Kevin Moore
Encyclopedia
For the blues singer, see Keb' Mo'
.
Kevin Moore (born May 26, 1967) is a keyboardist, vocalist and composer and founder of the Chroma Key
music project. He is also a former member of the American progressive metal
band Dream Theater
, co-founder of the progressive rock supergroup O.S.I.
and has composed film soundtracks. Throughout his career, he has become known for his emotional music and lyrics, nomadic tendencies, and unique use of spoken-word samples
.
Moore started his music career in progressive metal
band Dream Theater
. He contributed music and lyrics to the band's first three studio albums, but left the band during the recording of Awake
to pursue his own musical interests. Starting with 1998's Dead Air for Radios
, he has released electronica
, ambient
music through his solo project Chroma Key
. Moore has guested on several albums, including three Fates Warning
albums. This led Moore to form OSI
with Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos
in 2002, a band which combines progressive metal with electronica. Matheos and Moore are currently working on the fourth OSI album.
Moore has worked on other solo projects since leaving Dream Theater. While living in Costa Rica
, he produced a bi-weekly radio program for Radio for Peace International; a compilation of this work was released as Memory Hole 1
. While living in Turkey
, Moore produced the debut album of Turkish band Makine and wrote soundtracks for two Turkish films. The soundtrack for the first film, Okul, was released in 2004 as Ghost Book
. The soundtrack for the second film, Küçük Kiyamet, entitled Shine
, was released in 2010.
, Long Island, learning piano at the age of six and writing his first song at the age of 12. After graduating from high school in 1985, Moore briefly attended SUNY Fredonia
, where he studied classical music, before returning home to form the band Majesty
with childhood friends guitar
ist John Petrucci
and bassist
John Myung
, who had recruited drum
mer Mike Portnoy
(a fellow Long Islander) during their short enrollment at Berklee College of Music
. Singer Chris Collins
handled vocal duties for Majesty, but he was subsequently replaced by Charlie Dominici
(and eventually James LaBrie
) and the band was renamed Dream Theater.
, which earned the group comparisons to well-known progressive rock bands such as Rush
and Queensrÿche
. Their big breakthrough, however, came in 1992 with the album Images and Words
, featuring the band's highest charting single to date, "Pull Me Under
". The song, which included lyrics by Moore, reached #10 on the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Following their relentless touring in support of the second album, the band also went on to release a live album, Live at the Marquee
, and a video, Images and Words: Live In Tokyo
. The video's extensive documentary footage would subsequently introduce many fans to Moore's sarcastic sense of humor.
In 1994, the band released its third studio album, Awake
, which was the band's highest charting album to date with Moore, reaching #32. (2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings
debuted at #6 on the US Billboards). The album featured Moore's signature song, a haunting piano-driven ballad called "Space-Dye Vest", which describes a heartbroken man flipping through a magazine and falling in love with a stranger modeling a vest. But shortly before the album was mixed, Moore announced to the rest of the band that he wished to concentrate on his own musical interests and would be quitting Dream Theater. According to Portnoy, Moore had grown distant with the other members and was more interested in the independence of working on his own as opposed to the compromise of a band environment. Although Dream Theater has since invited him to play reunion shows, Moore has said he prefers to move forward as opposed to looking back. He also declined to take part in the official Dream Theater biography titled Lifting Shadows.
During his time in Dream Theater, Moore wrote the lyrics to songs on each of the band's albums and also to some of the band's demos and b-sides. On When Dream and Day Unite
, he wrote "Light Fuse and Get Away" and "Only a Matter of Time." On Images and Words
, he penned "Pull Me Under
", "Surrounded
", "Wait for Sleep", and parts of "Take the Time." On Awake
, the songs "6:00", "Lie", and "Space-Dye Vest" all featured his lyrics. Demos with his lyrics include "Don't Look Past Me," the final verse of "To Live Forever '94," "A Vision," "Vital Star," and "Two Far."
and started writing material for his solo album. Moore's first solo project was a demo tape called Music Meant to Be Heard, and the songs included many spoken-word samples
from interviews Moore recorded with strangers during his cross-country travels. Most of these songs were later released in 1999 on a limited-edition CD called This is a Recording.
In 1998, Moore released his first solo album, Dead Air For Radios
, under the name Chroma Key on his self-created record label, Fight Evil Records. Mark Zonder
and Joey Vera
of Fates Warning
served as his support musicians for that record. The album featured a dark, ambient sound, closer to Peter Gabriel
and Tori Amos
than the complex and intricate Dream Theater style. In hindsight, Dream Theater fans noticed that Moore had subtly explored this style of composition in "Space-Dye Vest."
