Myztery bio
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by Karen Bliss
CD Releases
Myztery (2005)
Tempus Fugit (2008)
Music Video Releases
Here at Your Feet (2007), Directed by Tim Janos
Weapons of Love (2008), Animated and produced by Davide Di Saro
Tempus Fugit (2009), Animated and produced by Davide Di Saro
yztery’s new album, Cyber Superstar (to be released in May of 2010), is more contemporary sounding than the band’s previous two releases, employing more drums and a greater reliance on keyboards. The result is no less dramatic and psychedelic and the lyrics remain spiritual and uplifting.
“Ultimately, we deal with themes of love and peace and those kinds of things,” says cofounder/frontman Diamond, who founded the Vancouver band with his now-wife Star. They adopted the stage names for this phase of their career.
It’s a complicated story, which inspired Diamond to pen his autobiography. So Myztery continues to touch on real-life, personal encounters on Cyber Superstar which hopefully contain inspirational or cautionary messages.
The self-produced album features Diamond and Star, alongside Vern Shewchuck (drums) and Bob Dixon (lead guitar). Special guests include guitarist David Sinclair (Sarah McLachlan), bassist Miles Hill (Van Morrison) and drummer Gino Gerussi on the track “Weapons of Love,” a song released in 2008 as an animated video by Davide Di Saro.
“’Weapons of Love’ was inspired by a suicide bombing in Israel probably three years ago,” says Diamond. “I’m part Jewish on my mother’s side even though I’m Catholic, and there was something about that suicide bombing by a Palestinian which prompted me to write the song.”
"Touch the Sky" is another powerful song that Diamond wrote on mandolin outside a hospital room in Penetanguishene, Ontario, where Star’s step-mom lay dying. “I sang the song for her the night before she died and I played it for her daughters and everybody was weeping,” he recalls. “It’s about reaching out and touching the sky”
The album also includes a cover of Alice Cooper’s 1973 anthem “Hello! Hooray!” written by Ontario folk singer Rolf Kempf. “I was approached by Rolf to see if I’d like to sing the song and record it and Star would do backup,” says Diamond. “We’re not only releasing it as a Myztery song, but it has the original lyrics that Rolf wrote. Alice Cooper had changed them a little bit.”
Diamond is a multi-instrumentalist known to pull out a range of instruments for Myztery, such as shofar, bamboo (ney) flute, kinnor harp, violin, cello, psaltery, lyre, fretless standup bass. His musical calling began at age 5 when he took piano, then, in grade 5, drums, then guitar. Star started young as well and in Myztery plays keyboard, psaltery, kinnor harp, bass, Celtic harp and percussion. They both took similar paths, joining the church and performing music at various youth gatherings, retreats and conferences. They both released music independently, Diamond seven solo albums and Star one.
In 2004, Diamond received a calling to pursue music full time. He was recording the debut album by Myztery (then called The Mysteries) when guitarist Derek Mason invited Star to help with vocals. “I fell in love with her at first sight,” recalls Diamond. “I invited her to a party and then I wanted to date her. I told her when we went out for coffee that we were going to get married and she agreed with me.”
The band, as it stood, disintegrated and with Star’s visual eye for colours and images was resurrected as Myztery. They bought masks and costumes from Israel, Egypt and India, as well as from local clothing stores, costume shops, even Wal-Mart, Value Village and Shopper’s Drug Mart.
“When I stated reading about mystery plays in medieval Europe in the 15th century, I got the idea of this Heaven and Hell thing because that’s what they did back then. They had stages with trap doors and swinging angels and demons, so we used whips and chains and fire and smoke and blood and all that kind of stuff.”
Their theatrical approach didn’t go over well with everyone. “Certain Christian people don’t like what we do even though ourselves we follow Christ,” he says. “Some people misunderstand all the theatrical use of portraying darkness and light. They think we’re evil or something.”
The band, which released its second album, Tempus Fugit, in 2008, intended those recordings to be listened to from beginning to end as complete experiences “like Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall,” notes Diamond, so they warranted an equally over-the-top live concept, including as many as 10 costume changes. For Touch The Sky, however, Myztery will tone it down. “There will be face paint — mine is a diamond — and we will have minimal special effects, lighting and costume changes, but our focus is on pubs, theatres, and concert halls, so we will make the show more contemporary.” - K.B.
For interviews, bookings or info, contact: Myztery
Photo: Andrea Seraphim
Diamond:
Vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, violin, viola, cello, mandolin, kinnor harp, psaltery, lyre, autoharp, shofar, fretless stand up bass, keyboards, harmonica, bamboo flute, penny whistles, fife, cymbals, percussion
Star:
Vocals, keyboards, bass, celtic harp, kinnor harp, psaltery, percussion
Vern Shewchuk: Drums, percussion
Bob Dixon: Lead guitar
