Sex-O-Rama is back and they’re funkier, filthier, and freakier than ever. The intergalactic pioneers of Porn-Funk have crash-landed once again, this time with Invaders from the Pleasure Planet, a double LP bursting with scandalous grooves, synth-laced seduction, and enough side-splitting satire to make even the most buttoned-up listener blush. Led by Carvin Knowles and Adam Pike, Sex-O-Rama has spent decades turning taboo into toe-tapping ecstasy, proving that nothing, not even a heart attack, can stop them from bringing the heat. We sat down with Knowles to talk about their approach to crossing lines, the raunchy rhythms of Invaders from the Pleasure Planet, and all things Sex-O-Rama.
JG: Sex-O-Rama has always thrived on musically and culturally pushing boundaries. With Invaders from the Pleasure Planet, what new lines are you crossing this time around?
SOR: We always have to point out that we are mostly just making instrumental music, but there are people out there who believe that “Russian Pee Tape” mocks a moment in history when the young Donald Trump became Vladimir Putin’s slave. There are many more allegations that we have crossed the line with several of our jams on this album…that is, if you believe all the moral outrage. Or if you read our song titles, which, I might remind you, are completely innocent and don’t reflect anything obscene that could be banned by mainstream radio stations. Although I expect in the oligarch-controlled USA, we might be banned from mainstream radio for that first one I mentioned anyway.
JG: Your music blends funk, satire, and vintage cinematic influences. What’s the secret to balancing humour with genuine musical craftsmanship?
SOR: We had a saying back in the ’90s: “fun sticks to tape.” When we’re having fun playing, the audience will always know it. We’re all musicians. We have all spent a lifetime learning our craft, so we aren’t worried about balancing genuine musical craftsmanship. It’s what we would do, no matter what. And because of that craftsmanship, if it sounds like we’re having fun, it’s probably because we are. Bootsy Collins once said, “You can’t fake the Funk.” In our case, you can’t fake our sense of humour. Once you feel it in the music, we hope you’ll have fun too.
JG: You mentioned having a heart attack mid-recording. How did that experience impact the album’s creative process? Did it change your perspective on the music or its message?
SOR: It reinforced for me the power of laughter. Adam made me laugh about it, and I kept laughing. He made gloriously inappropriate jokes about the “hot nurse” cliches from old pornos. If I had a speedy recovery, it’s because everyone made the worst kinds of jokes about it. That’s what our jam “Wet Nurse” was all about. That nurse made me all better! When life sucks, always find a way to laugh about it.
JG: The 1980s were a golden age of excess, VHS smut, and experimental synth sounds. If Sex-O-Rama had existed in that era, where do you think you would have fit in? We could totally see Marc Almond of Soft Cell circa the ’80s being all about Sex-O-Rama.
SOR: We would probably have ended up in the orbit of Prince, with his explicit lyrics and hypersexualized messages. And, of course, his super funky grooves. Lots of Prince songs didn’t have a bass part, so he might’ve stolen Haywood to give him a funky bass. But with our funk fusion and sexual energy, we’d have loved to hang out at Paisley Park.
JG: Porn-funk is a niche, yet Sex-O-Rama has managed to carve out a cult following. Why do you think this sound continues to resonate with audiences after all this time?
SOR: There are many reasons why our audience loves us. Everybody likes to make jokes about porno. Most of our fans know we are a parody, and they like being in on the joke. Most of them enjoy offending the Karens of the world. Back when we were doing actual covers of porn music, we used to worry that we would be some kind of “guilty pleasure” or that we’d only attract pervs. But instead, people got it. They understood it. They dug it. As our audience grows, that’s the part that stays the same. Besides, we do throw down one hella funky groove, and who doesn’t like the Funk?
JG: Your music has sparked controversy in the past. In today’s world of hyper-awareness and online discourse, do you find it harder or easier to stir the pot?
SOR: That’s a good question, and the answer changes with each passing headline. The sexual predators in power in America provide plenty of fodder for stirring the pot. Starting with our Mother Funker album, we knew we could go further than before. That album was first conceived with “Stormy Rides Again.” We are, every one of us, smartasses. So the question was never, “Is it hard to stir the pot?” The question was,s “How far can we go this time?” The answer is always “a little bit further.”
JG: If Invaders from the Pleasure Planet were the soundtrack to a forgotten ’80s sci-fi film, what would the plot be? And who would star in it?
SOR: As you can see from our album cover, we’ve already given that one a little thought, so here goes…
“Invaders From the Pleasure Planet” is a lost 1986 classic with an all-star cast including Janine Lindemulder, Heather Hunter, Tori Welles, and Hypatia Lee as the green-skinned Invaders from the Pleasure Planet led by Princess Lixa Orgazma. The Invaders are captured by the Alien Sex Bots, all of them played by Jill Kelly and Bunny Bleu, who take the Invaders as prisoners to their suggestively shaped space cruiser. The Invaders must first escape the dungeon in Room 69 before they can defeat the evil Robot Master, Lord Baytor, played by Randy West in black and silver bondage gear. Your imagination about the details is probably at least as good as mine, so have fun with that.
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