Thank you for listening to this re-release of "Permanent Leather". The very first album I ever wrote and recorded back in February and March of 1996 when I was calling myself "Catatonic". It all started when I was watching Depeche Mode's "101" concert video on VHS one day and thought to myself "hmm, playing the keyboard looks like fun. I want to do what Alan and Martin are doing". I wanted to make 80's music. So, I went to a department store in Jonesboro, Arkansas and bought a $125 dollar battery powered toy keyboard with the built-in speakers and taught myself how to play the parts in "Everything Counts". Soon, I would start making my own compositions on the keyboard. Then, before long, I was trying to sing like Dave and Martin. Eventually, I was writing so many original instrumentals, I decided to try to make songs out of them. A few months later, I found a recording studio and with my entire paycheck from my grocery store job, I would go to the studio and try to record as many of my songs as I could under 4 hours for that day. Once I finished the album, I did an amateur photo session and had the cassette tapes made. Some of those photos comprise this album cover. However, the original album cover on the cassette is a bit of a secret unless you get the original cassette. I hustled to all the music stores in the area to try and get them on the shelves and it did end up in some national chain stores like Musicland and Hastings as well as several other independent record stores in the area. It led to a cable access tv show appearance with interviews and in-studio performances which can be seen online along with my other music videos from over the years. This is the original recording and the original mix of the songs made in the studio from early 1996 when I was calling myself "Catatonic" (nowadays there are several other acts using the name, so it won't be me if you look it up). I had no clue how to mix a song but the engineer let me do my thing no matter how wrong it was. What you'll be hearing is a transfer from the original cassette tape from the 1996 album. Still, these are the original studio recordings and mixes and have not been re-done nor supplemented in any way. All of the music you'll hear is what my hands recorded with no programming (other than the drums which even at that weren't even really programmed). I just used a one bar drumline and copied it for the duration of the song. No fills or anything like that. I couldn't even afford the studio time to elaborate on drum patterns, and no vocal autotune of course (which is going to be very obvious when you listen to the songs), which I still do not use vocal autotune today. In fact, I still record my music today the same way I did back then with an old 20 some odd year old computer and 20 something year old software and I don't do programming except for drums. I have no technology to do autotune nor virtual synths. I use actual real synthesizers. Almost all the music and vocals you'll hear were done in 1 or 2 takes playing all the way through from beginning to end and the mix was done on a big 24 track mixing board. No computer editing or effects other than the built-in reverb on the mixing board. All the vocals were recorded to 2 inch reel to reel tape. I was jaded by current music at the time and I really wanted to get that 80s vibe from my music. I just liked the 80s style of music. Thank goodness the studio had two real synthesizers and let me record the album using theirs instead of my cheap department store keyboard. I was more instrumental minded so the lyrics and singing were just a necessity I added to make them legitimate songs. With that being said, this is an album that I'm very proud of. It's literally my roots in music and was a catalyst for the rest of my life. I'm excited to share it with the world to anyone who might listen as I believe it helps guage my progression from then to now. The first song on the album is called "Catastrophic". For this re-release, I added an intro and outro of a radio DJ who played it on a local rock alternative station at the time, but the original studio recording is what you'll hear in the middle. Not the 1996 radio broadcast which is very poor quality. I think I was going for a more industrial goth sound on this song. I have never done a vocal in this style since. So, maybe I was trying to do an aggro industrial vocal but I realized late, that just wasn't me. This next one is called "Deep". A few months before I wrote this, a friend and I ended up in some strange nightclub in Memphis called the 501 and I heard some bassy sounding instrumental they were playing. I thought to myself, I'll make a club song. I later remixed this song adding samples and theme music from the 1984 movie Children of the Corn and renamed it "Deep Behind the Rows Mix". Next is a song called "Contrition". Obviously, my vocals on this are very influenced by the Martin Gore style vocals of the 80s. I remember recording it and looking out the studio window where it was dark grey and cold outside and totally set the mood while I was playing the bass and strings at the same time on one track. This is the second song I ever wrote in my life. It's about a Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde type guy who regrets the things he does and who he is. This instrumental called "Spinal Chordless" is one where I was poking fun at myself. It was definitely just supposed to be like an interlude segue thing. I named it "Spinal Chordless" spelled c-h-o-r-d (as in) there are no musical chords in it. I was listening to a lot of Tori Amos at the time. I think I was going for a vampire-y