Kevin Moore

For the blues singer, seeKeb' Mo'.

For other people named Kevin Moore, seeKevin Moore (disambiguation).

Kevin Moore
Moore at Balo Stage, Istanbul, 2007
Background information
Also known as	Chroma Key
Born	(1967-05-26)May 26, 1967 Long Island, New York,U.S.
Genres	Electronic trip hop house progressive metal progressive rock
Occupation(s)	Musician composer
Instruments	Keyboards vocals
Years active	1985–2013
Member of	Chroma Key
Formerly of	O.S.I. Dream Theater Fates Warning

Kevin Moore(born May 26, 1967) is an American keyboardist, composer and the founder of theChroma Keymusic project. He is also a former member of the Americanprogressive metalbandDream Theater,co-founder of the progressive rock supergroupO.S.I.,and a composer of film soundtracks. Throughout his career, he has become known for his emotional music and lyrics, nomadic lifestyle and use of spoken wordsamples.

Moore started his music career inprogressive metalbandDream Theater.He contributed music and lyrics to the band's first three studio albums, but left the band during the mixing process ofAwaketo pursue his own musical interests. Starting with 1998'sDead Air for Radios,he has releasedelectronica,ambient musicthrough his solo project Chroma Key. Moore has guested on several albums, including threeFates Warningalbums. This led Moore to formOSIwith Fates Warning guitaristJim Matheosin 2002, a band which combines progressive metal with electronica. The fourth OSI album,Fire Make Thunder,was released in March 2012.

Moore has worked on other solo projects since leaving Dream Theater. While living in Costa Rica, he produced a bi-weekly radio program for Radio for Peace International; a compilation of this work was released asMemory Hole 1.While living inTurkey,Moore produced the debut album of Turkish band Makine and wrote soundtracks for two Turkish films. The soundtrack for the first film,Okul,was released in 2004 asGhost Book.The soundtrack for the second film,Küçük Kiyamet,entitledShine,was released in 2010.

Early years

Moore, who was born onLong Island, New York,began his music career inKings Park,Long Island, learning piano at the age of six and writing his first song at the age of 12. After graduating from high school in 1985, Moore briefly attendedSUNY Fredonia,where he studied classical music, before returning home to form the bandMajestywith childhood friends guitaristJohn Petrucciand bassistJohn Myung,who had recruited drummerMike Portnoy(a fellow Long Islander) during their short enrollment atBerklee College of Music.SingerChris Collinshandled vocal duties for Majesty, but he was subsequently replaced byCharlie Dominici(and eventuallyJames LaBrie) and the band was renamed Dream Theater.

Career

Dream Theater

Main article:Dream Theater

Dream Theater's debut studio album was 1989'sWhen Dream and Day Unite,which earned the group comparisons to well-known progressive rock bands such asRushandQueensrÿche.Their big breakthrough, however, came in 1992 with the albumImages and Words,featuring the band's highest charting single to date, "Pull Me Under".The song, which included lyrics by Moore, reached No. 10 on theBillboardMainstream Rock Tracks chart. Following their relentless touring in support of the second album, the band also went on to release a live album,Live at the Marquee,and a video,Images and Words: Live In Tokyo.The video's extensive documentary footage would subsequently introduce many fans to Moore's ironic sense of humor.

In 1994, the band released its third studio album,Awake,which was the band's highest charting album to date with Moore, reaching No. 32. The album featured Moore's signature song, a haunting piano-driven ballad called "Space-Dye Vest". Shortly before the album was mixed, though, Moore announced to the rest of the band that he wished to concentrate on his own musical interests and would be quitting Dream Theater. According to Portnoy, Moore became interested in the independence of working on his own as opposed to the compromise of a band environment. Although Dream Theater has since invited him to play reunion shows, Moore has said he prefers to move forward as opposed to looking back. He notably declined to take part in the official Dream Theater biography titledLifting Shadows,despite involvement from every other former member of Dream Theater and various former associates of the group.

During his time in Dream Theater, Moore wrote the lyrics to songs on each of the band's albums and also to some of the band's demos and b-sides. OnWhen Dream and Day Unite,he wrote "Light Fuse and Get Away","Only a Matter of Time",and parts ofThe Killing Hand".OnImages and Words,he penned "Pull Me Under","Surrounded","Wait for Sleep",and parts of"Metropolis—Part I: 'The Miracle and the Sleeper' ".OnAwake,the songs "6:00", "Lie",and"Space-Dye Vest"all featured his lyrics. Demos with his lyrics include" Don't Look Past Me, "A Vision" and "Two Far".