In 2000, Moore moved to Los Angeles, California
, where he recorded the digitally-themed You Go Now
. The line-up for that record was Moore, David Iscove (guitar
s) and Steve Tushar
(loops, programming). During his westcoast stay, Moore briefly attended California Institute of the Arts
, where he created a little-known documentary called Octember Revolution, which depicted a Southern California gated community intervention. He then moved to Costa Rica
, where he worked for Radio For Peace International, producing a bi-weekly activist radio program. In fact, some of Moore's work on Radio for Peace International was later released in an internet-only album called Memory Hole 1
.
In 2004, Moore scoured public domain films looking for one that exuded a certain mood, intending to write a pseudo-soundtrack to it. The film he chose was Age 13, an educational film from the 1950s, originally for use in schools. He took the existing film, slowed it to half speed, and let it dictate the moods, textures, and even running times of the songs he wrote to it. The resulting album is titled Graveyard Mountain Home
, which included a DVD containing the movie set to Moore's music.
guitarist Jim Matheos
invited Moore to work with him on a new musical project. Moore had worked with Matheos before, appearing as guest keyboardist on Fates Warning's 1989 album Perfect Symmetry, 1997 album A Pleasant Shade of Gray
and 2000 album Disconnected
. The new project involved Dream Theater
drummer Mike Portnoy
and Cynic
bassist/Chapman Stick
player Sean Malone
. This would be the first time Moore had worked with Portnoy since leaving Dream Theater nearly 10 years earlier. The band that was formed was named OSI, and they released the album Office of Strategic Influence
. Musically, it can be described as a mixture of Chroma Key's dark, melodic focus with the guitars and heaviness of Fates Warning and Dream Theater. Moore assumed vocal duties.
In April 2006, Moore and Matheos released a second OSI album called Free
, a collaboration made easier by Moore's temporary relocation to Montreal, Canada. The album once again featured Portnoy on drums. Unlike the first OSI album, which was based on an information-spinning faction of the U.S. government, Free was about the personal relationships in Moore's life. Shortly following the album's release, OSI also released an EP
that included remixes of three Free songs and a video of the title track. In the spring of 2006, Moore and Matheos alluded to possible tourdates in the support of the album, but nothing ever materialized.
In September 2008, Moore announced on his website that he had been working for several months with Jim Matheos
and drummer Gavin Harrison
(of the band Porcupine Tree
) on the third OSI album. Blood
was released in April 2009.
Currently a fourth album is in the makings.
. The music contained many traditional instruments stemming from Moore's stays in Costa Rica and Turkey. In 2006, Moore once again teamed up with Turkish producers for another soundtrack project. The film, Küçük Kiyamet (The Little Apocalypse), tells the horrific tale of a family who decides to rent a summer house by the seaside. Both films, Okul and Küçük Kiyamet, were based on books written by Turkish author Dogu Yucel.
The soundtrack to Küçük Kiyamet, titled Shine
, has been announced for late November 2010. On September 6, 2010, Moore launched a Kickstarter
page to fund the design and manufacture of a physical release of the soundtrack, which he plans to self-release.
In March 2007, Moore played an hour-long concert, which was held at Turkey's Balo Stage on March 23. It was described as a try-out to "play some songs for a local crowd...with longer, more elaborate shows planned for the future." In April 2007, Moore announced plans to pre-produce the debut album of Turkish industrial rock
band Makine http://www.chromakey.com/video/kmmtv.mp4 which was released in April 2010.
keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg
revealed that he was really influenced by Moore when he (Klingenberg) began playing rock music.
To earn extra income during his Dream Theater days, Moore worked as private music teacher out of his parent's home in Smithtown, Long Island. One of his students at the time included television and film composer Roy Harter
.
:
With OSI
:
As Chroma Key
:
As Kevin Moore:
Involvement on other albums:
Kevin switched to using mainly soft synths. He still used his Kurzweil K2000
and a Yamaha CP-70 piano. On "You Go Now", in addition to this, an Access Virus, Moog Memorymoog Plus and a Nord Lead rack. On the OSI album Free, he used an OpenLabs Neko
workstation.
Related bands:
Keb' Mo'
Keb' Mo is an American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.-Early life:From early on he had an appreciation for the blues and gospel music...
.
Kevin Moore (born May 26, 1967) is a keyboardist, vocalist and composer and founder of the Chroma Key
Chroma Key
Chroma Key is the name under which ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore records. Although primarily a solo project, several other musicians have recorded as part of Chroma Key such as bassist Joey Vera, drummer Mark Zonder, and guitarist Jason Anderson....
music project. He is also a former member of the American progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
, co-founder of the progressive rock supergroup O.S.I.
