Information AboutKhanoda |
Khanoda, (born '''Augustus John Richard Squillace''' on October 30 , 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ) is an American Pop Singer , Composer , and Producer . As of January 2006, Khanoda’s current album, a mock hits collection entitled, ''klosure. DISPOSABLE KLASSIX AND OTHER POTENTIAL FAILURES (1988 – 1998)'' released on November 24, 1998, has sold more than 100,000 copies independently and has become an underground favorite amongst the IDM and new music set throughout the United States and Europe. On November 22, 2005 Khanoda launched his most ambitious and controversial work to date with DISCIPLE OF TRUTH, a faux hate-blog designed as a sub-plot site to feverandfetish.com, which explores the themes of Lust, Ecstacy, Anger and Cruelty. Khanoda resides in New York City , and is currently working on a proper follow up to his last studio effort, 1994’s ''Lessons Learned on Leithgow St.'', titled ''Fever +Fetish'' due out in November 2006. BIOGRAPHY The beginning Khanoda initially got his start in 1987 when his attorney at the time got a hold of his demo and passed it on to a friend who worked for a music distributor in Germany. The tape eventually reached producers Hugo Salvatore and James St. Vincent who produced his first single, "Do What You Feel"; released in May 1988 on the duos label, the now defunct Metropolis Muzik, and in the US on TSR Records. An homage to the late 1980's club movement, "Do What You Feel" was a modest success overseas leading to Khanoda touring Germany's club circuit and live venues. An eponymous album and record deal with CBS Records in Europe and WTG Records in the US, a start up label of Tommy Mottola who later went on to head Sony Music , followed, but by then Khanoda returned to the states much to the chagrin of those involved in helping him get his start. {Link without Title} Khanoda stated in 2001: After the record deal was offered, I found myself less involved in the decision making process of my own career. Hugo and Jim, along with the label, wanted to cash in on the fact that I was 16 and throw me into the wave of teen acts that were big at that time like New Kids On The Block , Debbie Gibson and Tiffany . I wasn't interested in that. The people who I thought were loyal to me, and the direction I wanted to go musically, were easily blind-sided once a major wanted to get on board. They were only thinking about monetary gain. That instant gratification. I felt less like a person and more like a product. So I turned down the deal and went back home. Upon his return to the US, Khanoda joined a heavy metal outfit, Violent Solution, which he played drums and keyboards before he co-founded his own band, Armed N Dangerous . In January 1989 the band released, SCUM; a concept album based on the Alan Clarke film of the same name and featured songs penned for the most part by Khanoda. Constant in-fighting and tumultuous antics and outbursts on stage lead to the band's breakup soon after the album's release. {Link without Title} Unsigned Hero Following the demise of Armed n Dangerous, Khanoda re-embarked on his solo career once more. A trio of alternative influenced pop singles were released between 1989 through 1991. "Say A Prayer", "Something To Shout About" and "That's My Desire" all found their way to college radio. Although Khanoda cites the music of The Smiths and The Sundays as being templates for the songs aforementioned, their popularity won him approval amongst the new music set and placed him in the independent stream of underground artists known as "unsigned heroes." {Link without Title} It would be almost three years before Khanoda would release his most ambitious effort, 1994's Lessons Learned On Leithgow St. The album dealt with topics that were considered too controversial at the time such as rape, abortion and homosexuality. Khanoda, along with producer Larry Murray, created a sound sonically structured for the alternative genre by combining Celtic sounds with a hard rock edge. While "Lessons Learned On Leithgow St." contained accessible melodies, the subject matter of the song’s lyrics, although written with fearless wit and veracity, caused radio stations to pass on playing any of the album’s tracks. In the wake of its release, "Lessons Learned On Leithgow St." fell upon deaf ears for the most part, selling a humble 5,000 copies. {Link without Title} Klosure Other than an EP of mostly cover songs released in the UK (1997's 603 muv), by 1998 Khanoda began taking stock of his career to release the mock hits collection, “klosure. DISPOSABLE KLASSIX AND OTHER POTENTIAL FAILURES (1988-1998).” The title and concept of the album--which its liner notes depicts a self-effacing ne'er do well looking back with painful regret--was inspired by the "professional victim" profiled in Charles Sykes' book “A Nation of Victims: The Decay of the American Character.” Whether the album's concept is serious or satirical is debatable. Ultimately, it is its content that matters. Since its release in November 1998, "klosure." has gone on to be Khanoda's most successful album to date, selling close to 100,000 copies, and is considered an achievement both creatively and artistically by fans and critics alike.[http://www.khanoda.com Fever Rising With several months of recording to go, “Fever + Fetish” has been a major undertaking for Khanoda since its initial conception nearly 10 years ago. Originally titled “The BLACK Bootleg“, recording sessions for what would become “Fever + Fetish” were put on hold in 1997 (to prepare for the release of “klosure.