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You are here -> Music / Features Sunday, 12 October, 2008
PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!
CAMERA-FOLK AND FILM EDITORS WANTED!
Planet Notion is looking for guys and dolls to film and edit features for its new TV channel, PNTV. Accompanying Notion to artist interviews, gigs, fashion shows, festivals and international events, you will be skilled, passionate and full of ideas about how to produce shit-hot video content. Camera-folk will be experienced and ideally have their own equipment, or at least access to equipment, while editors must be able to turn projects around quickly, and with stylistic flare. If you can both film and edit content, we would especially like to hear from you! These casual, unpaid positions would be ideal for those looking to develop their showreels, and to get the chance to travel, film major artists and top events.
 
Please email lucy(at)musichqmedia
(dot)com if you’re interested in getting involved, cheers!
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Deerhunter Interview!
24/09/2008
 Deerhunter Interview!
tags: | deerhunter | deerhunter news | deerhunter latest | deerhunter interview | more...

Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip!
Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip!
09/09/2008
Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip shoot the s**t. Extracted from Notion Magazine 34. Dan le Sac: The death of the music industry: People keep talking about the death of the music industry as if it were a bad thing, as record companies struggle to find the next big thing and spend all their cash on ways of protecting their investments, people will continue to find ways of getting their musical fix for free. The thing is live music will continue to grow, and in a sense music will move into a time of natural selection, only the best will survive. Its not about selling records anymore, its about getting bums on seat. Soup: Soup is truly fantastical, especially when it involves croutons. Any meal you can put into a thermos is alright by me. What I've never understood though is why aren't "smoothies" called soup? Or atleast fruit soup? Its just cold soup like gazpacho. Forgetting Names: Over the last year i have forgotten more names than i have remembered, I would like very much to walk away from a conversation and be able to answer simple questions like "who was that?" without saying "you know, he's in that band...the ones with the bagpipes and all the percussion." The only solution i can suggest is that everyone should speak in the third person, so when i walk in to a shop it would sound like this "hello, dan le sac would like pie and chips twice please" then "indeed, Johnny chipshop would like £4.95 in return please." Quim: I’ve never understood why the word quim isn't in greater linguistic circulation? Its cousin Cunt gets a decent amount of usage but why not quim? Its simple enough to use, means much the same thing as cunt but it also has the added bonus of being quite a bouncy lyrical word. Words of advice for young people: I dont like giving advice, although i do it alot. Generally when i give advice i just fudge things Trisha and Jeremy Kyle have said to me together, and then say them politely. SO my advice to you is dont listen to my words of advice. Scroobius Pip: Beards: The key to a good beard is persistance. That and Aussie non frizz conditioner. A Lot of people start a beard then bottle it as soon as they get to the "random hair shooting everywhere" phaze. This is a temporary phaze. Fight through and the rewards will be fruitful. U.S. Politics: Im not really qualified to give an ACTUAL guide to this but i have been thinking about it alot recently. In the UK and America governments have been trying to get young people to vote for years by getting celebrities to do cheesey adds urging young'uns to "rock the vote". Its interesting that what it has ACTUALLY taken to get kids interested in the political game has been someone to get behind. Barack Obama seems to have been able to ignite something that not even the mighty Justin Timberlake could. New Music: It amuses me that when something new comes along all the record labels start a frenzy to find the "new" version of it. The reason someone like Lily Allen made such an impact was because she was fresh and new so the "new" Lily Allen probably wont be a female singer songwriter! All though if that rush to find the new Lily or Amy is responsible for letting the world know about Kate Nash and Adele then its gotta be a good thing i guess! Suits: I love wearing suits. Its a fact. But they have to look good and the key to that is a good cut. Problem is i dont have much money so here is my tip. Find a reasonabley good looking suit in a charity shop, buy it for a tenner then take it to be tailored at your local dry cleaners. Mine Does the job for around twenty quid so you end up with smashing looking suit for around thirty pounds. Marvelous. Live Shows: Tooooooo many bands these days worry about looking cool and having a persona when they play live. This noramlly leads to boring, boring, boring live shows. What bands and acts need to remember is that people have come out to be entertained and have fun. They haven’t paid to come and be impressed by how cool you are. Words: Dan le Sac & Scroobius Pip Photography: Bartolomy
tags: | dan le sac | dan le sac news | dan le sac latest | scroobius pip | scroobius pip news | more...
