Paula P-Orridge

Paula P-Orridge (born Paula Jean Brooking, 23 February 1963), also known as Alaura O'Dell, is an English musician, writer and entrepreneur.

Career

P-Orridge's musical career began in 1979 when she met musician and artist Genesis P-Orridge while working at a Tesco supermarket in Hackney, East London.^[1]

Prior to meeting Genesis she had had some connection to the Industrial Records music scene and had performed onstage with band 23 Skidoo. Genesis was a member of seminal band Throbbing Gristle, an originator of industrial music and an influential figure in the development of post-punk and electronica. Prior to Throbbing Gristle's last show, Paula married Genesis in Tijuana, Mexico;^[2] they had two daughters, Caresse and Genesse.^[3]

1980s

Paula joined Genesis' band Psychic TV in 1983, playing drums^[4] and creating sound collages. She ran the mail order section of Temple Records and sometimes acted as Psychic TV's tour manager and record company liaison.^[1]

1990s

In the early 1990s, Paula and Genesis left the United Kingdom to live in Nepal and the United States in a self-imposed exile,^[5]^[6] during which the couple divorced.

In 1995 while in the United States, Paula released a solo ambient music and spoken word album, Sacred Dreams,^[7] on the San Francisco-based record label, Silent Records. Sacred Dreams differed significantly from her previous work and she released the album under her new name of Alaura O'Dell.^[8]

The Sacred Dreams album was recorded in December 1994 in collaboration with Justin Beck, a Californian electronica artist. The album was also the debut of P-Orridge's new interest in spirituality and new-age mysticism.^[9] Sacred Dreams has been re-released on Justin Beck's label, Sanctioned Records^[10] as an mp3.

To complement her interest in New Age Goddess worship,^[11] in 1996 Paula P-Orridge/ Alaura O'Dell established an independent, niche travel company, Sacred Journeys for Womyn. The company offers educational, experiential and healing tours exclusively to women, visiting sites of significance revered for a tradition of Goddess worship.^[12]

Discography

Song

"Magik" on compilation album, Sanctioned Records – The Electronica Sound of Sonoma County Northern California Vol. 1 (2006)

Albums

Sacred Dreams (1995)

References

^ ^a ^b Peter Schmelzle (November 2004). "Interview with Alaura O'Dell". Archived from the original on 20 December 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ "Genesis P-Orridge (1950 – ) musician and magickian". 7 May 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ John A. Walker (10 August 2009). "Cosey Fanni Tutti & Genesis P-Orridge in 1976: Media frenzy, Prostitution-style". Art Design Publicity magazine 1(3): Post-Punk Banquet. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 466
^ Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. "Tagged For Life". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (April 2009). "From self-titled interview...On Gen's time in Katmandu shortly before the England exile..." Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ "Profile: Alaura/ Alaura O'Dell (formerly Paula P-Orridge)". Discogs. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ Alaura O'Dell (23 June 2011). "Alaura O'Dell". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ Alaura O'Dell. "H U M A N R I T E S". Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ Justin Beck (23 September 2008). "Justin Beck – Sanctioned Records and Media". Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ Alaura O'Dell (2005). "Bay Area Pagan Activities and News" (PDF). Sacred Bodies, Sacred Landscapes: Bay Area Pagan Assemblies. p. 3. Archived from the original (Newsletter) on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
^ "'Sacred Journeys for Womyn'". Whispers Online Magazine for Women. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.