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Invaders from the Pleasure Planet: Sex-O-Rama Return to Funk Up Your Mind

We caught up with Carvin Knowles of Sex-O-Rama to talk about their gloriously filthy fifth album, Invaders from the Pleasure Planet - a double LP that brings '80s porn-funk back from the neon grave.

By Chris RoditisMusicngear Lead Editor

Born from a deep disdain for classical music’s soul-crushing scene, Sex-O-Rama is what happens when two renegades - Carvin Knowles and Adam Pike - decide to swap bow ties for ball gags and create a satirical funk explosion rooted in the soundtracks of ‘70s and ‘80s adult cinema.

Their latest project, Invaders from the Pleasure Planet, is a wild, synth-drenched double LP dripping with everything you'd expect from a band that’s been trolling the uptight since the '90s - scandalous grooves, filthy humor, and a reverent irreverence for everything sacred.

We spoke with Knowles about the gear behind this horny time machine, the myths and magic of adult film soundtracks, the fine line between satire and sincerity, censorship in the age of algorithms, and why Sex-O-Rama isn’t just a sound, but a middle finger to conformity.

Chris Roditis, Musicngear: Your music has always drawn from classic adult film scores, and with this album, you’ve recreated the sound of the 1980s era. But many people today have a distorted or stereotypical idea of what that music actually sounded like. What are some of the biggest misconceptions, and how did you work to capture the authentic sound on this record? 

Carvin Knowles, producer for Sex-O-Rama: Most of the misconceptions about music from the 1970s adult films came about because the music wasn’t available to the public at the time, so in popular culture TV producers would copy Isaac Hayes' music from the film “Shaft.” But to be honest, a lot of the music from those adult films was trying to sound like “Shaft.” But the popular misconception is that it was only one style of music, and in reality, it was all over the map.

What has Sex-O-Rama done to capture the authentic sound on this record? We tried to represent elements from all of the different styles of music used in 1980s pornos. There’s a bit of ambient film score, funk, “smooth jazz,” blues, new wave, and that John Hughes film score sound and we captured the authentic sound by first listening to the original scores, figuring out what mainstream artists they were parodying, then getting out a bunch of vintage gear from the 80s and playing the hell out of them. There isn’t really a secret to it. The hard work is identifying the different musical elements and playing them that way.

Musicngear: You’ve crafted a sonic time machine with analog synths, vintage gear, and ‘80s textures. Can you walk us through the creative process? What was the gear that made this album truly feel like it came from a neon-drenched VHS fever dream?

The six older tracks are from 20 years worth of sessions, but we recorded the rest remotely for this album, mostly due to COVID travel restrictions. When we started, international travel was completely impractical. By the time the world opened up, we were most of the way through recording the album. But even doing sessions and meetings via Zoom and sending files via email, we always communicated in character. That contributed to the surreal feel of the album. We weren’t our real-life selves. We were the characters we created in the mid-'90s for Sex-O-Rama. We have always done that.

For most of the tracks, we started with the synths and drum machines. The heart of the album is a 1985 Roland Juno-1. There’s also a 1981 Moog Rogue, a 1978 Micromoog, and Sid (Sid Getzoff) owns a 1989 Korg M1, which he used mostly for the FM piano sounds but also for the pan-pipe sound on the final track. He played most of the keyboards, but I had to play my Juno some of the time, mostly on pads. We tried to keep our sound palette pretty narrow, and we actually completely wore out the old Juno. It gave its life doing what it loved. The chorus chip had already failed, so I ran it through a Boss CE-2w to get that Roland chorus sound and keep the signal path completely analog. Sometimes I used the Boss DC-2w Dimension Chorus on it instead, in case I needed a super wide feel.

