You are here: Justified Type > discographies > Mortal/Fold Zandura > Info File

Mortal/Fold Zandura

Mortal/Fold Zandura Info File 2.6

…A collection of magazine articles, press clippings, lyrics, and other things people have sent me regarding Jyro & Jerome…

Revised 2003-07-14, 10:08 PM CDT (UTC −0600)

Formerly called the “Mortal / Fold Zandura FAQ”.

Mortal / Fold Zandura Info File Contents

Document Information

Send all additions, corrections, and comments to me via e-mail

More copyright info appears at the end of this file.

Thanks to:

Carson Pierce, John J. Thompson, Heaven’s Metal, ThisProphecy, Josh Pyle, Matt Jurach, Perg (F.O.M.), George Kao (Lusis), Robert Berman (sample guy), Jason Steiner (other sample guy), Chris King (Squid Head), Ken Hutchinson, Fathomless, LiNeNoIsE, Paul McDaniel, Scott Fincher, Tim Nardoni, Zero, Aaron Romanowsky, Jeff Roberts, Scott Lee, Chaz, Nate, D. A. Blackwell, Philip and Ash, Kevin Manis, Peter Cigehn, Tom Holz, Nathan Johnson, Rodney Estwick, Nailed, dredge, Jesse Hamm, Joey B, everyone who has written to me or contributed (in many cases, unwittingly), and… Jyro & Jerome for the music and everything else.

If anyone objects to their material being quoted in this file, please e-mail me.

Return to the Table of Contents

Other Sources for Mortal or Fold Zandura Information

Visit these Internet sites:

Return to the Table of Contents

Correspondence

Mortal:

Fold Zandura:

[E-mail addresses are without “mailto” links to possibly reduce the amount of spam that FZ might get from web-crawling spammers. You’ll have to type in the addresses. I’m sorry about this, but this is an inconvenience that polite people must take to avoid unwanted intrusions.]

Return to the Table of Contents

General Band Information — “We have traveled far!”

Personnel:

Mortal Wish (band; 1988)
Gyro, Jerome, Wilson Peralta, and Ray Tongpo
Mortal (band & production team; 1991–present)
Jyro (formerly Gyro) and Jerome (& additional Mortalians)
[the band supposedly ceased 31 Dec 1994, but have since released 1 album and ‘presented’ 1 other]
Blood (production & mixing team; 1994)
Jyro, Jerome, and Mark Rodriguez
Fold Zandura (“zan-joor-ah”) (band; 1995–present)
Frank Lenz, Jerome Fontamillas, and Jyro Xhan (“chan”)

Related bands:

Jyradelix/Psycho-Lizards (1992)
Bliss Friday, Johann Fontamillas, Love Villain, and Wilson Peralta
Erin Fall [formerly known as Mindbender] (1994?–present)
Johann (Fontamillas) and wsp (Wilson Peralta).

Up until the release of Fathom, the band members were listed simply as “Gyro and Jerome”. With the release of Fathom, Gyro changed the spelling of his name to “Jyro.” Although many people still call him “Gyro,” in this file I will refer to him with the latter spelling.

Either way his name is spelled, “Jyro” is pronounced JY-ro.

According to a source, Jyro & Jerome stated on L.A.’s “Ground Floor” show that the name “Mortal” is used to show that they don’t consider themselves better than anyone else, that everyone is subject to the will of God, and that they despise being worshipped by fans. (This file is written to introduce people to the band and as a service to Mortal fans, not as an act of hero worship on my part.)

While Mortal became best known for their industrial style, their sound is quite diverse. Their styles have been compared to Skinny Puppy, Nirvana, Michael W. Smith, Helmet, and The Beatles. They are indeed eclectic and eccentric.

Return to the Table of Contents

Press Release-type Info

from the Intense Live Series Vol. 5 CD sleeve (with minor spelling and grammatical corrections):

History:

Intense introduced a fresh new musical style called industrial to the ccm world in January of 1992 with the release of Lusis. The debut from Mortal, a group speared by two inspired young Filipinos named Jyro and Jerome, sent sparks around the country and paved the way for a flood of industrial bands that released records the same year. Mortal represented authenticity in the truest sense of the word yet they solidified their own identity with a non-traditional sound consisting of original samples, techno beats and heavy metal guitar riffs.

The response to these pioneers was overwhelming. Not only did Mortal gain critical response from media and radio, including the hit song “Mytho-X,” which was the only song from an industrial band to make both the CCM Update Rock and Metal year-end charts, but they also gained the people’s vote for the best new band of 1992.

Fathom, the follow-up to Lusis, continued the progression of the group, taking the industrial sound to a new level, a style they dubbed “hyper-soul.” Mortal continues to be trend-setters and have proven that they can reproduce their music live with concert dates and festival appearances across the country, as well as this absolutely live display for you.

