Al Jourgensen: Difference between revisions
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'''Allen David Jourgensen''' (born '''Alejandro Ramírez Casas'''; October 9, 1958), is a [[Cuban-American]] musician and [[music producer]], best known as the founder and frontman of the [[industrial metal]] band [[Ministry (band)|Ministry]]. He is sometimes credited as '''Alain Jourgensen''', '''Alien Jourgensen''', '''Uncle Al''', '''Hypo Luxa''' (his alias as a producer), '''Dog''', '''Alien Dog Star'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=202&bandname=Ministry |title=Ministry |publisher=Metal Storm |date= |accessdate=2016-04-16}}</ref> and '''Buck Satan'''. He is a member and/or founder of several industrial rock bands, performing as a singer, guitarist or keyboard player. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
Revision as of 02:55, 10 May 2017
![]() |
Al Jourgensen | |
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![]() Al Jourgensen in São Paulo, Brazil in 2015 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Alejandro Ramírez Casas[1] |
Also known as | The Alien, Alien Jourgensen, Hypo Luxa, Dog, Alien Dog Star, Buck Satan, Uncle Al, Enchanted Al |
Born | Havana, Cuba | October 9, 1958
Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instruments | |
Years active | 1978–present |
Labels | |
Website | www |
Allen David Jourgensen (born Alejandro Ramírez Casas; October 9, 1958), is a Cuban-American musician and music producer, best known as the founder and frontman of the industrial metal band Ministry. He is sometimes credited as Alain Jourgensen, Alien Jourgensen, Uncle Al, Hypo Luxa (his alias as a producer), Dog, Alien Dog Star[5] and Buck Satan. He is a member and/or founder of several industrial rock bands, performing as a singer, guitarist or keyboard player.
Early life
Alejandro Ramírez Casas was born in Havana to Cuban parents on October 9, 1958. Soon after, he relocated to the United States to live with his mother and his Norwegian stepfather, who changed the family's name to "Jourgensen." Jourgensen's stepfather Ed was a stock car driver, and mechanic for Formula One driver Dan Gurney. Jourgensen was raised in Chicago, Illinois and Breckenridge, Colorado, and was a fan of artists such as Liberace, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Can, Kraftwerk, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Kitty Wells, Buck Owens, George Jones, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis.[citation needed]
Jourgensen eventually attended the University of Illinois - Chicago, after briefly enrolling at both the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado. He worked as a radio DJ after college until he decided to pursue a career as a professional musician.
Professional life
Ministry
Jourgensen formed Ministry in 1981 after leaving Special Affect, a new wave/synthpop band (notably including Frankie Nardiello, founding member (as Groovie Mann) of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and drummer Harry Rushakoff of Concrete Blonde). Early singles by Ministry and Jourgensen's other projects were released on Wax Trax! Records. He also produced Skinny Puppy's Rabies album. During that time, Jourgensen befriended Nivek Ogre, who later toured with Ministry.
The band broke into the mainstream with 1992's Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs album. One of its tracks, "N.W.O.", was nominated for a 1993 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, losing to Nine Inch Nails' "Wish". However, its next album, Filth Pig (1996), divided their fan base, leading to a commercial decline that became evident when Warner Bros. Records dropped them from the label in 2001.
Ministry's next albums, Rio Grande Blood (2006) and The Last Sucker (2007), as well as the 2006 Revolting Cocks album Cocked and Loaded, were released on Jourgensen's new record label, 13th Planet Records, which he formed after falling out with the mainstream agendas of major industry labels.[6]
At the specific request of director Stanley Kubrick, Jourgensen appeared with Ministry in the film A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. He related his conversation with Kubrick in an interview:
Well, first of all, I hung up on him. I thought it was a crank call. His secretary was calling and I was like, 'Yeah, right.' Click. And then he called back personally and then talked to me, and I was just freaked out. I mean, who wouldn't be freaked out? Here's this eccentric American God living in the countryside of England, and he's calling me up in Austin, Texas, and saying he wants me to do the music for his film and he wants me to be in his film and he's famous and all that. I didn't even believe it.[7]
Ministry continued its involvement with the film project after Kubrick's death, and Jourgensen revealed that after initial tension, he and Steven Spielberg enjoyed a friendly relationship, with two compositions appearing on the soundtrack: "What About Us" and "Dead Practice".
A number of his songs also appear in other films, such as Wicked Lake (2008)—produced by Fever Dreams and ZP Studios—for which he composed the entire soundtrack that was released on his own 13th Planet record label—he also makes a small appearance in the film as an art school teacher.[8][9]
In a November 2008 issue of Hustler Magazine, Jourgensen announced that Ministry was officially finished, as the band "[took] up so much time" and releasing new albums was difficult. He also explained that he was responsible for six other bands and could complete seven albums within a year when he was not working on new Ministry material.[10] However, despite Jourgensen's insistence that Ministry would never return, a reunion was announced on August 7, 2011. A new album, entitled Relapse, was released on March 26, 2012.[11]
Revolting Cocks
Revolting Cocks, also known as RevCo, is an American industrial rock band that began as a musical side-project for Richard 23 of Front 242, Luc Van Acker, and Jourgensen. The band took their name after being involved in a fight in a Chicago bar in 1983: Jourgensen, Richard 23 and Van Acker, celebrating the formation of their new band with a few drinks, ended the evening in a brawl, with bar stools thrown through the windows. As he ejected the trio, the owner — a man who Jourgensen recalls was named Dess — [12] shouted, "I'm calling the police! You guys are a bunch of revolting cocks![12] " The trio decided to use the name for their band.