Chroma Key

Main article:Chroma Key

After leaving Dream Theater, Moore moved toSanta Fe, New Mexico,and started writing material for his solo album. A demo tape known asMusic Meant to Be Heardwas shared among fans, and the songs included many spoken-wordsamplesfrom interviews Moore recorded during his cross-country travels. Most of these songs were later released in 1999 on a limited-edition CD calledThis is a Recording.

In 1998, Moore released his first solo album,Dead Air For Radios,under the name Chroma Key on his self-created record label, Fight Evil Records.Mark ZonderandJoey VeraofFates Warningserved as his support musicians for that record. The album featured a dark, ambient sound, closer toPeter GabrielandTori Amosthan the complex and intricate Dream Theater style. In hindsight, Dream Theater fans noticed that Moore had subtly explored this style of composition in "Space-Dye Vest".

In 2000, Moore moved to Los Angeles, where he recorded the digitally-themedYou Go Now.The line-up for that record was Moore, David Iscove (guitars) andSteve Tushar(loops, programming). During his westcoast stay, Moore earned a BFA atCalifornia Institute of the Arts,where he created a little-known documentary calledOctember Revolution,which depicted a Southern California gated community intervention. He then moved to Costa Rica, where he worked for Radio For Peace International, producing a bi-weekly activist radio program. In fact, some of Moore's work on Radio for Peace International was later released in an internet-only album calledMemory Hole 1.

In 2004, Moore scoured public domain films looking for one that exuded a certain mood, intending to write a pseudo-soundtrack to it. The film he chose wasAge 13,an educational film from the 1950s, originally for use in schools. He took the existing film, slowed it to half speed, and let it dictate the moods, textures, and even running times of the songs he wrote to it. The resulting album is titledGraveyard Mountain Home,which included a DVD containing the movie set to Moore's music.

OSI

Main article:OSI (band)

In 2003,Fates WarningguitaristJim Matheosinvited Moore to work with him on a new musical project. Moore had worked with Matheos before, appearing as guest keyboardist on Fates Warning's 1989 albumPerfect Symmetry,1997 albumA Pleasant Shade of Grayand 2000 albumDisconnected.The new project involvedDream TheaterdrummerMike PortnoyandCynicbassist/Chapman StickplayerSean Malone.This would be the first time Moore had worked with Portnoy since leaving Dream Theater nearly 10 years earlier. The band that was formed was named OSI, and they released the albumOffice of Strategic Influence.Musically, it can be described as a mixture of Chroma Key's dark, melodic focus with the guitars and heaviness of Fates Warning and Dream Theater. Moore assumed vocal duties.

In April 2006, Moore and Matheos released a second OSI album calledFree,a collaboration made easier by Moore's temporary relocation toMontreal,Canada. The album once again featured Portnoy on drums. Unlike the first OSI album, which was based on an information-spinning faction of the U.S. government,Freewas about the personal relationships in Moore's life. Shortly following the album's release, OSI also released anEPthat included remixes of threeFreesongs and a video of the title track. In the spring of 2006, Moore and Matheos alluded to possible tourdates in the support of the album, but nothing ever materialized.

In September 2008, Moore announced on his website that he had been working for several months withJim Matheosand drummerGavin Harrison(of the bandPorcupine Tree) on the third OSI album.Bloodwas released in April 2009.

OSI's fourth album,Fire Make Thunder,was released in March 2012.

Film soundtracks

Kevin Moore -Shinealbum cover

In 2004, Moore relocated toIstanbul, Turkey,and composed the soundtrack to the horror filmOkul(The School) which was subsequently released as a solo record titledGhost Book.The music contained many traditional instruments stemming from Moore's stays in Costa Rica and Turkey. In 2006, Moore once again teamed up with Turkish producers for another soundtrack project. The film,Küçük Kıyamet(The Little Apocalypse), tells the horrific tale of a family who decides to rent a summer house by the seaside. Its soundtrack CDShinewas self-released December 2010 after a funding campaign onKickstarterBoth films,OkulandKüçük Kıyamet,were based on books written by Turkish author Doğu Yücel.

Other

While in Turkey, he also produced a radio show along with Theron Patterson and Pınar Türen for Açık Radyo in Istanbul.

In March 2007, Moore played an hour-long concert, which was held at Turkey's Balo Stage on March 23. It was described as a try-out to "play some songs for a local crowd...with longer, more elaborate shows planned for the future." In April 2007, Moore announced plans to pre-produce the debut album of Turkishindustrial rockband Makine which was released in April 2010.

Since 2015, Moore has had a Patreon page for Chroma Key, collecting crowdfunding for song releases.

