Orpheo McCord (born July 19, 1979) is an American composer and percussionist. He was a founding member of the now-defunct Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and was a former member of The Fall, Fool's Gold and Cass McCombs. His debut solo album, Recovery Inhale, was released on January 26, 2018. His second album, Music for Ketamine Therapy Vol. I, was released on October 8, 2023.
Early life and education McCord attended Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2002."Alumnotes (2002)," Berklee.edu. Accessed February 9, 2017. He has spent time in Ghana studying African percussion,Drew Tewksbury, "The Alchemy of Fool's Gold," LA Weekly, October 7, 2009. and has also studied percussion in Mali, Cuba and Morocco.
His father Joseph McCord has said he was named after the musician Orpheus from Greek mythology.David Wexler, "Father's Day With the McCords," Janglin, June 15, 2014. Joseph McCord was a professional mime who went by the name Merlin, and was one of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters.Jonathan Valania, "The Third Coming of Edward Sharpe," Magnet, July 26, 2013.
Career The Fall (2006-07) In May 2006 after several members of U.K. Band The Fall quit mid-tour, McCord was recruited by frontman Mark E. Smith to join The Fall along with guitarist Tim Presley and bassist Rob Barbato.Cole Coonce, Sex & Travel & Vestiges of Metallic Fragments, Los Angeles: KeroseneBomb Publishing, 2010, pp. 108-09."New Album On The Way From Yet Another New Fall," Billboard, July 6, 2006. McCord toured the US and Europe with the band, and was a member of The Fall for their 26th album Reformation Post TLC (2007), as well as the live album Last Night at The Palais, recorded in 2007 and released two years later.Dave Simpson, The Fallen: Life In and Out of Britain's Most Insane Group, Edinburgh: Canongate Books, 2008, pp. 305-07.Amy Britton, Revolution Rock: The Albums Which Defined Two Ages, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2011, pp. 371-72. The 2006-07 lineup was a pleasant one for The Fall, absent the infighting that marked most of the band's numerous incarnations.
In his 2008 autobiography Renegade, Smith called McCord the best of the more than a dozen drummers The Fall had up to that point, with an openness to new ideas and straightforward playing that avoided cliches.Mark E. Smith, Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith, London: Penguin Books, 2008, p. 55.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (2007-present) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were formed in Los Angeles in 2007 by frontman Alex Ebert. McCord met Ebert at a mutual friend's party and then again while jogging in Elysian Park, where Ebert asked him to join the band. They released their debut album Up From Below in 2009, followed by Here in 2012, a self-titled album in 2013, and PersonA in 2016.Emily Zemler, "Edward Share & The Magnetic Zeros: Being Here Now Never Felt So Good," Relix, July 31, 2012.Monica Tan, "Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: PersonA," The Guardian, April 12, 2016.Maggie Behringer, "Interview: A chat with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros," Nooga.com, June 17, 2013. The group won the Grammy Award for Best Music Film in 2013 for the documentary Big Easy Express.Stephanie Rutkowski, "Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Ride the 'Big Easy Express' to the 2013 Grammys," ABC News, February 8, 2013. McCord incorporates African influences in his work with the band, using a hybridization of drum set, marimba, conga, djembe and electronic percussion."Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros," Beatrouteab, September 10, 2012."Orpheo McCord," Heartbeat of a Planet, May 22, 2013.
McCord played marimba on Alex Ebert's score for the 2013 film All Is Lost, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score."Redford, Ebert Shine in 'All Is Lost'," Janglin Souls, November 11, 2013.Alex Young, "Edward Sharpe's Alexander Ebert, U2 win Golden Globe awards," Consequence of Sound, January 12, 2014.
Solo work On January 26, 2018, McCord's debut solo album, Recovery Inhale, was released on Sound Creature Records. The album is composed of "hypnotic instrumental pieces... treading the line between new age and minimalist ambient music."Daiana Feuer, "Premiere: Orpheo McCord, 'Ghost Ship'," Buzzbands.la, December 15, 2017.Randall Roberts, "California Sounds: Orpheo McCord's meditative percussion, Teenage Wrist's distorted rock and Bludwork's vintage house music," Los Angeles Times, February 9, 2018. "Ghost Ship", the first single, was released in December 2017. On the album, McCord performs all instruments, predominantly effected marimba and kalimba.
McCord's second solo album, Music for Ketamine Therapy Vol. I, was released on Sound Creature Records on October 8, 2023.