The band have changed lineups several times. RevCo currently features Jourgensen (guitars, keyboards, programming, background vocals, producer), Josh Bradford (vocals, background vocals), Sin Quirin (guitars, bass, keyboards) and Clayton Worbeck (keyboards, programming, mixing, bass). Their seventh album Sex-O Olympic-O, which was produced by Jourgensen at his studio, was released on his 13th Planet label in March 2009—the follow-up album Got Cock? was released in March 2010 on the same label.[13]
Other bands and projects
During the late 1980s, Jourgensen started short-lived a side project named 1000 Homo DJs, under the pseudonym Buck Satan. 1000 Homo DJs released two singles, including a cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut."[14] Also in 1989, Jourgensen was involved in Acid Horse, a collaboration between the members of Ministry and Cabaret Voltaire.[15] In 2015, Jourgensen announced that he started "a speed metal project" named Surgical Meth Machine with engineer and longtime collaborator Sam D’Ambruoso.[16] He also noted he has a project with Arabian Prince.[17]
Production work
Jourgensen and Paul Barker of Ministry worked as a music production team under the names Hypo Luxa and Hermes Pan, producing their own work as well as other Wax Trax! Records acts. Jourgensen also produced music for Reverend Horton Heat,[18] Skinny Puppy,[19] Dessau,[20] Skrew, Rigor Mortis,[21] The Blackouts,[22] and DethRok.[23] Jourgensen's recording complex for the 13th Planet label was located within his former home in El Paso, Texas, U.S.[24]
Singing Style
Jourgensen's singing style has varied throughout the years. In the first album as Ministry (With Sympathy), he sang with a fake British accent, which he regrets.[25] Inspired by The 13th Floor Elevators, Jourgensen started utilizing vocal effects beginning with The Land of Rape and Honey to distort his voice using Eventide.[26] In 2006, starting with Rio Grande Blood, Jourgensen switched to a more thrash metal approach.
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Al_Jourgensen.jpg/220px-Al_Jourgensen.jpg)
Jourgensen was married to Patty Marsh from 1984 to 2002 and has a daughter, Adrienne, from the marriage, who was born on April 13, 1985.[27] In July 2014, Jourgensen announced that he and his wife of 12 years, Angelina Lukacin, who cofounded the 13th Planet record label, were divorced. They married on September 6, 2002. The divorce was initiated on April 28, 2014 and finalized on July 17, 2014.[28] Currently, he lives in Los Angeles (Burbank, CA) with his girlfriend, Liz Walton. [29]
Jourgensen's autobiography, Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen, was released in July 2013.[30]
Legal issues
In 1995, police raided Ministry's Texas headquarters and Jourgensen was arrested for possession of heroin.[31] He received a five-year probation sentence. Jourgensen was dependent upon heroin for twenty years. Jourgensen's second wife, Angelina, helped him kick his heavy drug (heroin, methadone, crack, pills) habit, and as of 2013, he limited his intake to beer, wine and marijuana.
Jourgensen almost lost his arm and foot in two separate incidents, the first due to a spider bite, the second the result of a hypodermic needle wound.[32]
Multi-instrumentalism
Jourgensen is known for playing a multitude of instruments throughout his professional career. It includes guitars, bass, violin, banjo, keyboards, piano, trumpets and drums to name a few. However, he claims he is "not really good at any of them." He said, "I'm jack of all trades and master of none. But I can collage bits and pieces together musically."[33]
Body art
Throughout the years, Jourgensen has amassed a large sum of tattoos in his body including his forehead. In 2012, he underwent face piercings as a bet with his daughter Adrienne; she called him a "pussy" for not having any piercings while Jourgensen called her the same thing for not having any tattoos. They then decided to have their tattoos and piercings done respectively to create a "pact." He had 16 face piercings done in one sitting.[34][35]
Discography
with Ministry
with Revolting Cocks
Date of Release | Title | Label |
1986 | Big Sexy Land | Wax Trax! |
1988 | You Goddamned Son of a Bitch - Live | Wax Trax! |
1990 | Beers, Steers, and Queers | Wax Trax! |
1993 | Linger Ficken' Good | Sire/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records |
2006 | Cocked and Loaded | 13th Planet Records/Megaforce Records |
2007 | Cocktail Mixxx | 13th Planet Records/Megaforce Records |
2009 | Sex-O Olympic-O | 13th Planet Records/Megaforce Records |
2009 | Sex-O MiXXX-O | 13th Planet Records/Megaforce Records |
2010 | Got Cock? | 13th Planet Records/Megaforce Records |
with Lard
Date of Release | Title | Label |
1989 | The Power of Lard | Alternative Tentacles |
1990 | The Last Temptation of Reid | Alternative Tentacles |
1997 | Pure Chewing Satisfaction | Alternative Tentacles |
2000 | 70's Rock Must Die | Alternative Tentacles |
Other releases
Date of Release | Band | Title | Label |
2011 | Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters | Bikers Welcome Ladies Drink Free | 13th Planet Records |
2016 | Surgical Meth Machine | Surgical Meth Machine | Nuclear Blast Records |
References
- ^ 'Ministry: the Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon. "Ministry's Last Stand Brings Al Jourgensen 'From Beer to Eternity'". Noisey Vice. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Kaufman, Spencer (January 19, 2014). "Ministry Mastermind Al Jourgensen to Enter Rehab for Alcohol Abuse". Loudwire. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Dean, John. "Before They Were Metal". Noisey Vice. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ "Ministry". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- ^ [1] Archived May 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ MacIntosh, Dan (18 February 2012). "Al Jourgensen of MInistry". Songfacts. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ^ "The Wicked Soundtrack By Al Jourgensen (Based on the Film "Wicked Lake") Various Artists". iTunes Preview. Apple, Inc. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Wicked Lake (2008)". IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc. 1990–2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "none". Hustler. November 2008.