— Ricky Thompson

Session Notes:

Mortal is emerging as one of the best live bands in Christian music today. They’ve recorded two superb studio records (for which I’ve had the pleasure of participating) and with this latest record have merged the two venues into one exciting project. Jyro and Jerome are two of the most humble and unassuming people around, and in my opinion two of the most talented for such relatively new artists. Jyro demonstrates an incredible capacity for writing original, intelligent, thought-provoking gospel-centered lyrics that certainly belie his youth…

— Terry Taylor

from the “Industrial Revolution” column of True Tunes News, Spring 1994, page 27. Reprinted by permission [This article absolutely ruined my day.]:

Mortal Calls it Quits

This Just In!!! On March 7th we received a press release from the industrial flagship of Christian music, Mortal, informing us that they are disbanding as of December 31st, 1994 permanently. Citing only that “God is in control,” and “We have for a long time been seeking the Lord’s will through constant prayer, petition, and obedience.” Jyro and Jerome announced their decision with much sincerity. They are in the process of booking the “Mortal Farewell Tour,” and say that they hope to meet and fellowship with their fans one last time as Mortal. They will continue their production projects, like the new Star Flyer 59 [sic], under the trade name “BLOOD,” and will continue their involvement in the Christian music scene, albeit in new and different areas… Although it is truly disappointing to see a band as imaginative, talented, and spiritually alive as Mortal call it quits, it is encouraging to see God’s children doing their best to follow His will. These friends of ours started their press release with a string of Bible verses that obviously gave them encouragement and direction, so I will close with them. However, I’m going to make you all look up the verses yourselves. Three cheers for Mortal, a couple of God-fearing young men who are most definitely “Alive And Awake!” Read Matthew 6:33, 1 John 2:17, 1 John 5:3, Matthew 22:37, John 8:47, Psalm 105:4, and John 14:1. Peace!”

— Sam Puller’s second cousin Mid E. Jacksin [har har]

Return to the Table of Contents

Interviews

from Sam Puller’s “Industrial Revolution” column of True Tunes News, Spring 1994 Update, page 18: (Reprinted by permission.)

Too Young to Die; An Interview with Mortal

TTN: What attracted you about industrial music?

Jyro: There were elements of it I really liked: the fact that I could do it in my bedroom, the fact that I’m not a singer, and Jerome and I vowed to ourselves that we’d make music that would make skills out of our inadequacies. Because we couldn’t sing, we screamed. Because we couldn’t play guitar, we sampled riffs and so forth. The technology was what we were really good at; sequencing and sampling, and so on.

TTN: I think your songwriting has been consistently strong.

Jyro: I’ve always been into poetry and literature. That was one of my fortes. Cummings, Yates, and Keats.

[…]

TTN: Is there any final message you’d like to send your fans?

Jyro: I think it’s time for people to be on top of what they believe in, the things they’ve invested time in. Whether it be music, or reading the Word, just make sure that those things are consistent with what’s happening in your life. Otherwise, when gray areas appear between what you believe in and what’s happening in the world, it’ll be easy for you to say that those gray areas are just the way the world is. Look around and make sure that your life is a complete whole, from what you do to what you say. Make sure your beliefs are consistent.

from Heaven’s Metal’s review of Cornerstone ’94:

Jyro: We don’t always understand God. We’re doing better than we’ve ever done as a band. I mean, we’re actually getting paid now, but God told us to lay it down.

an interview with Jerome and Jyro from Heaven’s Metal, done by Randy Rocker:

Under a quiet circus tent during the last day of Cornerstone ’94, Jyro and Jerome, collectively known as Mortal, gave this heartfelt, teary eyed interview to Heaven’s Metal writer Randy Rocker, discussing the band’s vision, future, and reasons for dissolving the popular industrial group. Though Jyro and Jerome will continue their involvement in music, as producers, their sincere and passionate songs under the Mortal umbrella will be deeply missed.

Heaven’s Metal: What did you want to accomplish when your debut, Lusis, was released?

Jyro: Musically, we wanted to push ourselves more. Our jumping off point was the song “Fisherman.” We wanted to make more songs with that feel. When Fathom came out, we got the opportunity to tour a lot more and to speak a lot about Jesus Christ and what’s going on in our lives.

Jerome: We wanted the music to breathe a little more.

HM: Can you capsulize why you’ve decided to end Mortal?

Jerome: First of all, we’re going into production more (as Blood), which interests us a lot. As far a Mortal, we feel that, as far as the style of music is, I think we pushed it to its limits. We’re not really an industrial band, like Chatterbox or Circle of Dust. It’s not like we’re leaving the industry. We’re getting into production and we’ll be behind the scenes.

Jyro: I think it was definitely our fault as much as how we were marketed. We did come up with an industrial dance record when we first came out, but now we’re getting in touch with what we are, we’re finding out that our musical boundaries are much bigger than that genre. It’s tough to also want to be true to the people who listen to your music and to give them the music that they want to hear. If they’re stuck on a certain style, it’s hard to sway 20,000 people and have them move with you. The other things are a lot more spiritual. We saw so many things that we didn’t want to be associated with in the industry, as well as with bands we know. We didn’t like the way that we’ve become, trying to go out there and tour as much as possible to try and sell records. We didn’t like to be marketed. We didn’t like the hype.

HM: Do you feel now that you were too naïve before entering into the business?

