason. How did Ora Iso first started? 

We met working at the same bar in New York, realized we had similar taste in music and started jamming. Jason was already playing in Modra but wanted to start a new project. He owned a Wurlitzer keyboard that he didn't use often, and Kat plays piano but had never been in a band before.

How did Kathleen Indonesian background influences Ora Iso music? "Confession Gives" has some pentatonic melodies in it like Javanese/Sundanese song..

Kat: I didn't do it on purpose, the melody came from my subconscious

What noise bands do you guys dig?

Wolf Eyes/Aaron Dilloway/anything from American Tapes or Hanson Records, Shredded Nerve, Sickness, Hive Mind/ anything from Chondritic Sound, Harry Pussy, Bastard Noise, older Japanese stuff such as early Fushitshusha and Juke/19

The best gig venue for Ora Iso? A small record store? Studio gigs? Or a dark warehouse?

We like playing DIY spaces such as warehouses or house shows, places that have an original vibe and that are run by artists and musicians. Some of our favorites: Tribal House (Baltimore), Adult Contemporary (Detroit), Club Rectum (Chicago). 

How's the independent music scene ini Brooklyn from your point of view? Any new interesting bands? 

In our opinion, the independent music scene in Brooklyn is at a high point right now. The community has really come together in a beautiful way, it's beyond supportive and very active. There's too many new bands to mention but here's a bunch: Negation, Saran Man, Appetite, Miguel Alvariño, Nick Klein, Soren, Cienfuegos, Mercury Living, Ligature, L.O.T.I.O.N, Dawn of Humans, Warthog, Pharmakon. 

If Ora Iso do a film score, what type of films do you guys think will suit your dark and brooding imagery?

A bleak, post-apocalyptic film about the last couple on earth detoxing from drugs. 

How about your Indonesian tour recently? Any funny or interesting experience in Jakarta, Yogya, Bandung, Malang and Bali? 

Before our first show in Yogya, the electricity died, and everyone was teasing us about our name. 

When Jason first heard about masuk angin, he didn't believe it was a real thing. Then he got sick in Surabaya and got kerokan, got better, and now he believes. 

Our two favorite shows were at Rossi Musik in Jakarta, and then Jogja Noise Bombing Festival. One of the best things about touring is discovering and playing with local musicians. From Yogya: Palasick, Sodadosa, To Die, Suffer in Vietnam, Lintang Radittya, Radioactive Morbid, Anxiety, Menstrual Synthdrome. From Surabaya: Uncle Twis. From Bandung: Deathless. From Bali: Ugly Bastard, Crisis Terror, Grintabachan

What do you love from a Wurlitzer sound?

The Wurlitzer has a more organic sound, because it actually has hammers hitting notes that are tuned and the keys are weighted. It's more like a piano than a keyboard. 

What's the most disturbing films you guys ever saw?

Jason: Most of the films I watch are disturbing and I'm pretty desensitized at this point, but The Begotten actually disturbed me. If you truly want to go to the dark side, read Blood Meridian or Suttree by Cormac McCarthy.

Kat: I read books more than I watch films. The Story of The Eye by George Batailles is both sexy and fucked up. Child of God by Cormac McCarthy is brutal and I like anything by Henry Miller, he is a true degenerate. 

What's next for Ora Iso? New albums, tour or..?

In April we are doing a USA tour of 27 cities with Timeghost. We also have a lot of new material ready to record, some of it we wrote while in Indonesia. Expect a new release within the next year!