For our drum machines, we used a Yamaha RX11, which was my first drum machine from back in the 80s. That one also died in service of the album. There’s also a Roland TR-08 and samples from the old LinnDrum. I wish I’d had a real one, but the samples were legit, and it sounded right. Ivan Ardon came back to drum on several tracks. He used the same Ludwig kit he used on our third album. At first, we were just gonna get him to play on “Sexual Healing” but once he was set up in the studio, we got him to play on “Up The Old Dirt Road” and then he added the live drums to the end of “The Prisoner of Lesbos.” Having a real drummer show up now and then helped the album to breathe a bit.

Haywood (Haywood Jablomi) usually uses his 5-string Fender J-Bass, but this album also needed quite a bit of synth bass. For the synth-bass parts, either he or I would play on the Juno or the Rogue. On “Destiny’s Wild,” you can hear his signature timing. I thought he was going to break my Rogue that night, but his funk is so strong, I can’t be mad. All the sequencer bass was my work, so “Side Hustler” and “Alien Sex Bot” was just me and my Juno. For “Alien Sex Bot,” we used an Electro Harmonix Iron Lung vocoder. Haywood “sang” while I played the chords.

Next, Fingers (Thomas “Fingers” Chelsea) played his vintage Gibson through an old Boss BE5M along with an Electro Harmonix Wah-Wah. He basically created our signature sound on the first few albums, so on this album, he went all the way into the '80s. His work on “Side Hustler” was a single, continuous take. None of that was planned. He just went crazy on the stompbox, played all over the fretboard, and we kept all of it. All that noisy, random guitar on the album was him. We just turn him loose like a chimpanzee on crack. You can’t control him, so whatever he played is what you hear.

When Ollie (Oliver Klozoff) played guitar, it was sometimes an old SG, sometimes a 1980 Fender Flame, and sometimes a late 1980s Carvin, each one usually went through a Dunlop Crybaby Wah-Wah pedal, and another Wazacraft chorus. For the blues track, “Up The Old Dirt Road,” Ollie played an Epiphone ES-339 Cherry with P90 pickups. 

The other blues and rock tracks were recorded in old sessions from around 18 years ago, which is why they sound so different from the rest. Back then, we could all be at the same studio sessions at the same time, and we all stayed in character. For “Back Door Bondage Babes,” Ollie showed up in spandex with big hair to play his guitar solos. I think that is what makes his unhinged solo sound authentically ‘80s. He was time-traveling at the time, and it showed.

For our saxes, we used at least two microphones. Up close, it was either a Shure SM57 LC or SM7, as you might expect. But around two meters away, we used a Neumann TLM 102 BK, which became the main sound. Sometimes, we’d use a second SM57 to drive the Boss DM-2w Delay and print that on a separate track. That’s why the echoes and reverbs always have a different character on the saxophones.

I’m probably the most fanatical of all of us about using analog gear. I just like the warmth of it and that it’s slightly unpredictable, so you end up with random modulations happening all over the place.

Musicngear: You’ve been pushing boundaries for decades, often facing controversy and even boycotts. What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome as artists, and what advice would you give to musicians dealing with industry pressure or backlash? 

My advice is to stick to your guns and make a statement whenever you get the opportunity. Sex-O-Rama started out as a kind of Postmodernist music project, modeled on Spinal Tap. We wanted to take elements from Low Art and use them to create something new that would challenge people’s preconceptions about the place of sexuality in art. We chose that controversy. Without any actual sexually explicit content, we became the target for all those Karens of society who were looking for the devil and pretending to care about “the children.” 

Early in the life of Sex-O-Rama, someone decided to harass my mom and told her that I was going to Hell for writing and producing them. Mom knew our band was a giant prank and that we weren’t really working on pornos, but she never let on. She told the person harassing her that the music I made for pornos was better than anything they had ever done. Later, she told me to keep doing it and not to let idiots tell me what to do. 

Musicngear: What are your main goals for promoting "Invaders from the Pleasure Planet"? Are you focusing on streaming numbers, live shows, media coverage, or something else? How do you plan to achieve them? 

We made this music to be heard. Of course, we’d love the streams, but mostly, we know that people love that 80s sound, and we want them to enjoy it. We have often relied on placements in films, so hopefully, a few music supervisors will hear our work and dig the 80s quirkiness of it.