Jyro: I think so. It was a wonderland, you know, being signed. You don’t know anything about lawyers or contracts. You figure that it’s cooler, because it’s the Christian music industry and all you have to do is trust people. But, business is business in this world. It will always be. We made some terrible mistakes. Through all of that, we’ve had some falling out with our record company, but we’ve come back full circle with them and we’ve squared things away. They’re really catering to our needs recently. Maybe they weren’t in the position to do that before, and that’s why we went through so much garbage, pain and hurt. But now, maybe they’re in the position to help and, even if they’re not, they’re definitely not, and I appreciate that. As far as Mortal goes, the Lord is saying, ‘Be still and know that I’m still your Heavenly Father, your God, and I’m still guiding your way.’

HM: What are you going to miss the most?

Jerome: Talking to a lot of people. It’s encouraging to talk to a lot of people.

Jyro: You get recharged when you talk to people about Christ. No matter what you’re going through, if you’re talking to someone who needs it even more than you do, the Holy Spirit just likes to jump into those conversations and gets you on the right perspective again.

HM: Was it a mutual agreement between both of you to cease Mortal?

Jyro: It was immediate. I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to both of us.

Jerome: That was why it wasn’t hard to make a decision like that. Both of us felt the same way.

HM: Do you have another band planned in the back of your mind?

Jerome: We’re going into the studio to record the final Mortal album, Wake.

Jyro: Most of it is going to be songs that we do live, but somehow, in the last two years those songs have become something completely different and we want to bring out the live feel that we have in the arrangements. There’s going to be at least four new tunes on there. Frontline wants us to do another project in the future, called Oyster, which is kind of a more experimental trance and techno project which Jerome is spearheading. I’m probably going to write some songs on there. There’s probably going to be some praise songs on there, which is something we always wanted to do.

HM: There’s going to be a lot of emotion in the studio.

Jyro: It’s definitely going to come out whether or not we try. That’s why we’re going to try to invite as very little people as possible.

Jerome: We’re hoping for a release in October so we’re trying to record in only a month.

HM: Providing your insight from experience, what advice would you give to a new band?

Jyro: In the last few months a lot of bands have been coming to us for advice. If you are seeking Christ, and you’re hungry and thirsty for His righteousness, and you’re seeking a godly life, and you’re in a band and all of you are doing the same, you really have nothing to worry about, because you’re already in God’s will. It’s tough to be young and to be offered a contract and to turn it down. It’s tough to have that kind of perspective and I think that everyone’s still going to do it regardless of what anyone tells them, because of the sheer factor of that it’s human. Especially someone who loves music, that’s in a band, and that has these dreams — they’re going to do it regardless.

Jerome: Plus, to be in a band and to do music for the Lord is a privilege. God can easily take it away anytime.

HM: What’s the one thing that’s stood out the last few years?

Jyro: The friends that we’ve retained the first year. Like JPUSA, Circle of Dust, The Crucified guys. Our relationships have never changed and I’m so thankful for those people whose hearts were there just to be friends.

HM: What’s something else that you would have liked to have accomplished?

Jyro: I think given one more year we would have gotten to the point where people could relate to us almost automatically. I think there’s a lot of ambiguity because of musical styles. People get alienated because of certain musical styles and I think, given another album and another progression, we might have reached a lot more people than we have. I wish we could have done another year’s worth of touring just to solidify our friendships — especially the people we’ve met this year.

HM: What final thing would you like to say to your audience?

Jerome: These past couple of years we’ve really been encouraged by all the people that wrote us and that have come up to us at the shows. That really helped us the past three years.

Jyro: Every story that you’ve told us about the changes in your life and how the music of Mortal has blessed you, as much as it’s meant to you guys, it’s ministered so many times to us. Especially on the road (where) you tell us what a certain song has meant to you…it’s made us try harder to become children of God. It’s really pumped us up and given us the encouragement that we really don’t know how we can express it. We love everyone’s hearts out there. I want to say that God is a whole lot bigger than the Christian music industry. If you can’t find anything in Christian music that you like, that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have room for you in His arms. I just want to praise God in remembrance for everyone that we’ve met.

interview with Jyro of Mortal conducted by Josh Pyle of Radio Free Wheaton at Hardcore ’94 in Elgin, IL.:

Radio Free Wheaton: After Mortal breaks up at the end of the year, will there be any new projects that you guys are going to work on?

Jyro: Actually, that’s the cool part and the scary part because we don’t know what the Lord has planned for us. We have general plans, but the Lord seems to like to thwart those things.

RFW: Are you still going to be working with Jerome?

Jyro: Oh yes. We’re not breaking up because (of anything) between me and him. It’s bigger than both of us. I’m working with Jerome and the guy that does sound for us, Mark Rodriguez. (It’s) called Blood.

RFW: Yes — you guys produced Starflyer 59. Are you going to be doing any more production work?

Jyro: Right now our last production was our last album. We don’t know what our next gig is as far as that goes.

RFW: How is the new album, Wake different from Lusis or Fathom?

Jyro: It’s very different. There’s probably just 4 or 5 samples in the whole thing. Everything’s live — live drums, live bass, live everything. I think we might lose some people who really loved what happened on Fathom, but the heavy guitars and all that stuff is still there. It’s just that it’s more focused on songs and melodies right now.

RFW: So you think it’s going to surprise a lot of fans?

Jyro: Yes. I hope we don’t make a lot of fans mad, though, because it is a lot different. I do a ballad on it, we do a Beatles tune on the CD version — “Nowhere Man”, (which) we try to do just like the original… Stuff like that — it’s completely different.