Simian Mobile Disco interview!
Simian Mobile Disco interview!
11/08/2008
Simian Mobile Disco are one of those acts people who aren’t even into the club and party vibe have heard of. Probably. You see, as well as fast becoming a globally renowned DJ duo – created off the back of the now defunct Simian, James Ford and Jas Shaw have had their fingers in many a musical pie; very scrumptious musical pies; several in fact!!! Ford’s sticky pinky has produced number one debut albums for the Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, and Last Shadow Puppets – a band he also plays the drums in. Anyway, now Ford and Shaw are going to be hitting Tijuana in Mexico, for Simian Mobile Disco’s Sol Session on November 1st. You know Sol, right? That tasty lager that falls into the unisex bracket – meaning that bulbous ladettes are transformed into mildly-attractive ladies when they drink it and guys just drink it anyway. We caught up with the thoroughly charming James Ford to discuss the new SMD album, Mexico, and the art of seduction… um, well, production actually. You’re going to be playing a Sol Session in Tijuana; exciting stuff! Have you played in Tijuana before? Well, we’ve played in Mexico before – a couple of times; just in Mexico City and Acapulco. And yeah, like, to varying degrees of success really. I mean the Mexico City gig was amazing, but the Acapulco gig was a total shambles. It was just, like, really crazy down there – their organisation and stuff. But yeah, Mexico’s amazing; I’m really looking forward to it – to getting back there… And now that Simian Mobile Disco are so globally renowned, it must be fantastic to go around the world to all these different places and see all these different cultures? Ah, it’s amazing. Like, especially as I did a lot of production with Justice – on his own… And you know, we did like Singapore and Malaysia, and there were armed guards sort of wandering around with him and all this; they gave him a police escort and cleared traffic and shit – it was really entertaining. So you’re working on the new album at the moment, how’s that coming along? Are you taking things in a different direction from your previous material? Well, a little bit slowly to be honest - because as I say, Jas has just had a kid; but we’ve got a load of stuff on the go; I’d say we’re about halfway there. I’d say it’s definitely a lot deeper and a bit more psychedelic than our other stuff. You know, I’ve been listening to a lot of krautrock and that kind of thing. We’re still trying to keep the new stuff dance-floor and stuff, but maybe it’s just a bit more… broadened out I suppose. And you guys will be working your magic on production again – or have you brought in someone else? No, no, we’re producing it ourselves and we’re producing the mix – because we’re both producers in our own right, you know? I don’t think we’d ever get another producer in. Sure, sure. And on the subject of producing, are you proud that some of the bands you’ve worked with – Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Last Shadow Puppets - have achieved such success? Yeah, yeah, it’s great you know – but obviously, you know - I can’t take all the credit. Obviously they’re really good bands and whatever, but I just feel kind of fortunate to have been given the chance to work with them really. Having played in a band as part of the original Simian, remixing music must be a completely different ball game altogether? Um, well it’s different in every sort of situation really. Generally, as much as possible, I try to mix with a proper desk and, um, you know – I’m a great believer that there’s a certain magic you get from all the little boxes and all the cables and that; I’m not really big on all the digital world and that … I think just being in a little room – a room you know - and laying down the music is important; it’s quite an involved process – the build-up. Usually you get a really rough balance to start with and then go through the process of compressing every element until you’re happy with it. Any plans in the pipeline for a Simian reunion or working with the other guys in some capacity again; maybe the Black Ghosts or something? Probably not to be fair… no. We sort of; well - I’ve sort of enjoyed making music more since the band has finished. I don’t kind of regret the band, I definitely learnt a lot and enjoyed it and stuff, but I don’t think I’d ever want to go back there really. I think everyone who was involved is the same to be honest; we’ve all sort of done better in our own right since the band finished. And what about your plans away from SMD; have you got any exciting shows or production work lined-up? The Sol Session obviously; and I’m going to be playing live with the whole Shadow Puppets thing – Alex Turner – in October. I’m really looking forward to that because I haven’t really done any sort of live – playing with an instrument kind of thing - for a while. That’ll be fun. And yeah, there’s the new Klaxons record, and the new SMD record - both out at the end of the year, so I’ll be keeping myself busy with that. For further information on the Simian Mobile Disco Sol Session and to win tickets, visit sol-beer.co.uk
tags: | simian mobile disco | simian mobile disco news | simian mobile disco interview | more...
