MODyssey

“If you long for TRUE synthpop, this is a great band.” - Paul Rijnders, Anything Box
San Diego based synthpop group, MODyssey, are siblings Doug and James Bell. The group’s name is derived from the ARP Odyssey synthesizer that was purchased from another electronic act, I Satellite, which has been MODified to be semi-MODular, like its big brother, the ARP 2600.
Doug, the older of the two brothers and the chief songwriter, has been writing and composing synthesizer based pop since the age of fourteen. Inspired by his long-time favorite bands, Depeche Mode and Erasure, Doug has composed several songs over his eighteen years of writing. From his earlier work with Precise Movement, his high school band, to the now up and coming MODyssey, Doug draws inspiration from a variety of genres and styles; everyone from Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, to Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and Marc Almond of Soft Cell. Doug is also a rabid collector of vintage analog synthesizers. “I love the fact that since the majority of the synths I own have no way to store my sounds, and I’m rather lazy, I’m forced to create the sounds that I want to use, rather than settling for preset 22 on some digital synth that you hear in every other song out there. It really makes the sound design a part of the creative process. Oh, and they look really cool and have a lot of personality,” he says. “I also love the fact that every single adjustment to a sound I’d like to make can be done from the front panel without having to scroll through menu after menu just to route where I’d like an LFO to be applied.”
James has been playing a variety of instruments since his grade school days, where he learned the saxophone, and later, the bass and rhythm guitars. James has played in several bands over the years and has written and performed several solo tracks under the name of Bell and the Virgos. But it wasn’t until joining up with his brother that things really started to click. Of all the compliments MODyssey has received in their young career, praise for the vocal performances is the most consistent. “I think we’re very co-dependent,” says Doug. “Without James’ vocals, there wouldn’t be a MODyssey. I love his voice. Too many synthpop bands out there sound like they’ve cloned their vocalist from one another.” Regarding his older brother, James says “If Doug ever decided he wanted to sing lead, I’d be out of a job.” But the two brothers are very content with their roles within the band. “I have no interest whatsoever in being a frontman. Thankfully, James loves what he does.” James will be penning some of the new material that will be appearing on their initial CD release, “No Forbidden Connections,” which will be self-produced and released independently in 2004. “Unless someone picks us up before then."