RFW: Do you think you’ll continue to make any more music in the industrial-metal vein or will you be branching out a little more?

Jyro: I think we’ve taken Mortal as far as it can go, personally. That’s also one of the reasons we’re quitting. There’s great industrial bands and we’re definitely not one of them. Circle of Dust, Chatterbox, Deitiphobia’s still out there, Under Midnight just has a new album… (Just) great industrial bands and that’s not really our place anymore. As far as heaviness — I love the guitar, so the guitar is always going to be in the forefront.

RFW: Do you have any idea of what label you might work with after this album and the contract with Intense is over?

Jyro: I don’t think going to another label for us would really help out. If anything, we’d probably start out own label — really small — (not involving) more than just the band. Ideally I’d like to put out my own different projects through my own label.

RFW: What are the last three records you listened to?

Jyro: I like Everything But the Girl’s new album… I’ve been listening to the Cocteau Twins… (I’ve) been getting back into some old ELO — Out of the Blue. I haven’t been listening to anything hard or anything. I’ve never really listened to any of that kind of music anyway.

RFW: Thanks a lot, Jyro. I appreciate it.

Jyro: You’re welcome.

Return to the Table of Contents

Mortal Merchandise sheet

This is the introductory text from a 1993 merchandise sheet (sent to me by Steve Levering). Most of it appeared as a single paragraph. I’m including this here because it was probably one of the few communications from the band to the public outside of the albums or shows.

To those who are Alive & Awake:
Greetings from Mortal:
We just want to thank everyone who came out to see us this past year. We have been working very hard all over the U.S., and we appreciate all your support. We will be sending out a quarterly newsletter called, “SEEDS” to everyone who signed the Mortal mailing list. Psst… if you’ve already signed the Mortal mailing list you do not need to sign it again. If you are not on the mailing list and want to be added, or you know someone who would like to be added, simply drop us a letter with your request and we will add you to the list. Below you will find our first mail order catalogue. We will be updating the merchandise selections from time to time, and we’d love to hear your input too. Also Mortal will be holding a special drawing for “FREE MERCHANDISE”. To enter, simply return the Mortal catalogue order form by Oct. 31, 1993. All winners will be notified promptly. *Mortal’s first video will be released early 1994. The song is “RIFT” from their “FATHOM” album. Get ready to start calling/bugging MTV!!! **Mortal will be touring this fall and will hit the Northwest in Jan-Feb ’94, also Mortal will be touring extensively through the rest of the country March-May ’94, and the summer festivals. ***Mortal will appear on an alternative compilation album entitled, “Browbeat”, featuring a new acoustic tune called, “Bleeder”. Again, thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you soon. THE “WORD” IS ALIVE!!!
— MORTAL

See the form (PDF).

If you’re interested in Mortal merchandise, I’m sorry to report that it’s too late. I e-mailed the band and Jerome said that even they didn’t have any of this stuff.

Return to the Table of Contents

Reviews of Mortal’s “Last” Shows

a review of Mortal’s last 2 concerts, done by Matt Jurach:

Oh my goodness. I was fortunate enough to see Mortal on the 30th [of December 1994], at the Screem in Concord [CA], and the 31st at Azuza [in Ontario, CA]. If you decided not to go to either of these shows, kick yourself in the butt right now!

In Concord, Mortal was preceded by the Furies, Yellow Snow, and Sometime Sunday. Then, on came Mortal. They were great. What more can one say? They started with “Filter” which is just an amazing song live. They also played “Paradigm 1” which is equally amazing live. So much energy in these songs. Bryan Gray (The Blamed) came out to play on “Godspeed,” which they change a bit to play live. I wish they had recorded this live version of “Godspeed”, because it has super-powerful guitar riffs! Very good stuff. Jyro did a solo version of “Jill Sent Me”. They also introduced a new version of “Santa Cruz” called “Cruising for Life”. Same song, but different music, a la much of the material on Wake. Then it was back into songs like “Alive and Awake” and “Rift”. They finished with, of course, “Enfleshed”. Jyro let the people in front have the microphone to sing the chorus and had the whole entire house jumping. Then Jyro led the crowd in a chorus of “As the Deer…”, with nothing but our voices sounding to praise God. I wish they had played for hours longer, but they, as well as people like me, had to get down to L.A. the next day.

At Azuza, Starflyer 59 started out about 1 hour late. They were hot. Plank Eye then came on to punk things up a bit. Sometime Sunday was up next, and Mikee had some trouble screaming towards the end of their set, since he had not held back at all the night before. The Prayer Chain played several songs off of their upcoming release, and these sounded pretty energetic. Then, on came Mortal.