requiem thing too. For this song called "Red Sky", once again, going for a Depeche-y mid 80s vibe. It's a hypothetical story about me going to the hot American southwest desert which was contrast to the gloomy cold and rainy town I lived in. I just wanted to be warm and sunny. To be honest, I may have been inspired by the artwork of a lable on an Old El Paso brand taco seasoning pouch which featured canyons and cactus or cacti rather. This next instrumental is called "The Slammer". I'm a mega fan of the band Information Society and their instrumental song "Hit Me" from the "Earth Girls Are Easy" soundtrack was on my mind a lot. I wanted something with horns and a funky beat. I called it "The Slammer" because after writing it, the song reminded me of a Mexican prison camp with prisoners marching to hard labor or something. You know, going to the slammer (as they say). Coincidentally, I met Kurt (the singer for Information Society) backstage at a show in Dallas about 2 years later and he made me an honorary geek. My life was complete. Next is "Social Disease". This here is the very first song I ever wrote and the very first song I ever recorded. This is the first time my hands ever properly recorded a note on a keyboard and the first time my singing voice was ever put to tape and recorded. I was nervous and had no idea how to record... or sing for that matter. It's called "Social Disease" and it started it all. It's about the outcast who wants friends, but since he or she isn't in the right social circle in a school or town where friends are decided by socio-econimical class, people miss out. It's like a real social disease perpetuated by the adults who shape them. I later remade this song for my 2013 album Emulator. The next one is a pipe organ continuation of the first song on this album called "Catastrophic", so of course this one has to be called "Catastrophic Continued". I was a bit of a goth kid with the dying my hair black, and the black fingernails, wearing lots of leather, sometimes black lipstick, junk jewelry early Madonna style, black roses on my keyboard at home, and all the stuff that came with it. I had a 1981 Volvo 240 that reminded me of some kind of funeral car or something with roses sandblasted into the back windows. Needless to say, I couldn't get a date with any girl, much less an actual girlfriend. All of the vocals in this were completely improvised in the studio at the last minute. The crying I did that transforms into the maniacal laugh was an outtake. I didn't mean for that to be real. It was just a joking way to get the engineer's attention to cut it so I could redo it. But, my friend was watching me through the vocal booth window and fist pumped and went nuts when I did it, so I thought "okay, maybe I'll keep it". So I did. This next song is called "The Dawning" and I was toward the end of my recording sessions and my starry eyed side of my brain told myself "Hey, Jason, record a softer pop ballad and maybe it will actually get heard". Well, that isn't exactly what happened. It's still weird even though I was trying to do something normal. I don't even know what I was going for. I was just putting some sappy lyrics with it and away I went with the worst vocal performance I think I've ever released, publicly. Coincidentally, in 2013, I re-made this song and called it "Remember The Time" which is on my album Emulator. So here we are with the title track, "Permanent Leather". I was definitely wearing a lot of leather at the time. I do like this song. It really does convey how I was feeling at the time. This next one is called "Don't Lose Over Them". It's basically a situation like the John Hughes movie Pretty In Pink or several movies by John Hughes such as Some Kind of Wonderful, Weird Science, or Sixteen Candles. Someone who likes someone, but since they're in a different social or economic class, it's taboo to do anything about it. Basically choosing fake friends over someone you really want to know better, and then someone else being brave enough to ask the person they actually like over their friends, and they get her instead of you, and then you lose out. So, you lose over them. I later remade this song on the 2013 album "Kiss" for my project Magnificent Lie and I called it "Ship of Fools". Now this next song definitely started to show my industrial curiosities. It's called "Still Warriors", and it originally had lyrics with it, but they didn't really make sense and a melodic vocal melody was nonexistent. I just think it sounds better as an instrumental. I had no idea how to play piano and I still don't to this day. I'm a synth player and that's completely different than piano playing when you take a very close look. I've known many great piano players that cannot rock a synth nor play a human arpeggiated bassline the way I do. Likewise, I cannot play piano chords to save my life. Anyway, this is what the first song on this album called "Catastrophic" was originally. One of the first things I made when I started teaching myself. I wrote this song in an effort to do some kind of maybe classical style piece meets Tori meets Lestat from Interview With The Vampire. This is the very first piano music I ever wrote and recorded. All done in one take all the way through. Mistakes and all! Naturally, it's called "A Catastrophic Sonata" because it is catastrophic. Looking back, it sounds like it should have been on the soundtrack of that awesome movie "Eyes Wide Shut" which came out 3 years later. I hope you've enjoyed my very first album or attempt at making music. Thank you so much for listening. Let's get to it! - Jason Mysteria

