OhGr
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- The title of this article is incorrect because of technical limitations. The correct title is ohGr.
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ohGr is a band formed by Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy and Mark Walk. Although the pedigree of the group's members might suggest otherwise, ohGr is not strictly an industrial group, as it draws heavily from elements of electro-pop, metal, and even hip hop. The sound diverges heavily from that of Ogre's earlier Skinny Puppy work, incorporating a more conventional structure as well as a lighter tone, lyrically and musically.
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History
The band was officially formed in 2001, although the material for the first album, Welt, dates back to the mid-nineties, having been held up due to legal trouble with American Records. Welt was actually originally the title of the group, until it was discovered that in the interval it had been taken by a Californian punk band. Al Jourgensen was also originally involved, and only one track he collaborated on has been leaked to the public, titled "Noreen". The music of that song later became industrial rock group Ministry's "The Fall", on their 1996 album Filth Pig.
Touring
The band toured in 2001 to support the release of Welt; the live band consisted of Nivek Ogre, Tim Skold (bass), cEvin Key (drums and keyboards), Loki der Quaeler (keyboards), and William Morrison (guitar). 2003 saw the release of a follow up, SunnyPsyOp (a play on the phrase "sunny side up"). There were initially plans to tour for SunnyPsyOp, with Ministry in a festival type arrangement. These plans fell through, although much of the material from the second album had already been played live on the Welt tour.
Videos
ohGr has released three promotional videos, all directed by William Morrison. The first was a stop-motion creation for the track "Cracker", controversially featuring Ogre in animated form attacking celebrities such as Eminem and Trent Reznor. This related heavily to the lyrics of the track ("You think you're evil but you're not, still sucking life from the mainstream / It's so deluded give it up / What's that you hide behind your pile of shit?"). The second was a live performance of "Minus", reportedly filmed at a Texas venue from the 2001 tour. The third was for "MaJIK", from the second album; this also employed stop-motion, and was a collaboration with artist Thomas Kuntz. "Cracker" and "MaJIK" have both been played occasionally on MTV2 and Fuse. All three have been available through ohGr's website, and "MaJIK" appeared on the audio CD for SunnyPsyOp, albeit with some serious technical glitches.
At Present
Neither of ohGr's two full-length releases have enjoyed any significant commercial success, and have received mixed responses from critics.
Currently the project is on hiatus - Ogre, cEvin Key and William Morrison toured in support of the new Skinny Puppy album, The Greater Wrong of the Right, for much of 2004. Mark Walk is also working with Skinny Puppy, although not touring with them.
Discography
- Welt (2001)
- Cracker/Pore (limited release clear vinyl single, 2001)
- SunnyPsyOp (2003)
External links
- Official ohGr website (http://www.ohgr.org)
- ohGr artist page on Spitfire Records website (http://www.spitfirerecords.com/ohgr.htm)
- Litany - the semiofficial Skinny Puppy et al. news source (http://userpages.aug.com/sgraham/)
- Listener/Fan reviews of ohgr's "SunnyPsyOp" album (http://userpages.aug.com/sgraham/reviews/sunnypsyop-review.html)