Again, what can one possibly say to do justice to this band’s final performance? I’ll try. “Filter” rocked. Imagine 2000 people jumping together throughout this song. Frank Tate came out after this song to ask that we be careful around the light supports, which were swaying pretty good under the crush… They did “Mytho-X” this time, which like “Godspeed” has different guitar riffs than the recorded version does. This song should have been recorded in the live version, as well! Jyro was taking leaps across the entire stage by this time. Fun, fun, fun! They did “Painkiller”, too, and Jyro encouraged people to move out into the whole warehouse, and do whatever they wanted to praise God. “Your praise should go straight from you to God, not from you to God through a band. Don’t let anyone around you keep you from praising your God right now.” As he said at the beginning of Mortal’s set, “This is going to be a worship service. I hope that’s OK with you.” Jyro again did “Jill Sent Me” with just his guitar. Then they launched into a medley, which started with U2’s “Running to Stand Still”. Also included was “Ruby Tuesday”, and other songs from secular artists that I didn’t catch. The medley ended with a praise song. What Jyro said next impressed me so much that I think I’ve memorized it. “Music is a very powerful thing. It happens that a lot of the good music out there is made by people that don’t believe in God, or refuse to believe in God. But 1994 stands out as the year that Christian music caught up, or went ahead even. A lot of Christian bands stopped listening to other people and started doing their own thing. A lot of this is due to Tooth and Nail Records, which has probably changed the Christian music industry forever.” Take a clue from Jyro, and go buy Tooth and Nail’s entire catalog of music. Hopefully, it is the face of things to come in Christian music. Mortal’s next to last song was a total punk rock cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Road.” It was great! Then they ended with the last time “Enfleshed” will ever be played again. This alone would have been worth the drive and ticket price. Total unity. And as the night before, Jyro then led everyone in singing “As the Deer…”

Mortal may have been the greatest Christian band ever. If you got to see them, consider yourself blessed. But as Jyro said at both of their last shows, “I hope that years from now, you don’t even remember who the bands were that played. I hope you just remember that you went somewhere where there were other Christians, and that you all praised God together.” That was the essence of Mortal: an ever-changing group of musicians who helped people praise God. They were always striving to be nothing more than vessels for God to use in many people’s lives. There have been many vessels before them. There will be many after them. But perhaps none will ever be quite the same.

Mortal: 1992–1995

but the Word is still Alive.

Return to the Table of Contents

Rift — the World’s Greatest Song

from Bill & Jill’s interview in ThisProphecy, issue 18 (Fall 1994), pg 19:

Jyro: “Rift” is a song I wrote two days after I was saved. I couldn’t function correctly. There’s a lot of healing in that song which people can relate to, regardless of the style. It was bitter, but there’s so much victory in the end.

review of the “Rift” video, done by Doug Van Pelt in Heaven’s Metal:

Mortal - Rift (video) - Intense

It’s not what you’d expect — a video about the band. It’s an all-consuming look at child abuse and the song “Rift” powerfully works with it great. Eric Hannah and Christian Schneider of MTV’s “Extreme Sports” put it together, of which they did a great job. The excess stuff here is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video. During the behind-the-scenes footage there is a dialogue that explains the motivations behind the video and each scene. Emotionally, it hits you like a ton of bricks. The video package takes two watches to even fathom. It stirs the soul…plus there is a great video to boot. This is another reason why Mortal will be missed.

Return to the Table of Contents

The Unplugged Strand Recording

The following 2 messages were posted in AOL’s Christianity Online/Music folder:

	Subj:	Mortal unplugged at The Strand				94-12-18 04:27:51 EST
	From:	Audioink

	December 14, Mortal pulled the plugs for the first time ever, and was
	it ever incredible! Furthermore, it was preserved digitally by gray
	dot records. It has not been mixed down yet and due to legalities,
	we're not sure what will become of it.	One way or another, this
	should be heard. Contact Graydot 45@aol.com

	Subj:	Re:Mortal unplugged at The Stran			94-12-21 18:33:38 EST
	From:	Audioink

			 Not many details available on the live Mortal recording yet. I
	did hear a dry pre-mix and it was great. The folks at gray dot
	records (previously MooTown) are waiting for the completion of the
	studio at The Strand to mix down. After that, the project will be
	pitched to Frontline as a joint release, or released independently by
	gray dot, which is seeking national distribution at this time.
			 The set included new and old material, worship, and a U2 cover!
	Truly an incredible evening.
			 I'll share details as they become available. And check out VOG
	for pictures and a review of the show. (Contact VOG at
	VOG1995@aol.com)

gray dot may actually release the recording, as they have placed Mortal’s medley of U2’s “Running to Stand Still” and the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday” from it on their Summer 95 - Prerelease promo CD as a hidden track. The CD comes in a specially stamped brown paper bag. They also may put the track on a sampler CD available with the purchase of any gray dot release.

Return to the Table of Contents

Fold Zandura

On 15 May 1995, I received the following from the LiNeNoIsE mailing list:

MORTAL, supposedly broken up, ARE BACK!!! Well, let me explain. It is kind of weird. I picked up a flyer at Spring Jubilation at Knott’s Berry Farm and this is what it said:

FOLD ZANDURA
(formerly known as MORTAL)
LIVE at the Roxy Theater
9009 Sunset Blvd. W. Hollywood
June 1,1995 10PM
$5 in advance
$10 at the door

On 25 May, 1995, I got this from Carson Pierce’s Christian Industrial list (now part of Flaming Fish Music):

…In reference to the whole Mortal-Fold Zandura thing. Rather than let speculations and rumors take over, I decided to go to the source. So this morning I talked to Jerome (from the band) and here’s a chunk of the conversation:

Carson: So what’s the story with the Fold Zandura project?