I hate the phrase “raising awareness” like we’re some kind of endangered fish, but that’s really it. We want to get people talking about us. 

Musicngear: Are there any artists, past or present, that you’d love to collaborate with? Likewise, are there any festivals or venues that would be a dream fit for Sex-O-Rama? 

I tried to collaborate with a rock star once, but it was nothing but drama. I’m too stubborn to be pushed around by anyone, no matter how important they are. Collaborations only work between equals, and I prefer to be in charge.

We became the target for all those Karens of society who were looking for the devil and pretending to care about “the children.

Musicngear: Your music has been featured in cult films like American Pie, and it thrives on cultural moments. Are there any upcoming film or TV projects where we might hear Sex-O-Rama? 

Tyler Perry very graciously placed “Mile High Club” from our third album into his upcoming Medea film “Joe’s College Road Trip.” He has been very generous to me over the years, and I’m pleased to be connected with a few of his films.

In the past, we’ve had placements by John Waters, who is another great “outsider” artist. Directors like those two are my favorites to be associated with because their aesthetic is a great match for ours.

Musicngear: The album’s tracklist includes titles like 'Virtual Reality Vixens' and 'Whips and Chains.' If each of these songs were a movie, what would the one-line Hollywood-style pitch be? 

Virtual Reality Vixens — they’re watching every move you make.

Whips and Chains, because you’ve been a very naughty boy!

Musicngear: What’s the most ridiculous pop culture moment of the past decade that deserves a Sex-O-Rama-style musical sendup? 

It’s hard to keep up with the crazy things happening in America right now. Between Andrew Tate or Jeffrey Epstein or Elon Musk, or the Felon himself, there are plenty of monsters out there to mock. We might mock Lauren Boebert or Candace Owens but they’re doing a good job of mocking themselves.

It’s almost unfortunate that (classical conductor) James Levine died before he could face justice. We always called him “The Penguin.”

Our recent couple of album efforts began with “Stormy Rides Again,” so I suspect we’ll have no ideas at all until we suddenly do. And after that, it’s all on!

Musicngear: Sex-O-Rama has always thrived on making people laugh, dance, and maybe even blush a little. But under all that funk and satire, what’s the most serious or meaningful musical moment on this album? 

You want me to say “Russian Pee Tape,” don’t you? Actually, that is one of the most important ones because I think we need to remember that Putin and his underlings are trying to dismantle the Free World. 

But for me, the most personal track is “Wet Nurse.” Less than a month into production on the “Invaders From The Pleasure Planet” album, I was in the hospital with a cardiac event.

Adam joked that if there were any hot nurses there, we should write a track about it. He came up with the title and wrote all the melodies. I came up with the chord changes from my hospital bed.

All the guys played on it. My only contribution to the recording was the sound effect of that falling pitch, made with my Juno, after I got home.

They all kept me laughing through what could have been a very depressing time. Instead, we turned it into a big adolescent joke. It still makes me laugh.

Musicngear: You’ve mastered the art of making music sound sexy. But is there any instrument that’s absolutely impossible to make sexy?

That’s a tough one. I thought about a few. You could look at the accordion, but the French and Italians manage to make that pretty sexy. The banjo might be a candidate, but I’ve heard Bedouins make that thing sound completely sensuous. Maybe the theremin, but then you hear Carolina Eyck. The harmonica is a great contender until you remember Stevie Wonder.

But the one instrument that nobody has ever made sound sexy is the soprano recorder. That evil little thing is usually just annoying. In the hands of a skilled musician, it becomes slightly less annoying. It doesn’t matter if it is made of plastic or wood; it’s about as sexy as a claw hammer. Maybe that’s why they teach it to children.

Nobody’s getting naughty ideas from a soprano recorder. It’s not even a good phallic symbol since they are usually filthy inside, like a chicken drumstick left out on the kitchen table all night.

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About Chris Roditis

Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.

Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@kinkl.com

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