Other work McCord has intermittently toured as drummer for Cass McCombs since 2007 and has played on four of his albums.Franklin Bruno, "The Writ Stuff," Providence Phoenix, November 1, 2007. He was formerly the drummer and percussion leader in Fool's Gold, an LA pop band whose music incorporates African rhythms.Daniel Dehnhardt, "Fool's Gold," Soma, October 2009. In 2010, he played with Harper Simon as a duo at the Festival au Désert in Mali, outside of Timbuktu. They also performed there with the Tuareg band Tinariwen."Harper Simon talks about his dad," paul-simon.info, February 16, 2010. In 2014, McCord and Mikael Jorgensen (pianist/keyboardist for Wilco) formed the duo Prism Break, inspired by early 1970s German experimental rock.David Wexler, "ESMZ 2014 Year in Review," Janglin Souls, December 25, 2014. McCord has also performed with Ima Robot, The Flaming Lips,Kristin Chambers, "Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros," Ignition Music Magazine, September 2012. Jack Johnson,"Jack's From Here To Now To You Tour Finale!" jackjohnsonmusic.com, September 4, 2014. Dawes and He's My Brother She's My Sister.Ashley Eliot, "Q&A: He's My Brother, She’s My Sister," Everyday Noise, October 12, 2010.
Chromasonic Chromasonic, founded in 2019 by McCord, Joel Shearer, Johannes Girardoni and Harriet Girardoni, is a series of immersive light and sound experiences to inspire expanded states of awareness and connection, fostering deep relaxation and enhancing emotional well-being. The group created Chromasonic Refrequencing, which synchronizes lightwaves and soundwaves in real-time, creating synesthetic environments where light becomes audible and sound becomes visible. Chromasonic is a part of the NeuroArts movement, a transdisciplinary study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences change the body, brain, and behavior and how this knowledge is translated into practices that advance health and wellbeing. Data collected at Chromasonic's Satellite One permanent installation showed physiological changes, including increased parasympathetic activity and shifts in brain activity related to sensory processing and attention.
There have been installations in California, Colorado, and Italy, and there is a permanent site in Venice, California, called Satellite One, which launched in 2021. In April 2024, Chromasonic collaborated with Google on an interactive exhibition, demonstrating how color influences one's perception of the world, at Milan Design Week in Italy. On January 8, 2025, Chromasonic Field, a 10,000-square-foot walk-through installation, opened in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. Chromasonic Field is a vibrant light and sound constellation of repeating translucent scrims that create a series of open and interstitial spaces. In the experiential environment, each of the 21 nodes is activated by a single source of light and spatialized sound, creating a bridge between the ethereal and physical.
Personal life McCord is based in Ojai, California,Mark David, "Musician Orpheo McCord Lists Contemporary Cottage," Variety, March 5, 2013. where he lives with his wife Rachel Kolar (of He's My Brother She's My Sister) and their two children.Mitch Inkrott, "Bottlerock @ Napa Valley – Festival Preview & Interview," ourvinyl.tv, 2013.
Discography Albums YearTitle2018Recovery Inhale Released: January 26, 2018 Label: Sound Creature Records Formats: LP, digital download2023Music for Ketamine Therapy Vol. I Released: October 8, 2023 Label: Sound Creature Records Formats: digital download
Appears on Year Album/Song Artist Credits2007 Reformation Post TLC The Fall Drums2008 Dropping the Writ Cass McCombs Drums, percussion 2 Darker My Love Percussion2009 Last Night at The Palais The Fall Drums, backing vocals Up From Below Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion, vocals Friends Luke Top Drums, percussion Fool's Gold Fool's Gold Percussion, vocals Catacombs Cass McCombs Drums, percussion, vocals "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady" (Devendra Banhart Remix) Oasis Drums, percussion2010 Another Man's Treasure Ima Robot Electronic drums, percussion2011 Wit's End Cass McCombs Drums, percussion2012 Here Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion, marimba, drum machine, vocals2013 Stories Don't End Dawes Percussion Prisma Motel Drums Nobody Dances in This Town He's My Brother She's My Sister Drums, percussion Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion, marimba, vocals2014 Hardly Criminal Crash Composer, percussion Light Show Jack Name Drums, percussion2015 A Folk Set Apart Cass McCombs Drums, screams Live In No Particular Order: 2009-2014 Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion2016 PersonA Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion, marimba, timpani, vocals2018 Lost Time Behind the Moon Scott Hirsch Drums2021 "Wannabe King" Aaron Embry Drums2023 "Répit"Sœt Writer, instrumentalist "Réve" Writer, instrumentalist "Vessel to Vapor"Eros Odeon Composer, instrumentalist "Rays of Eternal Presence" Composer, instrumentalist
Soundtracks and compilations Year Album Artist Credits2012 Big Easy Express (OST) Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends The Flaming Lips feat. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion ("Helping the Retarded to Know God") Every Mother Counts 2012 Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion ("Mother")2013 The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Drums, percussion, marimba, drum machine, vocals ("Wooden Indian") All Is Lost (OST) Alex Ebert Marimba2015 Strangerland (OST) Keefus Ciancia Drums, percussion2017 Singles 1978–2016The Fall Drums, percussion A-Sides 1978-2016 Drums, percussion2018 58 Golden Greats Drums, percussion The Alchemy of Fire Various Artists Performer2023 The Stones and Brian Jones (OST) Orpheo McCord Theme music composer
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