Jerome: We’ve had these ideas for a while and the reason why we don’t have the name Mortal and used Fold Zandura is because Mortal is more of a heavy industrial-dance kind of band. Fold Zandura is more alternative-pop-melodic-noise type of band. The musical styles are really different and we didn’t want all of a sudden for Mortal to have a different sound. Plus Mortal ended at the end of December.

Carson: The whole event surrounding the end of Mortal has pretty much been gone over in every magazine there is…

Jerome: Yeah. We prayed about it and we felt that God was leading us to the decision that we couldn’t really further the concept of Mortal any further. Plus we needed a break because we needed to get back spiritually with God.

Carson: So spiritually, you’re back on track?

Jerome: Well, not back on track, but we feel that God has opened up something in our lives or in our hearts that we feel more for it as far as music goes. We’re just more into it and with God we just feel that it’s right. When we were doing Mortal we felt like we were just going through the motions. God’s used the music — a lot of people’s lives have been changed and that’s great. But as far as being fed ourselves, it took a toll. Right now we’re glad that we experienced it because we kind of know what to expect and we’re preparing ourselves spiritually and emotionally again if it happens.

Carson: Would you say that a lot of that arose from the music industry?

Jerome: A lot, yeah. Not that the music industry is bad, but it’s how they would pump you up on a pedestal. They’d make you like a rock star figure and there’s a lot of garbage that goes with that.

Carson: So with your new stuff would you be keeping it basically indie?

Jerome: We’re going to see because we’ve still got to formulate the band’s sound. We don’t know if it’s going to work or not, but we feel really good about it because we’re making music that makes a lot of people feel. It’s not electronic anymore — it’s more… What do you call it?

Carson: Organic?

Jerome: Organic — you’re right — a little more organic and a little more pop, melody. If you’ve listened to a few of the last albums, you know that we use a lot of melody. We’re going to try to put a lot more of that in this new stuff and we’ll see. Of course, we have lots of guitar, so it’s a cross between both, but it’s not industrial. We won’t use industrial techniques or antics and stuff.

Carson: Is this going to be a permanent kind of thing?

Jerome: Yeah, well right now it’s like in the experimental phase because we don’t know exactly how to approach it. The music is different and we want to see if we could do something like this and if people will respond well to it — you never know! So we’re playing the club scene right now and I think that’s the direction we’re probably going to head, but we’ll see. We’re going to play a few club shows and see how it works and we’ll decide from there — wherever God leads us.

Carson: So are you leaving industrial music behind you?

Jerome: Per se. But as far as using computers and using up-to-date technology when it comes to music goes, we’ll always use that. We’ll always have a little bit of sampling, a little bit of programming.

Carson: Now does this have any implications with your contract with Frontline?

Jerome: No. In fact, we’re doing one more album, but it’ll be called Mortal Presents: Oyster and it’s an ambient-techno album.

Carson: When do you expect that to be out?

Jerome: We’re probably going to record that in August, so probably before the end of the year.

Carson: Is this just a one-shot deal, then?

Jerome: Yeah, because we have to do one more album with the label and this would be it. I think it’s going to be fun. Since we’ve been programming for a long time I think we could probably do something fairly OK in a dance-type sound.

Carson: Have you already began working on it?

Jerome: Yeah, in fact, I’ve written two already and Jyro’s written 4 or 5. I mean, it’s in the writing stages right now, so we can’t really say how many songs and stuff.

He also said he’d be at Cornerstone. I’ll do a follow-up interview if there’s enough demand and questions for it, probably early next week.

George Kao (Lusis) wrote me a note after seeing Fold Zandura live at Zoom ’95, and told me what the band’s name means:

Talking to Jerome and Jyro I also found out the meaning behind Fold Zandura. Check out John 10:16. It talks about how Jesus desires to gather all of His sheep into one Fold (or pen, in the NIV). Zandura, contrary to popular belief, does not have any hidden profound meaning. “We just picked it ’cause it sounded good,” comments Jerome.

Fold Zandura, live (as reported by Tim Nardoni):

“I remember them, alright. Prospect Hill Hotel, Melbourne a hot summer’s night in 1980. The crew weren’t saying much but the three-inch nails being used to secure the equipment to the stage should have alerted me to the forthcoming onslaught…”

So go the liner notes written for the Midnight Oil’s live collection, Scream in Blue. But the same could have been said of the onslaught we experienced last night at the Fold Zandura concert at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. I can’t remember ever having seen a drummer break three sticks within the first two songs — the first few bars of the second song, even. What a powerful trio are Frank Lenz, Jerome Fontamillas, and Jyro Xhan (pronounced “chan”)!

The departure from Mortal has definitely not affected the groove that old fans should be used to by now. Fold Zandura builds on the foundation started on Wake with songs like “June 1st” and “Sold.” Jyro said during the concert, “We’re sorry if you don’t like the new songs. We like to change.” Think of King’s X playing the most intense parts of songs from Dogman and there you have something like what a Fold Zandura concert is like.

The hardest part of the concert was not knowing the words to the new songs. We saw Mortal last November and it was a very spiritual praise session — because we had already become intimate with the music and the lyrics Jyro pens so sincerely. Even with that set-back, I had one friend who had never heard Mortal live and another friend [whose] most noisy album is Steve Taylor’s Liver; they both loved it and neither complained about anything — something I didn’t expect.