OSI (band)
OSI is an American progressive rock band, originally formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2002. Chroma Key keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore is the only other full-time member of the band...
and has composed film soundtracks. Throughout his career, he has become known for his emotional music and lyrics, nomadic tendencies, and unique use of spoken-word samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
.
Moore started his music career in progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. He contributed music and lyrics to the band's first three studio albums, but left the band during the recording of Awake
Awake (Dream Theater album)
Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994 by East West Records. It was the last Dream Theater album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album.Much of the...
to pursue his own musical interests. Starting with 1998's Dead Air for Radios
Dead Air for Radios
-Personnel:*Kevin Moore - vocals, keyboards, bass*Mark Zonder - drums*Jason Anderson - guitars*Joey Vera - bass on tracks 3, 4, and 5-External links:* where the entire album is available to listen...
, he has released electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
music through his solo project Chroma Key
Chroma Key
Chroma Key is the name under which ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore records. Although primarily a solo project, several other musicians have recorded as part of Chroma Key such as bassist Joey Vera, drummer Mark Zonder, and guitarist Jason Anderson....
. Moore has guested on several albums, including three Fates Warning
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes...
albums. This led Moore to form OSI
OSI (band)
OSI is an American progressive rock band, originally formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2002. Chroma Key keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore is the only other full-time member of the band...
with Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos
Jim Matheos
Jim Matheos , is the American guitarist and primary songwriter for the progressive metal band Fates Warning. As of bassist Joe DiBiase's departure in 1996, he is the band's only permanent member...
in 2002, a band which combines progressive metal with electronica. Matheos and Moore are currently working on the fourth OSI album.
Moore has worked on other solo projects since leaving Dream Theater. While living in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, he produced a bi-weekly radio program for Radio for Peace International; a compilation of this work was released as Memory Hole 1
Memory Hole 1
Memory Hole 1 consists of an 80-minute radio program that Kevin Moore did for Radio For Peace International.-Track listing:-External links:*, where the entire album is available as a free download...
. While living in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Moore produced the debut album of Turkish band Makine and wrote soundtracks for two Turkish films. The soundtrack for the first film, Okul, was released in 2004 as Ghost Book
Ghost Book
Ghost Book is the soundtrack to Turkish horror movie Okul. Kevin Moore made it while he was living in Istanbul, Turkey.-Track listing:...
. The soundtrack for the second film, Küçük Kiyamet, entitled Shine
Shine (Kevin Moore album)
Shine is the soundtrack to the 2006 Turkish film Küçük kiyamet . Kevin Moore wrote the music while he was living in Istanbul, Turkey. The album was funded by fans and released via Kickstarter.com on CD in 2011.-Track listing:...
, was released in 2010.
Early days
Moore, who was born on Long Island, New York, began his music career in Kings ParkKings Park, New York
Kings Park is a census-designated place in the town Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population was 17,282 as of the 2010 census....
, Long Island, learning piano at the age of six and writing his first song at the age of 12. After graduating from high school in 1985, Moore briefly attended SUNY Fredonia
State University of New York at Fredonia
The State University of New York at Fredonia is a four-year liberal arts college located in Fredonia, New York, United States; it is a constituent college of the State University of New York...
, where he studied classical music, before returning home to form the band Majesty
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
with childhood friends guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist John Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
and bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
John Myung
John Myung
John Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
, who had recruited drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
mer Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
(a fellow Long Islander) during their short enrollment at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
. Singer Chris Collins
Chris Collins
Chris Collins may refer to:In the arts:* Chris Collins or K. C. Collins, a Canadian-born American actor* Chris Collins * Chris Collins , a former vocalist for the band now known as Dream Theater...
handled vocal duties for Majesty, but he was subsequently replaced by Charlie Dominici
Charlie Dominici
Charlie Dominici is a singer for progressive metal band Dominici.Perhaps he is best known as the second vocalist for the progressive metal band Dream Theater, having replaced Chris Collins and later being replaced by James LaBrie.-Biography:Dominici originally came into prominence as a member of...
(and eventually James LaBrie
James LaBrie
Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...
) and the band was renamed Dream Theater.
Dream Theater
Dream Theater's debut studio album was 1989's When Dream and Day UniteWhen Dream and Day Unite
-The Killing Hand:The lyrics of the song describe a man who wakes up unaware of where he is. He looks around to see walls covered in names of people who have died. He wants to find out why, and travels back in time to find out...
