Behind The Veil
The genesis for ‘Behind The Veil’ featuring all female artists started with “Stranger” featuring Kat Leon. To my ears, it was a bit of a different song than the rest of the tracks on ‘The Storm Before The Calm’. Different, but also the perfect closing song for that record… as it struck me it could be the perfect prelude to what would come next. The surprise of just how beautiful Cinthya Hussey’s version of “The Delicate Balance Of All Things” only cemented this concept for me.
So here we have our new release, featuring six extremely talented ladies. Three BIC alumni, and three new to the Family! I am blessed and honored that they have put their talents … heart and soul, words and voice to make ‘Behind The Veil’ possible.
Breaking a bit from our past … dare I say formula of album/remix album; I have decided to amalgamate them this go-round. I still love to hear how other artists, producers and deejays deconstruct/reconstruct our songs. As before, its a long and diverse listen, but I am confident you will find your gems
Michael Ciravolo
Curator / Beauty In Chaos
01. AFTERLIFE ft. TISH CIRAVOLO
written by Tish Ciravolo, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Tish Ciravolo: voices and words * Michael Ciravolo: guitars and textures
Michael Rozon: bass, synth and drum programming * Dirk Doucette: live drums
Adrienne LaVey: opera voices
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon
“Afterlife” is a very descriptive word detailing the moments that happen after you or me or everyone else we know, dies. The people that surround your life - your loves, your friends, those who care for you are all left to wonder, what happens now. Everyone you know will die. But is it sad, is there hope, what is going to be your question when you go? Every human being has a slightly different idea of what will happen when your heart stops beating, your brain stops working, and your life has now ceased. My song, Afterlife, attempts to search verbally through these emotional states. Now personally, I have had a near death experience but have lost most of those memories from over 40 years ago. But I wrote this song imagining what I will be searching for in that dying moment since I am a Christian who loves The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and believes in Guardian Angels, her name is Destiny. I've been obsessed with this concept - watching YouTube videos and reading true life accounts of Heaven and Hell. Is it scary, will it hurt? These are long and deep conversations that I've delved deep into with the love of my life, the best of friends, and those who follow the Bible. But in the most hopeful, positive and loving way I have sought these answers for years and years. My conclusion? This song.” … Tish Ciravolo
02. THE KISS OF THE WORLD ft. Elena Alice Fossi
written by Elena Alice Fossi, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Elena Alice Fossi: voices and worlds * Michael Ciravolo: guitars and textures
Michael Rozon: bass, synth, drum programming * Dirk Doucette: live drums
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon * additional recording by Elena Alice Fossi
”‘The Kiss of The World” attempts to bring what has been hidden by the manipulators for so long to the surface. We’ve been asleep for far too long, it’s truly time to wake up to the truth! “No, it’s not a love relationship that ended badly, as it might seem on the surface. This story’s plot is instead enclosed in the domination and deception that, perpetrated over time, have generated a zombified society, where the living dead obey an authority which in turn is the servant of stronger occult powers. And it’s these powers that pull the strings of a comedy in which consumerism, betrayal and manipulation are the masters,.
The tyranny is well hidden and the slave doesn’t know he is, because he finds himself in a maelstrom of materialism and “online drugs” that make him unaware and helpless. But things are about to be turned around and this flawed system will be cornered. Satan’s mighty valet has pulled the rope to such an extent that it finally breaks and the lies that have long been embellished now reveal their true face. The hour of the rescue is going to come because not a few are awakening from the long torpor.” … Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera)
03. NOT YOUR FAULT ft. Pinky Turzo
written by Pinky Turzo, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Pinky Turzo: voices and words * Michael Ciravolo: guitars and textures
Michael Rozon: bass * Dirk Doucette: live drums
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon * additional recording by Pinky Turzo
“I was in a very dark place and struggling with the substance abuse of someone very close to me when Michael reached out to me. My first thought was that I’d love to work with him but everything is so chaotic right now, I couldn’t possibly make time in my busy worrying schedule to do something for myself or someone else not directly involved in my chaos. Then, Michael explained the meaning behind the name of the project and with added encouragement from Johnny Indovina, I started to think that maybe this is exactly what I needed.