If you’re looking for palatable, creative, and insightful music, check out Fold Zandura. The new record is out on CD format only…hopefully not for long. (The short review: excellent sound… Just what I hoped. The only complaint I have is there lyrics were not included in this release, though probably only to save on cost of printing…)

Track 7

On Mortal’s second album, Fathom, the seventh track is hidden. The track listing on the back of the package skips from 6 to 8, and the seventh track, according to a CD player, is nothing but 5 seconds of silence. However, “Track 7” emerges if the last track is allowed to play to its completion. At 7:49, after about 1 minute and 30 seconds after the end of “Godspeed”, the 150-bpm hardcore rave tune appears and cracks your house’s foundation.

In the lyrics, Jyro runs through a list of his friends and technicians, some of the most talented musicians in the industry. Each of these people are “alive and awake,” one of his favorite expressions. At the end, producer Terry Taylor and engineer/mixer Gene Eugene kid around to the amusement and/or concern of everyone in the studio.

A transcript (you can’t really call them ‘lyrics,’ AOL!) of the craziness of “Track 7”:

(One, two, three, four…)

Welcome to Track 7.

This one’s to all our brothers and sisters who are alive and awake!

Do it!

To Terry and Gene — you’re alive and awake
Sounds like my Bible!
To Rob Watson for the amazing string arrangement on “Jil Sent Me”
— you’re alive and awake

My brothers in the Crucified
— you’re alive and awake
My brothers in The Prayer Chain
— you’re alive and awake

To the Prodigal Sons, Dance House Children,
Johann and Wilson in the jungle — you’re alive and awake
To Wish for Eden
— you’re alive and awake

To the late great Scaterd Few
— you’re alive and awake
Circle of Dust and Deitiphobia
— you’re alive and awake

To (???) journeyman and my brother AL
— you’re alive and awake
To the Early Teens in La Sierra
— you’re alive and awake

To all our friends in the tri-state area
— you’re alive and awake and we’re comin’ back!
To Strobe for the aggro guitars on “Rift”
— you’re alive and awake!

Yeah! The Word is alive!

To all those hip to the HYPERSOUL — you’re alive and awake!

Yeah! The Word is alive!
Yeah! The Word is alive!
Yeah! The Word is alive!
Yeah! The Word is alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
It’s alive and awake!
AWAKE!!!

Alive and awake!
Alive and awake!
Alive and awake!

Ooops…one more time! (laughing)
Sounds like my booty!

Gene: Hey! Did ya like it?
Terry: I liked it, Geney!
Gene: Wait…I was really close to the mic and you were far away. Can we do it again?
Gene: Did ya li… (laughter and general amusement) Did ya like it?
Terry: I liked it, Geney!
Gene: I dig on them crazy grooves — the young people are really gonna dig on this viiibe!
Terry: The love vibration.
Gene: I’m vibin’ too…bro…
Terry: A love-in!
Gene: (laughter) Cuz the kids are gonna think it’s a little out-of-it, bro!
Terry: All the teens dig it!
Gene: Nah!! The young people are more sophisticated these days! (laughter)
?: Let’s hear it.
?: You can’t put all that on there…
?: Why not?

There is some disagreement whether the last 3 lines were spoken by Jerome & Jyro or Terry & Gene; my latest source says that Jerome & Jyro themselves told him that they speak the last lines. I’m still not sure who speaks what.

Return to the Table of Contents

Samples

I hope I don’t get anybody in trouble. I haven’t even scratched the surface with Fathom and I’ve got very little on Lusis. A special thanks to those who get out and see movies.

Lusis:

Fathom:

Pura:

Mortal:

Fold Zandura: live

Samples-from/imitations-of/references-to Mortal that have appeared in other places:

	[Alive and Awake; imitated by Dig Hay Zoose]
	[on various: I Predict a Clone - A Steve Taylor Tribute]
			CS:	1994 US	(R.E.X. Music; [no cat #]) ["...Songs and Comments"]
			CS:	1994 US	(R.E.X. Music; REX41004-4)
			CD:	1994 US	(R.E.X. Music; REX41004-2)
			?:??	Steeplechase/I Want to be a Clone Medley (instant cake
				mix)
		[The track ends with them imitating the "A&A" riff]

	[Bright Wings; referenced (?) by The Prayer Chain]
	[on The Prayer Chain: Mercury + Mercurios] [x600; concert box set]
		2xCD:	199? US	([no cat #])
			[on the "Mercurios" disc:]
			?:??	Superfree
		[Lyrics contain the line "...bright, bright wings..." This may be
		 a reference to Jyro’s lyric or another reference to
		 Gerard Manley Hopkins' "God's Grandeur"]
		[The "Mercurios" CD may have also been issued separately as a
		 promo]

	[Sinister; referenced by Five Iron Frenzy]
	[live]
			?:??	???bpm	Anthem
		[the lead singer has chanted "Who holds your freedom? / Who holds
		 your liberty?" during the bridge of "Anthem" in concert]

	[Sinister; sampled by Ängst]
	[on Ängst: The Null Hypothesis]
			CS:	1995 US	(137 Records; [no cat #])
			1:16	Positive
		[ends with a sample of Sinister's introductory cadence]

	[Track 7; sampled by Thymikon]
	[on Thymikon: Nipsis]
			CD:	1996 US	(Logistikon Records; ...)
			?:??	Midnight Improvisation
		[samples the rhythm]

Please e-mail me if you can identify any other relevant samples.

