About Me
The Coma Therapy Audiobook was read and recorded by author Eric Victorino.
I remember my first time hearing recordings of the crumpled up, filthy old voice of Charles Bukowski as he read his poetry for college students or whoever attended his readings. People would interrupt him, sometimes disgusted by his stories. Others would applaud or laugh aloud. I've never found a good, clean "professional quality" recording of any of his work and I'm glad I haven't. Those old recordings were perfect just how they were. They put a voice to the words I had loved reading for so many years. They made things feel complete. Here was this crass old man whose words had captivated me all on their own, in the silence of black and white print and then came the sounds to bowl me over.
Poetry was pulled out of the boring, frilly bullshit world of high school required reading and elevated to glorious new lows.
Real, ugly, dirty, simple and bold...
The same thing happened when I started looking around at record shops and online and finding random clips and recordings of Hunter S. Thompson giving interviews and reading excerpts from his books. I felt like I knew him when I read his books - But when I listened to his voice I almost felt like I was him. I distinctly remember my first time hearing the sick, ghostly voice of William S. Burroughs reading his poetry with the devilish feedback squeals of Kurt Cobain's tortured guitar in the background - it wasn't theatrical or dramatic, it was just the author reading his shit the way he would read his rough drafts to a friend. What a great recording... An old friend of mine had the tape, I've never been able to find it again... That was when I realized spoken word was really just music in the most basic sense - there wasn't any singing and no one was really playing anything... It was a new genre for me to explore and absorb, taking its place alongside punk, folk and hip-hop as the sounds of statement and purpose.
When I released the first edition of the book in 2006 I had no plans of ever recording the poems, much less releasing a CD. I hadn't even considered it. I doubted anyone would be very interested in hearing me read my poetry... To be completely honest I wasn't even sure anyone would want to read it, most of the singers and songwriters I knew of who had written books were not so warmly received by critics or even fans of their music.
Though there may be a few people out there who'd want the recordings, I knew there wouldn't be enough demand to warrant the pressing of a traditional disc. A couple of things have changed since the release of the book. Having sold out of the first printing much more quickly than I could have hoped, Coma Therapy is now in its second printing, expanded, redesigned and reborn. I've taken to the streets and done some readings around the country alongside my band while on tour and have felt such a strong connection to my readers through the intimacy of readings and open mic nights held at indie coffeeshops and art galleries across the country - Reading my stories in front of audiences has been just as satisfying as singing my songs. When I'm on stage with my band - though I stand in front of them, in a lot of ways I'm actually hiding behind them. The noise, the intensity, the hot lights and the crowds - It's something I've had years and years to refine, it's an unnatural setting I've had a lifetime to get used to.
The readings are just me, a microphone and my stories... No flashing lights...
Another factor weighing heavily in my decision to record the Coma Therapy Audiobook is the advent of what I'm calling the Radiohead Revolution. The release of their new album in a digital only format is an incredible step forward for all recording artists. (I know lots of others are doing it too but Radiohead is one of my favorite bands, and the first huge band to embrace the MP3) Their ability to connect directly with their fans and distribute their recordings has directly inspired my mimicry in this project. I know, in the digital age, the minute a CD comes out it's uploaded and traded and passed around as digital files. To lots of people, the CD itself is a useless piece of plastic. (personally, I disagree - but who am I to stand in the way of progress?) Like Radiohead, I'm offering the complete recordings of the poems and stories of Coma Therapy for download, free of charge. All I'm asking for is a donation of whatever you think the recordings are worth. (donations also help cover hosting fees)You can download the files without donating anything at all, listen to them once, twice, a hundred times - and should you decide to make a donation at any time you can do so right here in any amount you choose. Remember my writing career is completely done on my own, without the support of any companies or publishers, so every cent you donate will go where it's supposed to go.
I know I could have scheduled time at some fancy studio somewhere to read and record this thing with the help of a real engineer, could have made it sound perfect - but perfection isn't always perfect. In this case perfection isn't the point. Besides, with all my tour dates and other projects, finding time to schedule professional sessions would probably delay this thing forever. Ultimately, all I want is to have an impact on my readers and listeners the way all those old recordings of my favorite writers changed me...
Aside from the fact that all of the writers I mentioned were much older (and much better) than myself - the only thing they all have in common is that the recordings I loved so much were all of pretty low quality - they were complete shit, scratchy, noisy and it didn't matter - I could hear their voices telling their stories and that was all I needed. That being said - I decided I'd record the whole thing myself, on my laptop, whenever I could find the time and the mood - So some pieces were recorded at my home in my little art room (listen closely for loud neighbors through the walls and barking dogs in the distance) - other pieces were recorded on tour in hotel rooms, backstage at clubs or in the band van parked in some nasty downtown alley...
This reading and recording process has brought my writing into a new light and I hope it does the same for you.
be well-
Eric Victorino
