James Oylen . Gemini, Mutable Air
[Frontman: Vocals, Keys, Programming]

"You've been blessed with a rare gift. You know exactly what you were born to do."

James Oylen was born deaf.

After an operation at age five, he heard Rachmaninoff's 'Symphony in D Minor' for the first time. He was so moved by the sound that he was compelled to learn to play piano.

Shortly thereafter, he auditioned with one of the top piano teachers in the Mid-Atlantic, who accepted and trained him as a chamber orchestra pianist. At thirteen he was blacklisted from district level piano competitions because his skills dwarfed the local pianists in his age group, leading to numerous parental complaints.

At fifteen, James began creating music with his closest friend Ryan Arlington under the moniker 'Interrogation.' Their creative energy was tremendous, but tragically short-lived. Ryan died at seventeen in a car crash. James was devastated and gave up on the fledgling music almost before it really began.

Nine months later, James was incarcerated in a privately-owned juvenile detention center billing itself as an academy. In recent years, WWASP, the multi-billion dollar corporation responsible for these worldwide facilities, has been facing numerous lawsuits for its practices. James still has nightmares about Cross Creek Academy for Boys, and much of the anger and imprisonment imagery found on the album Queen Of Thorns is a direct result of the experience.

Facing constant setbacks, James spent years teaching himself professional studio engineering techniques and creating what would eventually become the album Queen Of Thorns. In the meantime he performed as co-engineer on guitarist Yveline's debut album 'Taming The Tongue' and has since lent his hand to a variety of music-related projects.

"I had to learn pretty quickly that if you don't keep moving constantly, you're dead. You've got to circle like a shark. Keep swimming." -James