Return to the Table of Contents

Mortal presents: PURA

After some people had questions about Mortal’s Pura album on rec.music.christian, Joey B of The Echoing Green took some time to explain what was behind the project. Thanks to Joey for posting this and for allowing me to include it here.

Date: 31 Oct 1995

[ ‘If I like Mortal’s Fathom, what should I also listen to?’ ]

You will definitely want to go and pick up the new Mortal presents: PURA CD. It is extremely diverse, yet completely electronic. Definitely a lot of interesting cuts to listen to. Also look for the new Mortal album to be released on Xhan Records (their own label). It will be licensed through 5 minute walk records. They are finishing up the mixes now… This is a COMPLETELY industrial record…definitely in the vein of Fathom. Also look for their Fold Zandura release…actually you’ll only be able to get it either at one of their concerts or through True Tunes mail order…

[Actually, the Fold Zandura CD has now been re-released and should be available everywhere.]

Date: 1 Nov 1995

[ ‘I’m not sure I like Pura. And what are the lyrics to “Liquid Gift” about?’ ]

The PURA project should “technically” NOT be considered a “MORTAL” record. The record is VERY diverse and for this reason, Jyro & Jerome insisted that it be called “Mortal Presents:” in order to avoid taking their listeners on the stylistic roller coaster they’re always on. =)

One of the things I really enjoy about PURA is that there are quite a few songs written by Jerome. Usually with Mortal, Jyro does the writing and Jerome adds his expertise in arranging and programming. Both are brilliant writers. I love those guys. =)

As for “Liquid Gift” I see where your confusion comes from…and I had the same questions you did when I first heard it. (Jerome played keys for me on this last tour I went on with Joy Electric…so needless to say Jerome and I cranked PURA and the Fold Zandura record the whole trip.) Basically “Liquid Gift” is a song put in the perspective of someone trying to meet his Maker. He sees evidence of 2 spiritual entities (I don’t mean to sound New Age, I just can’t think of a better word =) and has a hard time discerning which one is which…(to the non-saved person, spiritual things aren’t always so black & white) and the song basically is a plea for the one-TRUE GOD to “reveal himself.” I hope I’m making sense! =) He addresses both entities as one at the beginning of the song…due to the fact that he has not found the separation yet…and I’m sure you see, as the song develops, he seeks…and he finds.

I hope that helped! I personally REALLY dig the PURA record…it’s an awesome display of just how INCREDIBLY creative Jerome & Jyro are.

Return to the Table of Contents

Controversy

After creating a tragically ill-fated MORTAL folder on America Online, I found that there was some disappointment with Mortal’s first album, Lusis, due to some similarity to Skinny Puppy, Cyberaktif, and/or Ministry:

	Subj:	Mortal SHHHHMortal										94-01-04 19:18:44 EST
	From:	*****

	Lusis would have been divine had they not ripped off Skinny Puppy’s
	TIN OMEN. (I forget the title but you can’t miss it) The rest of the
	CD was wonderful. The second Mortal CD was a disappointment (like most
	Christian music). They were a blast at the Cornerstone fest both
	years. Their brother's TECHNO project Jyra-something sucked too!
	...

I e-mailed someone knowledgeable about the instances of possible plagiarism on Lusis:

The two that come to mind are: In track 3 — “If Ever Maria” — off of Lusis — the riff at 16 seconds is almost identical to the Puppy song “Tin Omen” on the CD Rabies (the rest of the song is a rip off too).

The next one is in the song “Miracle Man” — track 9 at :47 — the fill is identical to the song “Acid Cripple” by Cyberaktif — Practically IDENTICAL!!!

Not to mention the vocals in general are Ogre wanna-be…(singer from puppy)

It should be noted that Jyro & Jerome have moved very far stylistically from their major-label debut. They apparently weren’t comfortable recording industrial dance music, and in moving on, have found a niche into which no other band could fit. To those Mortal-bashers who continue to hold this against them — you’ve missed out on a great band.

Please see the Copyright Info portion of this page for another blatant example of Mortal ripping off someone else…

“stay awake, stay alive another season
we will meet in the sky, in the sky”

Copyright Info

The articles in this file are copyrighted by their respective copyright holders. No deliberate attempt has been made to violate any publishers’ copyrights in the assembling of this file; I only wish to provide fans with information that would be otherwise difficult to find at this point in time. Readers who like the excerpts contained in this Info File should subscribe to the magazines excerpted and order the back issues for the pictures accompanying the articles! All material copyrighted by others is used here for review purposes only. Any objections to materials reproduced in this Info File should be sent to me via e-mail.

This Info File is maintained by John Turpin. Permission is granted to redistribute this file electronically — or in print for personal use — in its entirety and without alteration. Please ask for permission before altering it in any way.

Maytag logo
Maytag		 Mortal logo
Mortal

This file is brought to you by John Turpin, who thinks that Mortal ripped their logo design off from Maytag Appliances. They just have no originality…

Return to the Table of Contents