, which earned the group comparisons to well-known progressive rock bands such as Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
and Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
. Their big breakthrough, however, came in 1992 with the album Images and Words
Images and Words
Images and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
, featuring the band's highest charting single to date, "Pull Me Under
Pull Me Under
-Personnel:*James LaBrie - vocals*John Petrucci - guitar, backing vocals*Kevin Moore - keyboards*John Myung - bass, chapman stick*Mike Portnoy - drums, backing vocals-External links:* http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/dream_theater/pull_me_under/...
". The song, which included lyrics by Moore, reached #10 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Following their relentless touring in support of the second album, the band also went on to release a live album, Live at the Marquee
Live at the Marquee
Live at the Marquee may refer to:*Live at the Marquee , an annual music festival in Cork, IrelandMusic*Live at the Marquee *Live at the Marquee *Live at the Marquee ...
, and a video, Images and Words: Live In Tokyo
Images and Words: Live in Tokyo
Images and Words: Live in Tokyo is the first home video release from American progressive metal band Dream Theater. It contains most of the band's performance from their August 26, 1993 show at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo, Japan...
. The video's extensive documentary footage would subsequently introduce many fans to Moore's sarcastic sense of humor.
In 1994, the band released its third studio album, Awake
Awake (Dream Theater album)
Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994 by East West Records. It was the last Dream Theater album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album.Much of the...
, which was the band's highest charting album to date with Moore, reaching #32. (2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on June 23, 2009 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's last album to feature drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy before his departure on September 8, 2010. The album was...
debuted at #6 on the US Billboards). The album featured Moore's signature song, a haunting piano-driven ballad called "Space-Dye Vest", which describes a heartbroken man flipping through a magazine and falling in love with a stranger modeling a vest. But shortly before the album was mixed, Moore announced to the rest of the band that he wished to concentrate on his own musical interests and would be quitting Dream Theater. According to Portnoy, Moore had grown distant with the other members and was more interested in the independence of working on his own as opposed to the compromise of a band environment. Although Dream Theater has since invited him to play reunion shows, Moore has said he prefers to move forward as opposed to looking back. He also declined to take part in the official Dream Theater biography titled Lifting Shadows.
During his time in Dream Theater, Moore wrote the lyrics to songs on each of the band's albums and also to some of the band's demos and b-sides. On When Dream and Day Unite
When Dream and Day Unite
-The Killing Hand:The lyrics of the song describe a man who wakes up unaware of where he is. He looks around to see walls covered in names of people who have died. He wants to find out why, and travels back in time to find out...
, he wrote "Light Fuse and Get Away" and "Only a Matter of Time." On Images and Words
Images and Words
Images and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
, he penned "Pull Me Under
Pull Me Under
-Personnel:*James LaBrie - vocals*John Petrucci - guitar, backing vocals*Kevin Moore - keyboards*John Myung - bass, chapman stick*Mike Portnoy - drums, backing vocals-External links:* http://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/dream_theater/pull_me_under/...
", "Surrounded
Surrounded
Surrounded is a box set released on June 27, 2006, featuring seven of Björk's albums in DualDisc format....
", "Wait for Sleep", and parts of "Take the Time." On Awake
Awake (Dream Theater album)
Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994 by East West Records. It was the last Dream Theater album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album.Much of the...
, the songs "6:00", "Lie", and "Space-Dye Vest" all featured his lyrics. Demos with his lyrics include "Don't Look Past Me," the final verse of "To Live Forever '94," "A Vision," "Vital Star," and "Two Far."
Chroma Key
After leaving Dream Theater, Moore moved to Santa Fe, New MexicoSanta Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
and started writing material for his solo album. Moore's first solo project was a demo tape called Music Meant to Be Heard, and the songs included many spoken-word samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from interviews Moore recorded with strangers during his cross-country travels. Most of these songs were later released in 1999 on a limited-edition CD called This is a Recording.
In 1998, Moore released his first solo album, Dead Air For Radios
Dead Air for Radios
-Personnel:*Kevin Moore - vocals, keyboards, bass*Mark Zonder - drums*Jason Anderson - guitars*Joey Vera - bass on tracks 3, 4, and 5-External links:* where the entire album is available to listen...
, under the name Chroma Key on his self-created record label, Fight Evil Records. Mark Zonder
Mark Zonder
Mark Zonder is the drummer of American heavy-metal band Warlord. When the band was in a hiatus, he joined Fates Warning. His artistic name in Warlord is "Thunder Child"...
and Joey Vera
Joey Vera
Joey Vera is an American heavy metal bassist for heavy metal band Armored Saint. He is also a member of the progressive metal band Fates Warning. In 2004-05 he replaced Frank Bello in Anthrax as the band's bassist. He appears as part of the project Engine, as well as on the OSI album Free. His...
of Fates Warning
Fates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes...
served as his support musicians for that record. The album featured a dark, ambient sound, closer to Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
and Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
than the complex and intricate Dream Theater style. In hindsight, Dream Theater fans noticed that Moore had subtly explored this style of composition in "Space-Dye Vest."
