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Rich Morel — Immersed In Music

It’s always fascinating how one action we take in life can lead us into something new and completely captivating. The simple decision of taking one path over another can have a profound effect on the course of of our lives. So was my introduction to the music of Rich Morel.

In the process of introducing readers to the popular Blowoff events I had inadvertently set into motion events that would lead me toward appreciating a new musical artist. Discovering such hidden facets of perception helps enlighten and enrich our lives.

This is the kind of enlightenment and discovery that one might expect to find in Morel’s latest album The Death of the Paperboy.

My Introduction

When I first heard about the Blowoff phenomenon occurring on the east coast my intuition told me that these popular dance events were a lot of fun. That and the photos of hunky, shirtless men dancing their asses off to the music of Morel and Mould. I knew Bob Mould from his work with Hüsker Dü and Sugar. But I didn’t yet know anything about Rich Morel.

Rich Morel at Blowoff in San Francisco, September 2008

Of course when the first Blowoff event happened in San Francisco, I was there. I wanted a first-hand chance to experience what all the excitement was about. Shortly after arriving at the South of Market location of Slim’s I got my first dose of Morel magic. Rich was mixing-in a new electro beat that somehow sounded familiar to me. It wasn’t modern pop music. This was a somehow familar sound that was tugging at memories from my teen years. The beat built into a crescendo, announcing the real beginning of the track. All at once the familiar chorus vocals finally gave it away. It was a remix of an old Alice Cooper song that I went ga-ga for back in the day called, Clones (We’re All).

I’m all alone, so are we all.
We’re all clones. All are one and one are all.

– Alice Cooper, Clones

The irony of the lyrics and the situation was not lost on me. I had to smile thinking about how in bygone years we used to refer to mustached, buffed, gay men in San Francisco as Castro Clones. I snickered to myself as I gound-out some sweat to the music with all the other clones on the dance floor.

What creative force could take a classic track like that and bring it into the modern club scene? I wanted to learn more about this Rich Morel. Soon I was quite literally lost in Morel World, the web site full of all things Morel.

The DJ

Morel isn’t one of those DJ’s who hides in a booth far away from the audience. He immerses himself in the crowd. Were it not for the equipment in front of him you would indeed think that he was one of the guys from the dance floor — shirtless, furry belly and chest, covered in sweat, a goatee framing his scruffy face.

He’s also not the loud “yowza yowza” kind of DJ either. While on the DJ pedestal at Blowoff he watched and listened to the crowd attentively, occasionally looking down at the mixing console and CD decks in front of him.

At one point it seemed like Morel was waiting for something. And when he found it you knew pretty quickly. He raised his arms in the air, as if to lead the crowd into the energy of the moment.

As the music whips everyone into a frenzy we realize what Rich was up to. He isn’t alone in this magic for long. Hot men all around the DJ platform got the message loud & clear as they too raised their arms up in adulation.

The spirit of the room quickly ramped-up into a kind of worship of the moment. You couldn’t help but to smile and put your arms up too in order to send some of those good vibes back to DJ Morel.

If it sounds a bit like a religious experience, you got it right. The resulting rose tinting effect the event had on me lasted more than few days. When I realized it wasn’t there anymore I found myself wanting my next fix of Blowoff magic ASAP.

DJ Morel knows great music. I might be saying that just because I love his tastes. But when I discovered a link to Rich’s Pink Noise Podcast through Morel World, I got very excited.

It’s not often you get to peer into the mind of a DJ, hearing his thoughts on tracks and artists that give you goosepimples. Now I wasn’t just discovering great music by Morel. I was getting music advice from him and discovering absolutely excellent music like Love Is Noise by The Verve. Wow. My own personal DJ Morel.

The Producer

Morel is the self-titled moniker for the music of Richard Morel. Pink Noise is his electronic music producer alias. You may have recently heard Rich’s name attributed to Cyndi Lauper’s latest album, Bring Ya Back To The Brink. He co-wrote and co-produced Same Old Fucking Story, Raging Storm, and Set Your Heart.

All of Rich’s tracks from the album all been singled out by critics. Blender Magazine said, “…the former WWF songstress rediscovers her fighting spirit via… producer Richard Morel, whose three-song contribution nurtures the pathos in her flexible pipes by bringing unlikely themes to dance-floor drama…” and popmatters.com said, “…Richard Morel delivers three of the album’s strongest tracks, all contenders for summer ‘08 dance-floor anthems.”

Rich Morel in the studio.

Looking through the Pink Noise Remix Discography I discovered that I have been listening to Morel for a long time now and didn’t even know it. I was grooving to Morel’s remix of tracks like Not Gonna Get Us from T.A.T.U way back in 2003.