Michael sent me the track he had in mind for me and I immediately fell in love with it and heard the chorus melody in my head. Then, the hardest part, lyrics. I have always struggled with writing lyrics but I convinced myself that maybe this could be cathartic to write about this all encompassing issue I was entrenched in. I started viewing it differently. It’s strange to express something so painful with the intent of self care. I wanted this process to release me from some of the pain, the worry, the guilt. Then it dawned on me that the person I was writing about is probably feeling the same pain and guilt. I wanted to also release them. It felt so good to feel more compassion and understanding than anger. Even if they never know the song is about them, I felt a huge sense of relief.
I’m so grateful for this incredible experience and it was an honor to finally work with Ciravolo and Rozon. And of course Johnny Indovina. I’m beyond pleased with how the song came out. The problem still exists but when I’m in the throes of feeling anger, I remind myself of the song title. .” … Pinky Turzo
04. ORION ft. Whitney Tai
written by Whitney Tai, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Whitney Tai: voices and words * Michael Ciravolo: guitars, bass VI and textures
Michael Rozon: bass, synths and drum programming * Dirk Doucette: live drums
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon
“Songwriting has a strong magnetism that’s pulled me in from childhood. The art of storytelling through lyric, melody and visual is a language I feel most like myself within. As a young designer planning buildings on the east coast, my approach to music was its mirror: composition, proportion, movement, hierarchy, balance, asymmetry. How I write music is very 3 dimensional. When Michael and I had our first talks about teaming up, the intrigue heightened and he subsequently followed with an arrangement that was as emotionally complex and elaborate as the facade of a gothic cathedral. I am a bit wild about sci-fi, astronomy and fantasy, so I felt an instant connection to the story behind the constellation of Greek Hunter, Orion. A retelling of my own experience and of what is happening daily in mainstream media. Orion in this context represents a person, an energy field or a thought process that uses power and position to divorce self-governance in another. Everyone who has been compromised in this situation becomes the narrator. It is a portrait of someone we all know, someone whose ego and demeanor is controlling and dangerous. I wanted others to know that there’s hope if they are being abused and that love does not present in the form of control. Love is setting others free to blossom and be themselves. The protagonist of the song, you or me, finds that sometimes the only way out is through, like an unpredictable series of actions in a game of chess. It’s here that the player may regain their voice, confidence, and dignity to turn the hand of the board.” … Whitney Tai
05. OPEN WOUND HEART ft. CINTHYA HUSSEY
written by Cinthya Hussey, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Cinthya Hussey: voices and words * Michael Ciravolo: guitars and textures
Michael Rozon: bass, synths and drum programming * Dirk Doucette: live drums
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon * additional recording by Wayne Hussey
“After having worked on a more laid back version of “The Delicate Balance Of All Things”, Michael once again kindly invited me to sing on his next all female singers EP and ever so happily and humbly I said yes!