In 2000, Moore moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where he recorded the digitally-themed You Go Now
You Go Now
-Personnel:*Kevin Moore - vocals, keyboard, bass*Steve Tushar - Producer, co-writer, programming, additional guitars, additional keyboards*David Iscove - guitars-External links:* where you can listen to the entire album...
. The line-up for that record was Moore, David Iscove (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s) and Steve Tushar
Steve Tushar
Steve Tushar is a Latin Grammy nominated music producer and musician. He has been a keyboardist, remixer, programmer and producer for metal band Fear Factory, music producer for Beto Cuevas and Chroma Key, and keyboard player for metal/industrial act 16 Volt...
(loops, programming). During his westcoast stay, Moore briefly attended California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
, where he created a little-known documentary called Octember Revolution, which depicted a Southern California gated community intervention. He then moved to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, where he worked for Radio For Peace International, producing a bi-weekly activist radio program. In fact, some of Moore's work on Radio for Peace International was later released in an internet-only album called Memory Hole 1
Memory Hole 1
Memory Hole 1 consists of an 80-minute radio program that Kevin Moore did for Radio For Peace International.-Track listing:-External links:*, where the entire album is available as a free download...
.
In 2004, Moore scoured public domain films looking for one that exuded a certain mood, intending to write a pseudo-soundtrack to it. The film he chose was Age 13, an educational film from the 1950s, originally for use in schools. He took the existing film, slowed it to half speed, and let it dictate the moods, textures, and even running times of the songs he wrote to it. The resulting album is titled Graveyard Mountain Home
Graveyard Mountain Home
Graveyard Mountain Home is the third studio album released under the name Chroma Key by American keyboardist Kevin Moore. It was released on November 8, 2004 by InsideOut Music. Moore originally started work on the album in 2003, planning to release a less electronica-influenced album than previous...
, which included a DVD containing the movie set to Moore's music.
OSI
In 2003, Fates WarningFates Warning
Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes...
guitarist Jim Matheos
Jim Matheos
Jim Matheos , is the American guitarist and primary songwriter for the progressive metal band Fates Warning. As of bassist Joe DiBiase's departure in 1996, he is the band's only permanent member...
invited Moore to work with him on a new musical project. Moore had worked with Matheos before, appearing as guest keyboardist on Fates Warning's 1989 album Perfect Symmetry, 1997 album A Pleasant Shade of Gray
A Pleasant Shade of Gray
A Pleasant Shade of Gray is a concept album by the progressive metal group Fates Warning, released in 1997 . It contains one song divided into twelve chapters. After the last track, there is a brief period of silence followed by 20 seconds of an alarm clock ringing.A Pleasant Shade of Gray features...
and 2000 album Disconnected
Disconnected (Fates Warning album)
Disconnected is the ninth album by the progressive metal group Fates Warning, released in 2000 . Kevin Moore previously played on the Fates Warning album A Pleasant Shade of Gray and later appeared in OSI with Matheos....
. The new project involved Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
drummer Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
and Cynic
Cynic (band)
Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...
bassist/Chapman Stick
Chapman Stick
The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
player Sean Malone
Sean Malone
Sean Malone is an American musician who plays primarily fretless bass guitar and Chapman stick. However, Malone also plays piano, keyboards, and guitar. He is most well known as a member of the progressive band Cynic.- Biography :...
. This would be the first time Moore had worked with Portnoy since leaving Dream Theater nearly 10 years earlier. The band that was formed was named OSI, and they released the album Office of Strategic Influence
Office of Strategic Influence (album)
Office of Strategic Influence is the first album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on February 18, 2003. The album was recorded in June 2002 and mixed in August 2002 at the Carriage House Studios in Stamford, Connecticut....
. Musically, it can be described as a mixture of Chroma Key's dark, melodic focus with the guitars and heaviness of Fates Warning and Dream Theater. Moore assumed vocal duties.
In April 2006, Moore and Matheos released a second OSI album called Free
Free (OSI album)
Free is the second album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on April 21, 2006.Guitarist Jim Matheos and keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore decided to work on a follow-up to Office of Strategic Influence after the two found they both had holes in their schedules....
, a collaboration made easier by Moore's temporary relocation to Montreal, Canada. The album once again featured Portnoy on drums. Unlike the first OSI album, which was based on an information-spinning faction of the U.S. government, Free was about the personal relationships in Moore's life. Shortly following the album's release, OSI also released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
that included remixes of three Free songs and a video of the title track. In the spring of 2006, Moore and Matheos alluded to possible tourdates in the support of the album, but nothing ever materialized.
