| Lorin Morgan-Richards | |
|---|---|
Lorin Morgan Richards before book show in New York City 2010 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lorin Richards |
| Born | February 16, 1975 |
| Origin | Beebetown, Ohio |
| Genres | Dark storytelling |
| Occupations | Songwriter, Author, Illustrator |
| Instruments | keys, vocals, pen and ink |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Associated acts | Graven Image-Black Lung Cathedral Chew's Eye Shop Cykak Media Foundation Fiberglass Orange |
Lorin Morgan-Richards born February 16, 1975, of Amish and Welsh descent, is a Hollywood based writer and illustrator of dark literature and composer of dark storytelling.
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Raised in an old schoolhouse on the crossroads of a four way stop in Beebetown, Ohio, Richards spent countless hours doodling the fifty-some odd pets his family cared for, most of which were cats, and writing them into humanoid stories. Richards also doodled faces he would see in different textures, sometimes being uniquely silly or downright ghoulish. Inside there was an extensive collection of folk stories to read and a family pump organ his mother taught him to play. Richards’s ancestor was the 19th Century published poet named Robert Dennison Morgan.[1]
Suffering from a learning disability in school, Richards struggled to keep up with his peers, having a tutor through most of his grades. This in turn, caused him to become more focused into creative outlets. At fifteen he learned guitar and his eldest brother, Brian, taught him how to write Mod music via Amiga computer. Richards along with his brother, and vocalist Casey Ruic, formed a music project using these instruments. By 1993, this Industrial and Neo-Beat based music project had been kicked off stages, stopped by police, and caused the removal of a battle of the bands at their High school in which they damaged the stage, broke instruments, used profanity, and painted controversial band posters with images of religious leaders with TV sets for heads. Between 1995 and 1998, Richards helped co-found other local Industrial music groups, including award-winning act Graven Image-Black Lung Cathedral.[2]
In 1999, Richards wrote, directed and produced Enki[3] a modern dance performance and album based on Zecharia Sitchin's book The 12th Planet.[4] Enki premiered in Cleveland, Ohio under the choreography of Michael Medcalf, and was co-produced by Valerie Stoneking. Sitchin commented on the album, "Beautiful words...the words you composed do capture ENKI's great contribution to our being." Richards wrote a second album in 2001 entitled An Occurrence Remembered based on the American Civil War short stories of Ambrose Bierce. Following this, Richards produced and directed An Occurrence Remembered which premiered in New York City under the choreography of Nicole Cavaliere, and co-production of Valerie Stoneking.[5] Two of the songs from the album were released in 2001 on Notes from thee Real Underground Vol.1. In 2002, Richards covered I'm Eighteen by Alice Cooper for the Underground Inc. Ankhor Records release of Mutations, a Tribute to Alice Cooper. In 2010, Richards released an EP entitled Orpheus conceptually based on Pwyll's descent into Annwn the Welsh Otherworld and uncompleted soundtrack synchronization with Jean Cocteau's film Orphee.
Richards co-created and curated a free Indigenous American film series in Los Angeles entitled Bringing The Circle Together focusing on social political issues affecting Indigenous peoples. The series began on May 15, 2008, and has run sequentially with special guests, speakers and performers. At the series on February 25, 2010, a historic meeting between representatives of the Ioway Nation and the Tongva Nation marked the first time a California tribe gathered with a Midwestern tribe.[6] Richards is also actively involved with organizing for Welsh Americans coordinating the 2011 West Coast Eisteddfod, the first Eisteddfod in Los Angeles since 1926. Participants at the Welsh festival included: Monica Richards, Jen Delyth, and Michael Aston. On November 13, 2010, Richards curated the exhibit Necessary Discomforts: an Artistic Tribute to Rozz Williams at the Hyaena Gallery in Burbank, featuring artwork by Rozz Williams and those he inspired. Artists participating included nationally recognized macabre artists and members of Christian Death, Shadow Project, EXP, Asexuals, Premature Ejaculation, among others.[7]
A Raven Above Press, Richards small press, released his first book Simon Snootle and OTHER small stories in February 2009.[8] His second book A Boy Born from Mold and Other Delectable Morsels was released in 2010.
Richards follows a pescetarian diet.
In 2006, Richards received a B.A. from California State University, Los Angeles majoring in anthropology with emphasis in American Indian Studies and folklore.[9]
Richards is married and has a daughter.