When sent the music for what later would become “Open Wound Heart”, Michael said he would send me other options if I wasn't so keen on this one. Oh my... was I in for the biggest treat?! I really could not believe my ears... It was the most beautiful piece of music I could've ever imagined myself singing. I loved it so much that it took me ages to gather the courage to face the beast and start working on it. Nothing seemed good enough to match up that level of beauty. I didn't like anything I was coming up with. So I took yet another break from it and continued working on the album I am currently recording with Wayne. Days later, on a gorgeous afternoon, I was watching the sunset (my favourite time of day for it's magical and ephemeral qualities) over the mountains in the countryside where we live when the opening line came to me. That same evening I began humming along and writing the lyrics. So all my vulnerability, the fear of rejection, the incapacity of controlling everything and finally allowing myself to let go of all of that was transposed into this love song. Michael's haunting and dramatic guitars set the dream like bed in which I laid and opened up my heart. I pre recorded layers and layers of vocals and harmonies onto my laptop and when it was time, I asked Wayne to set me up in the control room in our home studio so I could record myself and take my time to work out all the backing vocal parts. Both Michaels, Ciravolo and Rozon have done such an amazing work mixing the track and I couldn't be more proud of what we've created! Plus hearing the remixes done by the legendary John Fryer, super creative Julian Shah-Tayler and the almighty Tim Palmer have brought tears to my eyes and astonishment to my soul. I am eternally thankful to Michael, Tish, Rozon and everyone involved in the making of this project and I hope it connects to you in some way” … Much love xxx Cinthya Hussey
06. GRASP THE STARS
written by Betsy Martin, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Betsy Martin: voices and words * Michael Ciravolo: guitars and textures
Michael Rozon: bass, synth and drum programming * Kevin Kipnis: bass-VI
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon * additional recording by Kevin Kipnis
'“Michael Ciravolo and Michael Rozon asked me to be a part of this dark and heavy, dirge-y song that they created. The music took me to a place of being in a meteor shower of emotion. It brought out feelings of how we sometimes create unhappiness for ourselves with manipulation brought on by pain, causing such confusion. I could visualize dodging these sharp and pointy damaging stars of thoughts whizzing by in my head. The music travels a celestial path to a calm after a storm. I love that music can do that..” ….Betsy Martin
07. AFTERLIFE (JST Mix)
featuring Tish Ciravolo * created by Julian Shah-Tayler
Julian Shah Tayler - instrumentation and production
Tish Ciravolo - voices * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“When Michael asked me to contribute to his new album I jumped at the chance to remix as many songs as he asked for. I love his style, and obviously all of the stellar cast he has involved with Beauty In Chaos, After being given the chance to work with him and Wayne Hussey on a remix of “The Delicate Balance Of All Things”,, I was thrilled to dig straight in to this new remix album. All the vocalists are fabulous and have an incredible pedigree. When I remix I try to do it with a clean slate. I never listen to the original first, just ask for the vocal stem and bpm and I experiment with beats , sounds and keys. This time I’ve used a lot of Michael’s brilliant idiosyncratic guitar lines. His attention to detail with the sound is often as inspiring as the vocal.
Tish Ciravolo has such a lovely voice and a truly philosophical soul that I tried to make this one rock hard and dance floor ready so we can be moving our bodies to the ruminative.” … Julian Shah-Tayler
08. THE KISS OF THE WORLD (MGT Mix)
featuring Elena Alice Fossi * created by Mark Gemini Thwaite
Mark Gemini Thwaite - instrumentation and production
Elena Alice Fossi - voices * Michael Ciravolo- guitar * Ashley Bad-additional samples
“When Michael first sent me the studio mix for ‘The Kiss of the World’ and it’s intimate intro and verse, with Elena’s sexy vocals, I was immediately transported back to the glory days of trip hop back in the 90s, back when I was Tricky’s guitarist. I learned a lot about Tricky’s approach as a producer during those album sessions, so I fired up the existing mix on my console and slowly started rebuilding it from scratch, delicately nudging the music more towards a ‘90s trip hop introspective dance floor vibe with all new beats & synths, and added some vintage vinyl crackle… in fact one of the rare occasions where I didn’t add any guitars! I’m very happy with how it came out.” … Mark Gemini Thwaite