In September 2008, Moore announced on his website that he had been working for several months with Jim Matheos
Jim Matheos
Jim Matheos , is the American guitarist and primary songwriter for the progressive metal band Fates Warning. As of bassist Joe DiBiase's departure in 1996, he is the band's only permanent member...
and drummer Gavin Harrison
Gavin Harrison
Gavin Harrison is a British drummer and percussionist. He is best known for playing with the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree which he joined in 2002. As of 2008, he also plays with the band King Crimson....
(of the band Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
) on the third OSI album. Blood
Blood (OSI album)
Blood is the third studio album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on April 27, 2009 in Europe and May 19, 2009 in North America....
was released in April 2009.
Currently a fourth album is in the makings.
Film soundtracks
In 2004, Moore relocated to Istanbul, Turkey, and composed the soundtrack to the horror film Okul (The School) which was subsequently released as a solo record titled Ghost BookGhost Book
Ghost Book is the soundtrack to Turkish horror movie Okul. Kevin Moore made it while he was living in Istanbul, Turkey.-Track listing:...
. The music contained many traditional instruments stemming from Moore's stays in Costa Rica and Turkey. In 2006, Moore once again teamed up with Turkish producers for another soundtrack project. The film, Küçük Kiyamet (The Little Apocalypse), tells the horrific tale of a family who decides to rent a summer house by the seaside. Both films, Okul and Küçük Kiyamet, were based on books written by Turkish author Dogu Yucel.
The soundtrack to Küçük Kiyamet, titled Shine
Shine (Kevin Moore album)
Shine is the soundtrack to the 2006 Turkish film Küçük kiyamet . Kevin Moore wrote the music while he was living in Istanbul, Turkey. The album was funded by fans and released via Kickstarter.com on CD in 2011.-Track listing:...
, has been announced for late November 2010. On September 6, 2010, Moore launched a Kickstarter
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
page to fund the design and manufacture of a physical release of the soundtrack, which he plans to self-release.
Other
While in Turkey, he also produced a radio show along with Theron Patterson and Pınar Türen in Açık Radyo.In March 2007, Moore played an hour-long concert, which was held at Turkey's Balo Stage on March 23. It was described as a try-out to "play some songs for a local crowd...with longer, more elaborate shows planned for the future." In April 2007, Moore announced plans to pre-produce the debut album of Turkish industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
band Makine http://www.chromakey.com/video/kmmtv.mp4 which was released in April 2010.
Influence
In an April 2007 interview, Sonata ArcticaSonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica are a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, originally assembled in 1995. Their later works contain several elements typical of progressive metal.....
keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg
Henrik Klingenberg
Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg is a keyboardist and singer. He joined the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica in late 2002 and currently resides in Kemi, Finland, when not on tour....
revealed that he was really influenced by Moore when he (Klingenberg) began playing rock music.
To earn extra income during his Dream Theater days, Moore worked as private music teacher out of his parent's home in Smithtown, Long Island. One of his students at the time included television and film composer Roy Harter
Roy Harter
Roy Harter is a New York Emmy award-winning, sound designer and audio mixer, best known for his work in television and film. He is also a multi-instrumentalist for various performing and recording artists...
.
Discography
With Dream TheaterDream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
:
- Majesty DemosMajesty Demos- Ytsejam Records re-release track listing :- Personnel :* Chris Collins – vocals on tracks 18-23* Kevin Moore – keyboards on tracks 18-23* John Myung – bass* John Petrucci – guitars* Mike Portnoy – drums; keyboards on track 6...
(1986) - When Dream and Day UniteWhen Dream and Day Unite-The Killing Hand:The lyrics of the song describe a man who wakes up unaware of where he is. He looks around to see walls covered in names of people who have died. He wants to find out why, and travels back in time to find out...
(1989) - Images and WordsImages and WordsImages and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
(1992) - Live at the MarqueeLive at the MarqueeLive at the Marquee may refer to:*Live at the Marquee , an annual music festival in Cork, IrelandMusic*Live at the Marquee *Live at the Marquee *Live at the Marquee ...
(1993) - Images and Words: Live in TokyoImages and Words: Live in TokyoImages and Words: Live in Tokyo is the first home video release from American progressive metal band Dream Theater. It contains most of the band's performance from their August 26, 1993 show at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo, Japan...
(1993) - AwakeAwake (Dream Theater album)Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994 by East West Records. It was the last Dream Theater album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album.Much of the...
(1994)
With OSI
OSI (band)
OSI is an American progressive rock band, originally formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2002. Chroma Key keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore is the only other full-time member of the band...
