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

1. Peter Schmelzle (November 2004). "Interview with Alaura O'Dell". Archived from the original on 20 December 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
2. "Genesis P-Orridge (1950 – ) musician and magickian". 7 May 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
3. 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.
4. Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 466
5. Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. "Tagged For Life". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
6. 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.
7. "Profile: Alaura/ Alaura O'Dell (formerly Paula P-Orridge)". Discogs. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
8. Alaura O'Dell (23 June 2011). "Alaura O'Dell". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
9. Alaura O'Dell. "H U M A N R I T E S". Retrieved 21 April 2012.
10. Justin Beck (23 September 2008). "Justin Beck – Sanctioned Records and Media". Retrieved 21 April 2012.
11. 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.
12. "'Sacred Journeys for Womyn'". Whispers Online Magazine for Women. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.