09. NOT YOUR FAULT (Meltdown Mix)
featuring Pinky Turzo * created by Michael Rozon
Michael Rozon: instrumentation and production
Pinky Turzo: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“Michael asked me to do a remix of a song that Pinky Turzo sang on . The lyric was heartbreaking and real . The thing for me was to stay out of the way of that vocal, reorganize the words a bit to try to emphasize the core of what Pinky was singing about. Sometime you have a very clear idea going into a remix , of what you want to do. Sometime you just poke around for a bit until you find something that works. The latter approach was what happened on this particular track . I tend to enjoy music that is sparse, hence the sparseness of this remix. I am always very grateful for the chance to take an existing track and turn it into something else.” … Michael Rozon
10. ORION (Asteron Mix)
featuring Whitney Tai / created by Tommy Hatz
Tommy Hatz: instrumentation and production
Whitney Tai: vocals * Jake Courlang: bass * Derek S. Abrams: live drums
Michael Ciravolo: lead guitar * Michael Rozon: synth * Dirk Doucette: additional live drums
“Upon hearing “Orion”, I was hooked by its cinematic scope and lush orchestration. Whitney’s vocals and lyrical concept fit the atmosphere perfectly and coincidentally entertain my fondness for cosmic metaphors in music. I imagined “Orion” as a grittier, more angst-driven song. I began by composing the guitar hook that shifts the tonal center of the verses to set a more brooding tone. The rest fell into place quickly from there. To help realize my vision for the song, I was fortunate to be able to rely on the talents of my friends Derek Abrams on drums and Jake Courlang on bass. The solid foundation they provide glues the track together.” .…. Tom Hatziemanouel
11. OPEN WOUND HEART (Edge Of Reality Mix)
featuring Cinthya Hussey / created by Tim Palmer
Tim Palmer: instrumentation and production
Cinthya Hussey: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitars and textures
Michael Rozon: bass * Dirk Doucette: live drums
“With this reimagining of ‘Open Wound Heart’ ..I really wanted to strip the song back to it’s melodic soul. The chords that Michael plays are so beautiful and haunting and Cinthya’s melody and harmonies are stunning. That stripped sound was the basic genesis of this remix and being a fan of The Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil, I had all the reference points I needed. The challenge was keeping the listener engaged for what is actually quite a long journey, but starting so small gave me plenty of areas to explore before the song hits its peak.
Another wonderful song from Beauty in Chaos.” … Tim Palmer
12. GRASP THE STARS (Collide Mix)
featuring Betsy Martin / created by Statik
Statik: instrumentation and production
Betsy Martin: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar * Kevin Kipnis: bass-VI
“When I start a remix, I don't typically want to become too familiar with the original song, otherwise, it can be tough to get everything that the original is, out of my head. So I'll listen to it a few times, and go from there. The first thing that jumped out to me as a starting point on this song was a bass-6 part that Kevin Kipnis had done, so I started building around that. I was also really drawn to the part of the song that was originally at the end and decided to do some re-arranging and use that part more of a chorus. One of the other things that i was hearing was some kind type of toy piano part to go along with the vocals in the verses. Of course I really wanted to keep Betsy's vocals really forward, and I did a few things to really make the new choruses a bit bigger and fuller than they were before. As a whole, I felt the song was so organic in its original form, I really wanted to take it in a more electronic direction, and I was super happy with how it turned out. “ …. Statik (Collide)
13. OPEN WOUND HEART (Shadows of Coils Mix)
featuring Cinthya Hussey / created by John Fryer
John Fryer: instrumentation and production
Cinthya Hussey: vocals
"After hearing Cinthya’s vocals it reminded me of the golden age of 4AD and found out she is a big This Mortal Coil fan and she wanted the remix to be in that vein so I channeled my ethereal DNA 🧬 to conjure this delicious remix. Hope you enjoy the audio ride” … John Fryer
THE FOLLOWING 12 TRACKS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DIGITAL VERSION of