Interview with The Crimea's Davey Macmanus!
Interview with The Crimea's Davey Macmanus!
07/07/2008
The Crimea have never been a band to do things, let’s say, the conventional way… When Warner Bros. Records dropped the boys due to poor sales of debut album Tragedy Rocks, the four-piece shrugged their shoulders and embarked on a campaign that would change the future of music distribution. Releasing follow-up album, Secrets of the Witching Hour as a free download was a shrewd move; a means of establishing a new and firm fan base. Their method of reaching the masses has been followed by more established bands such as Radiohead, so you could call The Crimea trend-setters. Ahem, but rather than letting their growing success go to their heads, the four-piece have continued to show their fans the same appreciation, support, and dedication that they’ve shown to The Crimea; playing intimate, almost exclusive, candlelit shows, and releasing new single ‘48a Waiting Steps’ as yet another free download. Here, Planet Notion catches up with singer Davey Macmanus, to talk Dear Deirdre, crack-whores, and going for Gold! Words: Dangerous Dave When bands release a single taken from an album, it’s usually for a particular reason… Why did you pick the ‘48A Waiting Steps’, and where does the inspiration behind the track come from? We picked the ‘48a Waiting Steps’ and ‘Loop-a-Loop’ becuase we kinda’ wanted to be seen in a different light. Warner’s had always released the poppier songs so, when we became disentangled from them, it was the obvious thing to release something we thought better represented us as the successors to Siegfried Sassoon and Da Vinci before him. Sure, I mean, with ‘Secrets of the Witching Hour’ there was a clear indication of your music developing – or at least going through noticeable changes… How would you say that your music’s developed? Well I guess we just grew up a bit; went round the world a few times and got more of a sense of it. Became more humble; thankful… The reason that ‘Secrets’ developed musically is cos’ we spent seven months making it and tried a-hundred different things for every part before we picked our winner… We went round the houses but we done it all ourselves - mostly at home, but also in Latvia, Norwich, and various other studios around London. The latest stuff has further developed… I’d say it’s also developed because, financially, we’ve always ridden a fine line - so we’ve had to better ourselves each time. We still have something to prove basically. So the inspiration for the music that you’re currently producing has come from different sources, places, or moments, than your older material? No. It’s all been reaching towards the third Crimea album. I only got a guitar when I was eighteen and was in a punk band for seven years, so it’s taken me a while to find my musical destiny… I was thrown onstage way too early. And how imminent is that 100,000 Gold [download] mark with ‘Secrets of the Witching Hour’… Can you reveal any of the plans for the extended edition you’ll release in celebration? I'm not sure how soon the imminent gold is, but touch wood in the next few weeks. The new version basically has a different running order and pieces of music between the songs; a strange Kentuckian woman whispering interludes I wrote. On the original version of ‘Secrets’ it was done by a very famous American singer but, when we released it for free and it went up on Reuters, her label freaked out and we had to remove her. So we've redone it with this crazy woman we met in New Orleans. You tend to promote new releases to an exclusive sect, an in-crowd lucky enough to know: “Where and what time”. Is this a means of being in touch with your fan base or a way of breaking from the mainstream mould? Jesus, it’s basically because we’re a cottage industry operating out of the mainstream; doing our own thing. We rely heavily on the internet, we’re trying to promote to everyone, and we haven’t got the money behind us - so we have to think of ingenious methods of promoting ourselves. Once, I went in Dear Deirdre in The Sun the week our single came out. Once, I spray-painted ‘1939 Returning’ all over London, including every bridge along the Thames… Having