- ^ Greg Prato (25 March 2012). "Ministry 'Relapse' Once Again". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Al Jourgensen: Sex-O Olympic-O". SuicideGirls.com. 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ CYRUS_CRASHTEST (12 March 2010). "CD Review: Revolting Cocks – 'Got Cock?'". soundsphere. soundsphere magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "1000 Homo DJs - Supernaut". Allmusic. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ True, Chris. "Acid Horse". Allmusic. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ Hartmann, Graham (February 26, 2015). "Ministry's Al Jourgensen Announces Speed Metal Project Surgical Meth Machine Read More: Al Jourgensen Announces New Project Surgical Meth Machine". Loudwire. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ "Interview with Al Jourgensen – Surgical Meth Machine – March 4th, 2016". Lithium Magazine. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- ^ "Reverend Horton Heat, The* – Liquor In The Front". Discogs. Discogs. 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Skinny Puppy – Rabies". Discogs. Discogs. 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Dessau – Dessau". Discogs. Discogs. 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Dimitris Kontogeorgakos (14 February 2012). "RIGOR MORTIS Tap Al Jourgensen As Producer". Metal Kaoz. Metal Kaoz. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Blackouts, The – History In Reverse". Discogs. Discogs. 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ "Ministry – The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen With Jon Wiederhorn (Da Capo Press)". Ave Noctum. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- ^ jason (15 September 2008). "AL JOURGENSEN'S 13TH PLANET TO RELEASE "WICKED LAKE" SOUNDTRACK". The Gauntlet. The Gauntlet. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Azerrad, Michael (December 2, 2012). Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground. Little, Brown,. ISBN 9780316247184.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Jourgensen, Al; Wiederhorn, Jon (2013). Ministry: The Lost Gospels. Da Capo Press. pp. 85, 230.
{{cite book}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ danlowlite (9 October 2002). "Al Jourgensen". Everything2. Everything2 Media, LLC. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ https://casesearch.epcounty.com/PublicAccess/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=7101727
- ^ "Ministry's Al Jourgensen Planning Dubweiser Project | Theprp.com – Metal And Hardcore News Plus Reviews And More". Theprp.com. 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon. "Outtakes from 'Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen' | NOISEY". Noisey.vice.com. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- ^ "Ministry's Al Jourgensen Arrested On Heroin Possession". MTV. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
- ^ "Ministry Founder Jourgensen Undergoes Foot Surgery". Contactmusic.com. Contactmusic.com Ltd. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ^ Acharya, Kiran. "Revolting Lots: Al Jourgensen's Favourite Ministry Albums". The Quietus. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
- ^ Yücel, Ilker. "Al Jourgensen InterView: Surviving into Relapse". Regen Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ Slug Magazine. "Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen Al Jourgensen with Jon Wiederhorn". Slug Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- "Ministry's War on Bush". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - Roberts, Michael (2003-04-10). "So What? Ministry isn't on a major label anymore, but Al Jourgensen still loves his job". Dallas Observer.
- Al Jourgensen discography at Discogs
- 1958 births
- Living people
- American entertainers of Cuban descent
- Alternative metal musicians
- American heavy metal musicians
- American heavy metal singers
- American industrial musicians
- American male singers
- American multi-instrumentalists
- Cuban emigrants to the United States
- People from Havana
- American rock singers
- Ministry (band) members
- New Trier High School alumni
- University of Illinois at Chicago alumni
- Hispanic and Latino American musicians
- Musicians from Chicago
- People from Breckenridge, Colorado
- Singers from Colorado
- American synthpop musicians
- Alternative metal guitarists