‘BEHIND THE VEIL’ and the LIMITED EDITION ‘FURTHER BEHIND THE VEIL’ CD ONLY
14. AFTERLIFE (Weekend Mass Mix)
featuring Tish Ciravolo / created by Paul Wiley
Paul Wiley: instrumentation and production
Tish Ciravolo: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
Adrienne LaVey: opera voices
”Afterlife” was my favorite song of the album. . Simply because it was the most organic of all the tracks.. so my challenge was how can I make this song more grimy and dirty.” . … Paul Wiley
15. THE KISS OF THE WORLD (Kitty Lectro Mix)
featuring Elena Alice Fossi / created by Kitty Lectro
Kitty Lectro: instrumentation and production
Elena Alice Fossi: vocals
Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“"At risk of sounding like everyone else, it was Elena's powerful voice which captivated me. The loud and heavy chorus of the original version inspired me to create a faster and rawer remix influenced by Punk, Goth, and other Alternative cassette tapes from the 1980s.” … Kitty Lectro
16. NOT YOUR FAULT (JST Mix)
featuring Pinky Turzo / created by Julian Shah-Tayler
Julian Shah-Tayler: instrumentation and production
Pinky Turzo: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“Pinky Turzo’s vocal track unfurled so perfectly into my production style it was a very quick one to map out. I feel it’s a very strong song with the punchiest chorus.” … Julian Shah-Tayler
17. ORION (Deconstructing A Dream Mix)
featuring Whitney Tai / created by Sin Quirin
Sin Quirin and Alex Crescioni: instrumentation and production
Whitney Tai: vocals
mixed by Alex Crescioni at Stygian Sound
“W/hen I was asked if I would be interested in doing a remix for Beauty In Chaos I was beyond flattered and excited. Finding out it would be for the song “Orion” made things even more exciting for me as I love that song. Every remix I work on is approached differently and I always go with my initial gut instinct on where I'd like to take it. I usually like to keep most of the song structure the same but I like to reinterpret the sounds. Whitney's voice is beautiful in this song so I still wanted that to be in the forefront. As far as the music goes I wanted to give the track more of an electronic feel rather than have it stay guitar heavy. It literally was like tearing the original song apart and building it back up again with different sounds and elements. Alex Crescioni and I spent quite a bit of time on this one and I absolutely love how it turned out.” … Sin (Ministry / 3-Headed Snake)
18. OPEN WOUND HEART (JST Mix)
featuring Cinthya Hussey / created by Julian Shah-Tayler
Julian Shah-Tayler: instrumentation and production
Cinthya Hussey: vocals * Alain Whyte: guitars
“I worked with Cinthya Hussey before and am a huge fan, so I thought that I should ask my good friend Alain Whyte from Morrissey’s band to really punch up the guitars into that glam rock sound that no one does better. The song is great, and there is a nuance and complexity that deserved real attention.” … Julian Shah-Tayler
19. GRASP THE STARS (Spaghetti Galaxy Mix)
featuring Betsy Martin / created by Kevin Kipnis
Kevin Kipnis : instrumentation and production
Betsy Martin: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“This song originally was pretty dirg’y; Which I love!!! When I got the tracks to do this remix I chopped them up filtered and sequenced them out. And that’s how this remix got its feel. Something compelled me to put twang guitar and bass VI to the mix too. It’s always fun to get these tracks from Michael and Michael because there’s so much to choose from and to take it into whatever stratosphere you want to go to. I hope you enjoy “Grasp the Stars” the Spaghetti Galaxy Mix! “ … Kevin Kipnis
20. AFTERLIFE (From The Ether Mix)
featuring Tish Ciravolo / created by The Phoenix Supernova
The Phoenix Supernova: instrumentation and production
Tish Ciravolo: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“As 2021 trudged on. I found myself not focused on much in the way of creative endeavors. I honestly began to wonder if the rut would be permanent. Michael reached out to me asking if I had interest in remixing another tune this time around, and that was an honor I certainly could not pass up. I chose the track "Afterlife" for its texture and its mystery. I loved the way the vocals were swollen within the reverb and delay. I was reminded of listening to albums in my youth, where deciphering what was happening in my headphones was a joy. I chose to approach the song in a similar fashion, using sounds that gave me a similar sense of mystery and depth, as well as textures. I wrestled through the creative blocks, and once I got started, it began to flow efficiently. Thank you, Beauty In Chaos, for helping break the blockers, and allowing me to make noise again. Here's to 2022! Cheers!” … The Phoenix Supernova