:
- Office of Strategic InfluenceOffice of Strategic Influence (album)Office of Strategic Influence is the first album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on February 18, 2003. The album was recorded in June 2002 and mixed in August 2002 at the Carriage House Studios in Stamford, Connecticut....
(2003) - FreeFree (OSI album)Free is the second album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on April 21, 2006.Guitarist Jim Matheos and keyboardist and vocalist Kevin Moore decided to work on a follow-up to Office of Strategic Influence after the two found they both had holes in their schedules....
(2006) - re:free (EP) (2006)
- BloodBlood (OSI album)Blood is the third studio album by American progressive rock band OSI, released by InsideOut Music on April 27, 2009 in Europe and May 19, 2009 in North America....
(2009)
As Chroma Key
Chroma Key
Chroma Key is the name under which ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore records. Although primarily a solo project, several other musicians have recorded as part of Chroma Key such as bassist Joey Vera, drummer Mark Zonder, and guitarist Jason Anderson....
:
- Dead Air for RadiosDead Air for Radios-Personnel:*Kevin Moore - vocals, keyboards, bass*Mark Zonder - drums*Jason Anderson - guitars*Joey Vera - bass on tracks 3, 4, and 5-External links:* where the entire album is available to listen...
(1998) - Colorblind - single (1999)
- You Go NowYou Go Now-Personnel:*Kevin Moore - vocals, keyboard, bass*Steve Tushar - Producer, co-writer, programming, additional guitars, additional keyboards*David Iscove - guitars-External links:* where you can listen to the entire album...
(2000) - Graveyard Mountain HomeGraveyard Mountain HomeGraveyard Mountain Home is the third studio album released under the name Chroma Key by American keyboardist Kevin Moore. It was released on November 8, 2004 by InsideOut Music. Moore originally started work on the album in 2003, planning to release a less electronica-influenced album than previous...
(2004)
As Kevin Moore:
- Music Meant to Be HeardMusic Meant to Be HeardMusic Meant To Be Heard was the initial demo tape for Kevin Moore's work, published within certain Dream Theater fan clubs, and distributed by Kevin Moore himself. Very few copies of the original tapes exist. The tape was converted to CD at an unknown time, and is distributed as a CD-R in most...
(1995) - This is a Recording (1999)
- Memory Hole 1Memory Hole 1Memory Hole 1 consists of an 80-minute radio program that Kevin Moore did for Radio For Peace International.-Track listing:-External links:*, where the entire album is available as a free download...
(2004) - Ghost BookGhost BookGhost Book is the soundtrack to Turkish horror movie Okul. Kevin Moore made it while he was living in Istanbul, Turkey.-Track listing:...
(2004) - ShineShine (Kevin Moore album)Shine is the soundtrack to the 2006 Turkish film Küçük kiyamet . Kevin Moore wrote the music while he was living in Istanbul, Turkey. The album was funded by fans and released via Kickstarter.com on CD in 2011.-Track listing:...
(2010)
Involvement on other albums:
| Year | Album | Artist | Credit(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Perfect Symmetry | Fates Warning Fates Warning Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman in Hartford, Connecticut. Fates Warning has experienced numerous line-up changes... |
Keyboards |
| 1997 | A Pleasant Shade of Gray A Pleasant Shade of Gray A Pleasant Shade of Gray is a concept album by the progressive metal group Fates Warning, released in 1997 . It contains one song divided into twelve chapters. After the last track, there is a brief period of silence followed by 20 seconds of an alarm clock ringing.A Pleasant Shade of Gray features... |
Fates Warning | Keyboards |
| 2000 | Disconnected Disconnected (Fates Warning album) Disconnected is the ninth album by the progressive metal group Fates Warning, released in 2000 . Kevin Moore previously played on the Fates Warning album A Pleasant Shade of Gray and later appeared in OSI with Matheos.... |
Fates Warning | Keyboards |
| 2002 | Make Believe | On | Keyboards |
| 2007 | Makine | Makine | Pre-production |
| 2008 | Oscillate | Steve Tushar Steve Tushar Steve Tushar is a Latin Grammy nominated music producer and musician. He has been a keyboardist, remixer, programmer and producer for metal band Fear Factory, music producer for Beto Cuevas and Chroma Key, and keyboard player for metal/industrial act 16 Volt... |
Vocals on "Periscope" |
Gear
- Images and WordsImages and WordsImages and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
- Roland JD-800Roland JD-800The JD-800 was a digital synthesizer released by Roland in 1991. The synthesizer featured many knobs and sliders for patch editing and performance control - features which some manufacturers, including Roland, had been omitting in the name of 'streamlining' since the inception of Yamaha's DX-7...