I wish they would understand me. No, I think I take that wish back. Because if they understand me, they'll want to be just like me. I wish to do all I want to. No, I think I take that wish back. Because if I do all I want to, I've nothing to look forward to. I wish for super energy. No, I think I take that wish back. Because if I have too much energy, the world couldn't keep up with me. I wish life would pass more slowly. This wish I'll keep with me. If life went by more slowly, the world would be simpler to see.

Deep.

I tried to say I never wanted to be. But no one seemed to understand me. They now say I'm real, but I knew from the start. Immortal sweatings from the veins of my heart. Life signs involving me are way too low. All is still, except for the blood flow. Imprisoned soul with no open gate. I've compulsive hate, and for love it's too late. Still alienated by the wards of life. Contriteful stains on the blade of my knife. Please Father Time, kill Mother Nature. She creates my mental stature. It's way too real, and I can't fake it. I live catalepsy because I can't take it. I look for someone to take my pain out on. Natural consciousness has yet to be gone.

Red skies of the best kind. The normal blue sky left behind. Without leaving, you say "how?". Because you're in the desert now. I'll take you to the highest peak. One look around and you can't speak. Been here so long, soon we'll die. And you still haven't noticed the red sky. It's not like all other land. If you don't know what I mean, you should stand. So you can see, then you'll agree that we are in the place to be. Look at me and you can see I'm hot. Why is it that you are not? Been here so long, soon we'll die. And you still haven't noticed the red sky. (talk) You should have a chat with a canyon top. I think that he would speak to you. When red turns dark, the heat will stop. By then, I'll have else to do.

Come on say yes to the time of your life. You'll never know if you're not alive. You could be down, but you'd rather condemn someone who's out of your circle of friends. Who did this, was it your community? Was I the only one who chose immunity? You know you really could step over the line but there's an infection working on your mind. You have a social disease you caught from them. There's a better cure for this disease from them. Much is to be said for a man who's skinned. I didn't catch the disease from them. Social disease. Do you got the disease? Social disease. I think you've got the disease. Why don't you trust your gut feeling? Forget what your group thinks you are being. How come you're afraid to roll the dice? It always takes someone else to break the ice. You seem so sure that you'd rather please those who keep feeding you the disease. Stay in your group and don't get out of your door. Meanwhile I'll be open to the rest of the world. You have a social disease you caught from them. There's a better cure for this disease from them. Much is to be said for a man who's skinned. I didn't catch the disease from them. Social disease. Do you got the disease? Social disease. I think you've got the disease. You have a social disease you caught from them. There's a better cure for this disease from them. Much is to be said for a man who's skinned. I didn't catch the disease from them.

Thank you, sir. You know her. She knows you, but don't use you. If she heard every word, it would be good for me. Here in your house we are your spouse. Making a call right to us all. It's loud and clear we all know fear. So let's listen and quit wishing. She understands the main man. In her sights, you are right. She sees well, and I can tell (that) she knows you and uses you... In her prayers to show she cares. That you are king with open wings. She now has it and also gives it. Rubbed off on me and is good for me.

Do you copy, do you read me? Do you know what I am thinking? I don't know you but you'll do all the things that get to you. They are the Earth satellite. I'm now the created life. I feel miserable, I need my leather. Now I feel real good. There, that's much better. I have my leather. Very much leather. I feel good with my permanent leather. Are you a miracle man? Please help me out if you can. This is more than a problem. It's more like an epic saga. Black roses give me all this. Future home I now call bliss. All this mess at its best seems like it was blessed. I send the message without knowing it. I have my leather. Very much leather. I feel good with my permanent leather. Permanent leather. Permanent leather. Permanent leather. Permanent leather.

Merely shocked at what's in your head. To you, you're right. To them, you're wrong. But you take to their thoughts instead. That's the reason why she's now gone. You think she's cool and pretty and all. But if you go to her, your status will fall. She's so nice and really so neat. So do you what you feel and don't get beat. Don't lose over them or you'll end up seeing him. The one with his own taste, and know your crush was a waste. You'll see her around and every place. You can't smile at her and don't understand. They will notice the joy on your face. Though they don't approve, would you hold her hand? She's not rich or popular here. No one cares for her, it's still all too clear. Go for what you want, no shame at all. Because she's really cool and pretty and all. Don't lose over them or you'll end up seeing him. The one with his own taste, and know your crush was a waste. Don't lose over them or you'll end up seeing him. The one with his own taste, and know your crush was a waste. You'll see her around and every place. You can't smile at her and don't understand. They will notice the joy on your face. Though they don't approve, would you hold her hand? She's not rich or popular here. No one cares for her, it's still all too clear. Go for what you want, no shame at all. Because she's really cool and pretty and all. Don't lose over them. Don't lose over them.