“) before resuming again in early 2002. The result thus far is an album that finds Khanoda focused and more creatively expressive than he has ever been before. With tracks spanning across every genre from punk/pop (“Sidewinder”), to techno (“Down By The River”), to lo-fi electronica (“If Only For Tonight, We Could Sleep”), as well as Khanoda’s inevitable return to his club-kid roots (“Rise”), “Fever + Fetish“ is demonstrative of an artist at the top of his form. {Link without Title} If Life Hands You Lemons... In 1993 Khanoda founded Lemon Meringue Communications, a music production and publishing company created to sign and develop new artists to its label, Lemon Meringue Entertainment, and publishing name, Lemon Meringue Music. In addition to recording and publishing, Lemon Meringue Communications' production company, Lemon Meringue Productions, was to house a roster of producers from all genres to write and produce material for other artists. The first band to be produced for the label was, Coccia, a girl group which Khanoda wrote and produced under the pseudonym, Sigourney Bodean. The group's first effort was the techno infused pop single, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," which was released to clubs and radio in June 1994 followed by a 12" Single of remixes released as a club promo in February 1995. The latter release garnered a tremendous amount of attention from DJ's throughout New York City's most popular nightclubs at the time, including The Tunnel and Sound Factory, however both Khanoda and Coccia were no longer on speaking terms due to the group's concerns regarding money. The group was let go and Khanoda dissolved Lemon Meringue Entertainment in 1996 due in part to the lack of financial resources to properly market and distribute the label's releases. Khanoda cites “lack of maturity” on his part to the project’s failure stating that: :'' Everyone involved, myself included, had stars in their eyes. We only saw fame and fortune. No one thought that perhaps this might not work. What’s more, there was other people’s money being used and like any business venture that isn’t doing well it’s the first thing that becomes an issue. So much money and time was spent on the first release, which tanked that by the time the second mixes were being sent out, there was already too much damage done to try and move forward. It wasn’t my finest hour. ...You Make Lemonade Learning that it’s better to persevere on your own than with others, Khanoda focused entirely on himself and his music career releasing both “603muv” and “klosure. DISPOSABLE KLASSIX AND OTHER POTENTIAL FAILURES (1988-1998)” on the Lemon Meringue imprint, Kommunion . With the success of “klosure.,” and the anticipation generating around the release of “Fever +Fetish” later this year, the label shows signs of becoming a new force in independent music thanks in part to online marketing and digital music distribution. Khanoda has been at the forefront of the digital music revolution when in 1998 he teamed with ENSO Audio Imaging to stream, "klosure." to the public, in its entirety, prior to its release. Khanoda's music has since been available at both Napster and ITunes ; he joined online music distributor, The Orchard , in 1999 which was co-founded by songwriter and producer, Richard Gottehrer. In addition to music and publishing, Lemon Meringue Communications branched out into multi-media when in 2002 Khanoda founded MURMUR Design Group, a design collective consisting of graphic and web designers from New York, Chicago and London. Khanoda in Cyberland In 1999 Khanoda launched khanoda.com, his official website. Since then he has taken full advantage of the medium as a way to entertain and connect with his audience. In 2002 khanodasugar.com launched as a component to “Sugar” the lead single from Khanoda’s forthcoming album, “Fever +Fetish.” The site was the first of its kind to include an audio biography. On May 28, 2003 several mixes of “Sugar” were premiered on khanodasugar.com for one day from twelve in the afternoon to midnight. The site received close to 30,000 hits during its 12 hour run. In 2006 Khanoda continued to break new ground with feverandfetish.com an album specific site launched on February 21, 2006 that explores love through stories about Lust, Ecstacy, Anger and Cruelty. A sub-plot to feverandfetish.com launched on November 22, 2005 and is considered thus far as Khanoda’s most ambitious and controversial work to date. DISCIPLE OF TRUTH is a faux hate-blog featuring sexual and racial epithets against homosexuals, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and foreigners in its entries posted by Truth Disciple, a character that, according to Khanoda, serves as a gateway to the stories being told on feverandfetish.com. While Khanoda states on the site’s disclaimer that Truth Disciple is in no way a reflection of himself, he does add that the character is a reflection of all of us. As of January 2006, DISCIPLE OF TRUTH, or DOT, as it has come to be known, has received over 60,000 hits. Current projects
TRIVIA
I didn’t want to use Gus or Augustus as my stage name. At the time I didn’t think they were at all unique. My mother suggested the name Khanoda. It’s derived loosely from Canada. When {Link without Title} was about 5 or 6 she came across the city of Regina (her name is Regina), in a book about Canada, which she phonetically pronounced as Kah-nah-dah. She thought later on that that would be a great name if she had a kid. When I was born she wanted to name me Khanoda Augustus, but my Dad’s family was against it since I was the only son. It would only be right to name me after my father.
OTHER KHANODA RELATED ARTICLES EXTERNAL LINKS
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