When you listen to a Morel track you quickly realize that the man knows how to produce great modern dance music. He knows his electronica and his electronics — from the exacting drum beat, to soaring choruses, to gritty analog synth leads and pulsing electro bass.

Morel has also honed the very special ability of knowing when to add just enough to his tracks without making them sound overdone. He pumps-up the spirit and energy of tracks with artistry, creativity and skill. It’s no wonder he has been recognized as a leading force in dance music today.

The Artist

In his previous albums, Queen Of The Highway (2002) and Lucky Strike (2005) Morel explored the limits of what electro-pop could be, bolting rock songs to muscular club tracks. But his latest album The Death Of The Paper Boy was a creative change. Morel explains, “Instead of mixing the dance elements with the rock/electronic elements, I wanted to keep the genres separate so I could explore the elements of both with out feeling the need to compromise the sound of either.”

There’s a moment when everything changes. A split second from which point everything that follows is forever different from what came just an instant before.

Sometimes it’s a phone call. Sometimes it’s a handshake. Sometimes it’s a look in your best friends eyes.

You never expect it. You never forget the moment when for the first time you realize that you can’t go back, ever again.

– The Death Of The Paper Boy (Part 2)

Paperboy is a two-CD album, with disc-1 being the Morel album in traditional format. The companion CD, disc-O, contains eight Pink Noise remixes of select songs from the album, programmed as a non-stop DJ mix. Disc-O also contains a bonus track, Morel’s cover of David Bowie’s Sweet Thing.

Disc 1 brings forward a different side of Morel’s artistry. The tracks are slow, emotional and dreamlike — hazy even. In an about face from his normal electronica he uses acoustic instrument tracks to reinforce thick rock vocals. His voice echoes in the background, bringing forward casual rhythms that invite us to listen a while longer as themes ebb and flow. On Flawed guitar solos and rock drums bang out a back beat foundation for harmonized Morel vocals. These tracks are remarkably different for Morel, showing-off his ability to — well — rock. These rock treatments are so well done, it begs a question: Is Morel a rocker trapped in a dance music world? We’ll have to wait and see what the answer is.

The remixed versions on Disc 0 are remarkably different though none-the-less compelling. The emotions are pumped-up until they are raw and exposed. Morel calls it “shoegazer disco.” These tracks are laced with infectious electro-beats that will set your foot tapping and body rocking. The effect is very powerful on a dance music lover like me! When wearing his Pink Noise hat Mr. Morel is an expert at injecting energy and drive into his mixes.

It is especially amazing to hear these remixes knowing that they Morel himself composed and performed the original tracks. It must have taken incredible discipline to separate himself from his original tracks in order to create these new and unique versions of the same songs. It’s not easy for an artist to do that. That’s why they get DJ’s to do remixes for them. Morel makes it sound easy.

One of the facets of Paperboy that I found particularly interesting are the vocals. Morel will sometimes uses a mixture of his own voice along with electronic enhancements that build some interesting effects. On one of my favorite tracks from CD 0 of the Paperboy album, My Side The Pink Noise Remix, Morel’s vocals seem to growl right into the electronic instruments found on the track. This turns his spoken words into notes that fluidly move from vocals to pure harmony within just a few beats.

Sometimes he speaks in matter-of-fact spoken words. Other times he croons to the listener. But always Morel’s vocals are warm, masculine, and somehow quite sexy. Listening to his Pink Noise Podcasts confirmed this for me.

You told me that you didn’t love me.
I told you I fell from the start.
Just as the skies up above me.
I knew that you’d break my heart.

– Morel, My Side

In Retrospect

After listening to Paperboy over the last month I feel like I’ve gotten to know the music of Rich Morel much more intimately than I did before. Though I love his dance music, the complex emotions and introspect that he revealed in this album somehow gave me a better feeling for the man and the artist. I know I’m going to have to backtrack and get his two earlier albums to fuel my passion for dance music and to keep my workouts full of energy.

As a DJ and Producer Morel’s expert abilities are abundantly obvious — even to the casual listener. Through Paperboy we got a glimpse of talent that reaches in a different direction from the dance and electronic genre. Rich reached inside himself and allowed us to share some of his thoughts and feelings.

Those strong, silent types… (sigh)

The fine print for the giveaway: Winner will be selected by a random drawing by Bearotic. You must supply a valid email address in the comment form. If you don’t answer the Giveaway Winner email we send you within 5 days, we reserve the right to pick another winner. You may only only enter once. Please don’t comment more than one time.

Five winners will be selected at random in three weeks on December 6th. To enter just leave a comment below. Results will be posted on Bearotic. Good luck everyone!

Don’t want to leave it up to chance? Buy and download Rich Morel’s music from Amazon.com and at .

Or visit Morel World and buy the music directly from the artist.

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