NASHVILLE |DATE: MARCH 15, 2002
FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/MITCH SCHNEIDER/MARCEE RONDAN
KORN SET TO RELEASE 'UNTOUCHABLES' JUNE 11 ON EPIC;
JONATHAN DAVIS COMMISSIONS LEGENDARY SWISS ARTIST H.R. GIGER TO DESIGN FUNCTIONAL ART;
BAND UNVEILED GIGER'S HISTORIC, PSYCHO-EROTIC DESIGN DURING TOUR OF MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA
AND SHOOT VIDEO FOR SINGLE "HERE TO STAY"
WITH HUGHES BROTHERS;
When KORN took the stage in Mexico City to preview material from their upcoming UNTOUCHABLES CD–due out June 11 on Epic–they were accompanied by a deadly yet useful femme fatale. Frontman JONATHAN DAVIS commissioned legendary Swiss artist H.R. Giger–creator of the psycho-erotic beasts featured in the blockbuster films "Alien," "Alien III" and "Species"–to design a piece of functional art. Giger came up with a custom designed, bio-mechanical mic stand cast in the shape of a voluptuous, serpentine alien woman.
Only five stands were manufactured at a foundry in Zurich from molds that were destroyed–instantly adding to their historic allure and value. Jonathan received two of the stands and an option for the third, should he decide he needs it or to make one available to a museum of his choice. The other two belong to Giger, one earmarked for permanent display at the H.R. Giger Museum in Switzerland, the other to be used in his gallery exhibitions. Photos of the mic stand are available at www.hrgigermuseum.com. The mic stand was also featured in Revolver and Maxim.
"It's awesome," says JONATHAN. "I've been a big fan of Giger's work ever since my sister's boyfriend turned me on to him. I've always liked the dark, vile, mechanical stuff he creates, but then I got into the erotic side of his art. I actually have some of his art in my house, so I'm excited that he even considered making something for me."
The historic mic stand resulted from JONATHAN's visit to Giger in Switzerland. "It was a trip," JONATHAN says. "He took me into his house and we kicked back and talked all night. All I did was ask him to make a functional piece of art. So later, he sent me a bunch of drawings and I approved the design of this really sexy, vile, mechanical creature." Cast in metal, Giger's design features an otherworldly, oversexualized female creature with Jonathan's microphone atop the beast's head.
Describing his visit to Giger's home, JONATHAN discovered he and the fabled artist are kindred spirits who appreciate the darker aspects of the human condition. "He took me riding in a train he built for himself, a realization of his childhood dream," DAVIS enthusiastically recalls. "It's like this two-seater death train. You drive through his backyard around his Zodiac Fountain of twelve amazing sculptures and through narrow tunnels just big enough to squeeze a body through. It was eerie. He's such a unique character. Dark, at the same time very human."
The legendary fine artist and conceptualist came to the attention of rock fans in 1973, when he crafted the cover art for Emerson, Lake & Palmer's prog-rock classic, Brain Salad Surgery, and again in 1981 with his multi-cover paintings for Debbie Harry's Koo-Koo album. But Giger achieved his deserved international fame with his work on Ridley Scott's "Alien". In 1980, he received the Academy Award for "Best Achievement for Visual Effects" for his designs of the film's title creature and its otherworldly environments.
For KORN, the H.R. Giger mic stand is yet another art-related accomplishment. The band–JONATHAN, MUNKY, HEAD, FIELDY and DAVID–won kudos for the cover art of their FOLLOW THE LEADER album, which was illustrated by Todd McFarlane, creator of the popular "Spawn" comic franchise. KORN teamed with McFarlane again for the video "Freak on a Leash," and the resulting clip captured two MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Rock Video.
Before heading to Mexico, KORN shot the video for UNTOUCHABLES first single "Here To Stay" with the Hughes Brothers, who've directed such films as From Hell (2001), American Pimp (1999), Dead Presidents, (1995) and the classic Menace II Society (1993). "Here To Stay" is the first music video the Hughes Brothers have directed since 1996.
KORN's current tour dates in Mexico and South America are as follows:
DATE CITY VENUE
Sat 3/2 Mexico City, Mexico Foro Sol
Mon 3/4 Monterrey, Mexico Auditorio Coca Cola
Wed 3/6 Guadalajara, Mexico Auditorio Benito Juarez
Sat 3/9 Santiago, Chile Pista Atltica
Mon 3/11 Sao Paulo, Brazil CrediCard Hall
Tue 3/12 Sao Paulo, Brazil CrediCard Hall
Thu 3/14 Caracas, Venezuela Illusion Amphitheatre
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