It all began in 1988. I got a hold of a 4-track recorder and began experimenting. The result was an exciting, if not downright bizarre mix of dark melodies, distorted guitars, drum loops, and altogether outlandish musical experimentation. I put the first bunch of sessions together as a seamless album of songs and instrumental spaced-out interludes, and called the project DOG, inspired by a dream I had when I was 5 (don't ask...actually the dog is a recurring archetype for pre-pubescent males according to Freud). Andres Karu heard the tape and then played me something he created in his own makeshift home studio. I was blown away by his creepy instrumental piece, oozing with equally searing and soothing reverberated guitars, drum machines, and backward voices. We decided right there and then to join forces to make strange and beautiful, indefinable music. We locked ourselves away for two weeks in my studio during the summer of '88 and emerged with a full-length album replete with bombastic, trippy guitars, eerie synthesizers, drum machines, loops, backward effects, and campy, esoteric lyrics (music critics and Bob Dylan fans would more than likely regurgitate faster than you can say Marc Bolan). A cassette of DOG II: As If Once Wasn't Enough, was passed around our friends like VD at a porn convention. Over the next few years we recorded another 6 albums worth of our dark, eclectic songs and musical (often cacophonic) explorations.
In early 1992, we met two incredibly beautiful and talented performance-art dancers, Joie and Nicole. We were immediately taken with their style: a cross between 1920s flappers and blonde gothic alterna-chicks. The four of us, along with our long-time friend/manager/sound/light guy, Matt Schmidt, created an incredible live show that combined glam rock, goth, modern dance, and side-show influenced antics. It was over-the-top in the tradition of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, Alice Cooper, Kiss and Bauhaus and we quickly took the New Jersey/New York City club scene by storm. Nicole's presence in the band was short-lived and she was soon replaced by my sister, Amy. Amy and Joie's contributions to the live show were immeasurable, as they designed their own costumes, choreographed elaborate dances and collaborated with Matt Schmidt on awe-inspiring set and lighting designs. DOG shows became events in which everyone became involved in one way or another, on and off the stage (I will spare you the gory details). Between 1992 and 1995 we built a loyal cult following in clubs like N.Y. City's CBGB, The Limelight and the Pyramid; as well as N.J. venues like the now-defunct Melody, the now-revamped Stone Pony and T-Bird's, which paved the way for the now legendary Saint, in Asbury Park.
Andres and I relentlessly continued recording in-between shows and amassed a vault of music that would make the artist once again known as Prince, himself, feel like a slacker. In 1994 alone, we recorded 14 albums worth of music that ranged from dark industrial goth to ethereal alternative, melodic, acoustic pop. During this period, I also collaborated with a few members of the DOG family on other projects. Tenno Andra and I, along with Andres, created 2 albums worth of spoken-word and ambient/noise under the moniker: Speak the Worms. I also recorded 2 experimental electro-noise-rock albums with Sergio GuGu Aureo. That project was dubbed Corduroy Poo-Poo by the enigmatic Mr. Andra, who also contributed to it.
Our continuous and often draining hard work (with not as much as enough dough to shop in 99 ¢ent Dreams, to show for it) led to a few intra-band disasters. In late 1994, Andres and I decided it was time to leave the theatrics behind and put all of our focus on the music. That decision would quickly change our fate.
One afternoon, while recording in our home studio, I received a call from Jon Zazula (of Metallica, Anthrax and Ministry fame). He asked me if we needed a manager. Apparently one of our demo tapes fell into his hands. We agreed to meet with him and his wife/business partner Marsha and within months we signed a management deal with the couple, which quickly led to a major record deal with Warner/Reprise records. Thus began a new chapter in our lives. We recruited drummer Dave Halpern and changed the name of the band to LOVE IN REVERSE (after a song title on the first DOG album) and off we went into the treacherous and exciting world of major labeldom (or perhaps more appropriately, major label-dumb)anyways, we made 2 kick-ass albums and one ep with some legendary producers/engineers and toured N. America several times with the likes of Gravity Kills, Republica, Stabbing Westward and Holy Barbarians (the, then, current project of The CULT's Ian Astbury). We also made a few televison appearances including MTV's 120 minutes and ABCs Turning Point. You can still get all 3 of our releases (very cheap, I might add ...I've seen I Was Here for a single fucking cent!) through Amazon.com and other fine retailers. Recently, Rhino records picked up the electronic rights to our L.I.R. recordings and have made them all available at i-Tunes and Napster ahhh...the life of an artist. However, in all seriousness, looking back, those days were some of the best of my life and I feel blessed to have been there.
M Ferentino (February 8, 2006, somewhere in NJ)