21. THE KISS OF THE WORLD (Musa Nera Mix)
featuring Elena Alice Fossi / created by Julian Shah-Tayler
Julian Shah-Tayler: instrumentation and production
Elena Alice Fossi: vocals (Italian) *. Michael Ciravolo: guitar
Elena Alice Fossi’s band, Kirlian Camera, is a band I love, so it was a great honour to work with her vocal. I don’t speak Italian, so I was kind of flying blind with the lyric, but I loved weaving around her wonderful whispery voice. It felt like I was working on the Cocteau twins or something! … Julian Shah-Tayler
22. NOT YOUR FAULT (Sharp Edges Mix)
featuring Pinky Turzo / created by Roman Marisak
Roman Marisak: instrumentation and production
Pinky Turzo vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“When I was asked to do the remix, and first heard “Not Your Fault”, I new it would be very easy to remix. The song has a great vocal melody and several catchy guitar lines. When you have that, it’s so simple. I just started with those elements and worked around them to create this new electronic version of the song.” … Roman Marisak (Professional Murder Music)
23. ORION (Phunkstar Interstellar Mix)
featuring Whitney Tai / created by Bentley Jones
Bentley Jones: instrumentation and production
Whitney Tai: vocals * Michael Ciravolo: guitar
“I started my career producing remixes. I had a passion for the concept of taking someone's song and transporting it to another realm entirely. Taking it out of its original context and giving it new meaning. When Michael and Whitney asked me to remix “Orion”, initially I was a little daunted by the challenge of reinterpreting an alt-rock piece into a club track. I started by introducing a new progression more akin to the genre, then beefed up the tempo to gain a sense of pulse. Almost instantly the remix took shape and started making sense in this new form. Whitney referenced some dance classics when swapping notes, so I stayed away from current EDM monikers and went with some more retro and standard elements. I consider Michael a friend, and given Whitney's eloquence with EDM and electronica, I strived to produce a remix that would satisfy both of their impeccably high standards. Thank you so much for letting me loose on another one of your masterpiece!" --- Bentley Jones
24. BEHIND THE VEIL (Farrago Mix)
created by Kevin Kipnis
featuring the voices of Tish Ciravolo, Elena Alice Fossi, Pinky Turzo, Whitney Tai, Cinthya Hussey and Betsy Martin
Kevin Kipnis: instrumentation and production
Michael Ciravolo: guitar
far·ra·go
/fəˈräɡō/
noun
1. a confused mixture:
“Listening to all these great vocalist on these songs inspired me to put them together in a cohesive way as one. I gathered the snippets of the vocal parts. Arranged them and then built up the music behind it. Once that was done. I asked Michael to take it out with his crazy noisy Ebow guitar. He sent me the tracks and here we have it! Enjoy!” … Kevin Kipnis
25. ORION ft. Whitney Tai (Extended Album Mix)
written by Whitney Tai, Michael Rozon and Michael Ciravolo
Whitney Tai: voices and words. * Michael Ciravolo: guitars, bass-VI and textures
Michael Rozon: bass, piano, synths and drum programming
Dirk Doucette: live drums
recorded, mixed and produced by Michael Rozon
“It’s probably apparent that BIC songs tend NOT to be 3-minute singles! I love to let songs ‘go’ and see what happens. Even as a teenager, I used to turn up the volume as songs faded out to hear what was happening. “Orion” had sort of a “Kashmir” vibe to me; mostly due to Whitney’s middle-eastern style vocals in the middle section. I wanted to expand and play-off that with the guitars on the outro. We also had her ‘talk’ the verse lyrics to intertwine. When it came time for the video, the director felt that it would be difficult to hold interest in a 7-minute plus song, and add a lot more editing time with the ‘green screen’ footage. I don’t usually bend, but I gave in here as it was the best call. When it came time to finalize the running order of the vinyl, I was happy we had an edited version due to time constraints of both physical albums and CDs. I still enjoy this extended version and wanted to ensure it was released!” … Michael Ciravolo (Curator - BEAUTY IN CHAOS)
ALL SONGS ©2021 BEAUTY IN CHAOS MUSIC
PRODUCED BY MICHAEL ROZON, TIM PERRY and MICHAEL CIRAVOLO.
TRACKS 1-6 and 25 MASTERED at BECKER MASTERING (Pasadena, CA)
TRACKS 7-24 MASTERED by MICHAEL ROZON at SAINTinLA Studio (Sun Valley, CA)