- used for piano, distorted organ, synth pads and chimes - Korg DW-8000Korg DW-8000The Korg DW-8000 synthesizer was released to the buying public in late 1985 along with its cheaper stable mate the Korg DW-6000 synthesizer. The DW-8000 was an eight note polyphonic hybrid digital-analog synthesizer instrument...
- used for solo sounds for songs such as Take the Time and Pull Me Under - Korg DSS-1Korg DSS-1The Korg DSS-1 was a 12-bit polyphonic sampling synthesizer released in September 1986. It came out at a time when many of the popular synthesizer companies were beginning to get into sampling, an area of sound design that had previously been left to a handful of fledgling companies such as...
- used for samples - Roland D-50Roland D-50The Roland D-50 is a polyphonic 61-key synthesizer produced by Roland. It was released in 1987. Its features include Linear Arithmetic synthesis, on-board effects, a joystick for data manipulation, and an analog synthesis-styled layout design. The external Roland PG-1000 Programmer could also be...
- used mainly for string and bell sounds - Roland D-70
- A grand piano was likely used on the album, replaced with JD-800 piano live.
- Roland JD-800
- Music In Progress Tour
- Roland JD-800Roland JD-800The JD-800 was a digital synthesizer released by Roland in 1991. The synthesizer featured many knobs and sliders for patch editing and performance control - features which some manufacturers, including Roland, had been omitting in the name of 'streamlining' since the inception of Yamaha's DX-7...
on the bottom tier of the Apex two tier stand - Korg DW-8000Korg DW-8000The Korg DW-8000 synthesizer was released to the buying public in late 1985 along with its cheaper stable mate the Korg DW-6000 synthesizer. The DW-8000 was an eight note polyphonic hybrid digital-analog synthesizer instrument...
on the top tier of the Apex stand - Korg DSS-1Korg DSS-1The Korg DSS-1 was a 12-bit polyphonic sampling synthesizer released in September 1986. It came out at a time when many of the popular synthesizer companies were beginning to get into sampling, an area of sound design that had previously been left to a handful of fledgling companies such as...
on the stand on Kevin's right
- Roland JD-800
- AwakeAwakeWakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in a coherent cognitive and behavior responses to the external world such as communication, ambulation, nutritional ingestion and procreation...
- Roland JD-800Roland JD-800The JD-800 was a digital synthesizer released by Roland in 1991. The synthesizer featured many knobs and sliders for patch editing and performance control - features which some manufacturers, including Roland, had been omitting in the name of 'streamlining' since the inception of Yamaha's DX-7...
- used for piano, synth pads and most notably the "Wailing Guitar" solo sound used on 6:00, ErotomaniaErotomaniaErotomania is a type of delusion in which the affected person believes that another person, usually a stranger or famous person, is in love with him or her. The illness often occurs during psychosis, especially in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar mania...
and Scarred - Korg DW-8000Korg DW-8000The Korg DW-8000 synthesizer was released to the buying public in late 1985 along with its cheaper stable mate the Korg DW-6000 synthesizer. The DW-8000 was an eight note polyphonic hybrid digital-analog synthesizer instrument...
- used for solo sounds for songs such as 6:00 and The Mirror and for pipe organ sounds. - Kurzweil K2000Kurzweil K2000The Kurzweil K2000 is a 16 bit sampler with a complex synthesis architecture by Kurzweil Music Systems, similar to the EMU Emulator III.The K2000 features a technology dubbed V.A.S.T., which stands for "Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology", a marketing term for the K2000's digital signal...
- presumably used for string sounds - Acoustic Piano- used on Space Dye Vest
- A rack sampler was also used during this album, most likely an AkaiAkaiAkai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
- Roland JD-800
- OSI/Chroma Key/Solo
Kevin switched to using mainly soft synths. He still used his Kurzweil K2000
Kurzweil K2000
The Kurzweil K2000 is a 16 bit sampler with a complex synthesis architecture by Kurzweil Music Systems, similar to the EMU Emulator III.The K2000 features a technology dubbed V.A.S.T., which stands for "Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology", a marketing term for the K2000's digital signal...
and a Yamaha CP-70 piano. On "You Go Now", in addition to this, an Access Virus, Moog Memorymoog Plus and a Nord Lead rack. On the OSI album Free, he used an OpenLabs Neko
Neko
-Technology:* Neko , a cat screenmate application* Neko * Neko Entertainment, a video-game developer and publisher-Other uses:* Neko , a person who enjoys dressing as a cat in cosplay...
workstation.
External links
- Chroma Key official site
- Japanese Kevin Moore site
- Shine project page on KickstarterKickstarterKickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
Related bands: