Neurodivergent underground cult figure BDEE (pronounced “Bee-Dee”, a tribute to Dee Dee Ramone) has written and recorded over 2000 songs and put out nearly 200 releases in his 26 years of activity as a musician. Like outsider icons Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston, BDEE has hovered at the margins while steadily growing a cult following drawn to his one-of-a-kind personality. In BDEE’s case, his rambunctious live shows, prolific output, and dizzying versatility have also contributed to his near-mythical stature among his followers. Over the years, the Jamaican import has encompassed punk, shoegaze, hip hop, indie, goth, and everything in between, making it next to impossible to put what he does into a single box.
Lyrics by Forthman feature recurring themes — coping with isolation and being gaslit, living with mental illness, and life on the autism spectrum. The Femister-penned “Daysleeper” speaks of times when BDEE would often stay up for 72 hours straight perfecting his latest release and expressing frustration that his music isn’t getting noticed as much as it deserves to be. “Shattered Glass” speaks of the desire to raise the bar so high that it goes through the roof as the glass ceiling is shattered and the fear of being out of step with ever-changing cultural shifts looms…
Watch the video here:
Will of BDEE shares:
“Daysleeper” is the first of eight live videos from BDEE + the venomous oranges’ performance at the Dinos in Vietnam Sessions. Recorded at Grifters Studio in Massapequa Park, Long Island. The oranges are joined by drummer Hugo Lopez, who has been a significant contributor to the band for several years. “Daysleeper” is on BDEE + the venomous oranges new ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM EP streaming everywhere now!
The sessions, started in 2020 by Jay Carrie and Will Forthman, were created as an alternative to live shows during the pandemic, giving bands the opportunity to document their live sets and give a much needed outlet in some very isolating times. Dinos in Vietnam morphed from a DIY label to a production company and has been constantly putting out bands live sets ever since. Paul Motisi manned the second camera for this session. Check out more from Dinos in Vietnam Productions on their YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/@dinosinvietnam
BDEE + the venomous oranges crafted their new album Ultraviolet Spectrum in the hopes that like minded neurodivergence folks will be able to relate. All too often, people on the spectrum find themselves on the outside looking in. This new set of songs is the band’s way of speaking to that experience. Ultraviolet Spectrum goes out into the world as a beacon of support, as well as an attempt to help eliminate negative taboos surrounding autism, mental illness, and all developmental “disabilities.” BDEE + the venomous oranges want to personally let you know that acting and thinking differently than “normies” should not be considered a disability.
As we continue to move through the 21st century, we should look ahead to a world where there’s room for everyone on this wonderful, challenging ultraviolet spectrum we call life.