In a 2019 interview,Dream TheatervocalistJames LaBriestated that he recently got in touch with Moore via texting, and stated that the former band mates are still friends.

Influence

In an April 2007 interview,Sonata ArcticakeyboardistHenrik Klingenbergrevealed that he was really influenced by Moore when he (Klingenberg) began playing rock music. Television and film composerRoy Harterand producer/composer Michael J. Bazini (aka DJ Butterface) were among Moore's private students during his early career with Dream Theater.

Personal life

In September 2013,Fates WarningvocalistRay Alderrevealed in an interview that Moore returned to the United States and studied to become a doctor. According to Alder, Moore was in his third year of medical school as of 2013.

Since 2020, Moore has been working as a psychiatrist atTrinity HealthinMinot, North Dakota.He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine fromDes Moines Universityin Iowa and completed his psychiatry residency at Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown, New York.

Discography

WithDream Theater

• The Majesty Demos(1986)
• When Dream and Day Unite(1989)
• Images and Words(1992)
• Live at the Marquee(1993)
• Images and Words: Live in Tokyo(1993)
• Awake(1994)
• Greatest Hit(2006)

WithOSI

• Office of Strategic Influence(2003)
• Free(2006)
• re:free(EP) (2006)
• Blood(2009)
• Fire Make Thunder(2012)

WithFates Warning

• Perfect Symmetry(1989)
• A Pleasant Shade of Gray(1997)
• Disconnected(2000)

AsChroma Key

• Dead Air for Radios(1998)
• Colorblind– single (1999)
• You Go Now(2000)
• Graveyard Mountain Home(2004)
• Patreon Demos(2015-2017)

As Kevin Moore

• Music Meant to Be Heard(1995)
• This is a Recording(1999)
• Memory Hole 1(2004)
• Ghost Book(Inside Out Music, 2004)
• Shine(2010)

Involvement on other albums

Year	Album	Artist	Credit(s)
1998	"The Blackest Album: An Industrial Tribute to Metallica"	Various Artists	Keyboards on Carbon 12's version of "The Thing That Should Not Be"
2002	Make Believe	On	Keyboards on "When the World Is Running Down" (Cover by The Police)
2007	Makine	Makine	Pre-production
2008	Oscillate	Steve Tushar	Vocals on "Periscope"
2012	North Atlantic Echoes	In Progress	Additional programming, textures, and background vocals on "Chasing Ghosts", "Cloudburst", and "Graveyard Snowfall"
2012	Three Wise Monkeys	Alberto Rigoni	Keyboards on "Mizaru"
2013	Upcoming untitled release	Chaos Venture	Keyboards, Vocals
2013	Darkness in a Different Light	Fates Warning	Lyrics for "O Chloroform"
2014	The Book of Gates	Amadeus Awad's EON	Keyboards
2019	Descender	Avandra	Keyboards on "Derelict Minds"

Gear

• Images and Words
  • Roland JD-800– used for piano, distorted organ, synth pads and chimes
  • Korg DW-8000- used for solo sounds for songs such as Take the Time and Pull Me Under
  • Korg DSS-1– used for samples
  • Roland D-50– used mainly for string and bell sounds
  • Roland D-70
  • A grand piano was likely used on the album, replaced with JD-800 piano live.
• Music in Progress Tour
  • Roland JD-800on the bottom tier of the Apex two tier stand
  • Korg DW-8000on the top tier of the Apex stand
  • Korg DSS-1on the stand on Kevin's right
• Awake
  • Roland JD-800– used for piano, synth pads and most notably the "Wailing Guitar" solo sound used on 6:00 and Scarred most strings and even distorted organ (passed through outboard) comes from strings set card, which contains piano and organ patches. so the strings are based on pcm waves not present in stock unit, the strings set is actually two cards (pcm raw data and patches)
  • Korg DW-8000- used for solo sounds for songs such as 6:00 and The Mirror and for pipe organ sounds.
  • Acoustic Piano - used onSpace Dye Vest
  • A rack sampler was also used during this album, most likely anAkai
• OSI/Chroma Key/Solo

Moore switched to using mainly soft synths. He still used hisKurzweil K2000and a Yamaha CP-70 piano, first release "dead air for radios" is all k2000 and cp70

On "You Go Now", in addition to this, an Access Virus, Moog Memorymoog Plus and a Nord Lead rack. On the OSI album Free, he used an OpenLabs Neko workstation.

External links

• Facebook official site
• Chroma Key official siteArchivedJuly 1, 2008, at theWayback Machine
• Unofficial fan site
• Kevin Moore Bandcamp page