interviewed Anton Newcombe [Brian Jonestown Massacre], I’m only too aware of his involvement with Perry Watts-Russell [Warner Bros. Records]. Was Perry equally as nuts as Anton and how did you find him to work alongside? It was tough working with him. He’s a great guy but basically, major labels in general are a humdrum of non-activity, and everybody has to ask everybody else and think about it for six months before they can take a shit. I have a good relationship with Perry; I told him at the time we were dropped that we were doing the free record, and then when Radiohead did it I asked him if he stole the idea. He said he was really annoyed when they did it because they hadn’t mentioned it to him… So, with breaking from Warner in mind, how have you found the transgression from being on a label to producing music alone; has it been a positive change? It’s been great in general; in that we’ve been free to do whatever we want. Last year we released the free record the day after we mastered it, whereas it took four years for Warner to release one album we'd already recorded before we signed the deal. Last year we toured in China twice and released the record there. This summer we’re touring the States and releasing ‘Secrets’ as a free download there through Tripwire. The launch party sees us playing Venice Beach, and we’ve just kind of been doing the English campaign since Christmas - releasing the two singles. Your live shows are generally intimate affairs; do you ever feel like you should be playing large arenas or concerts, or would that feel like “Selling your soul to the devil?” We have sold our soul to the devil; many times! Perry wouldn’t even let me meet his secretary until I got a new front tooth. When they dropped us, I knocked it out again. We’ve done lots of supports in arena style tours with big bands, and festivals et cetera. I do love having a big crowd, but these days we go for sit-down candlelit shows. It's supposed to be like going to the cinema. Away from the intimate gigs, have you ever considered doing an epic opera? You know, like R. Kelly’s rap opera: ‘Trapped in the Closet’… You could have midgets, gun scenes, and crack-whores!!! I’ve actually got a mini opera going. It’s a trilogy of songs; my version of the Requiem. It’s gonna be on the next record… Our drummer is a midget, our keyboardist is a crack-whore, our bass player shoots from the hip, and I could beat R. Kelly in a ‘rap off’ any day. Using your reputation to send out political, sociological, or economical messages to the neuro-transmitters of the masses - like Bono, Sting, and Thom Yorke are doing; where do you stand on that? Our statement is basically: Life can be terribly unjust, but there are moments of wonder out there, and some people actually think about things other than shoes and what’s for dinner. You kicked-off the free albums and downloads boom, with bands like Radiohead following suit. How do you feel about the doubters, those that say that FREE downloads are killing the industry? I'm still in two minds about it. My personal reaction to someone giving away something for free is that it must be terrible, and I think that applies to a lot of people… It seems to be an unstoppable force and everyone just downloads illegally anyway, no matter what, so that’s that. You have to make money in other ways now. But what does it mean for the future of music? Do you think the CD will continue to thrive, or will it go away before having an eventual resurgence like the Vinyl? Or will it just die a death like the Tape? I’m not sure about the future of music; that died with Dusty Springfield… The CD is doomed, as are the people who use it to fund their livelihoods. The dole will always be there to shelter us, it’s just [that] I missed the last five weeks and the fuckers cut it off. It’s all about being cool, which isn't much fun. Finally, if you were to do a fucking Bono on us, or go all Sting on Planet Notion’s red raw arse, what words of wisdom would you have for our readers? Fill your body with anything which helps you forget it’s a body in the first place. Wise words, Davey, wise words… The Crimea’s new single, 48a Waiting Steps, is available on free download through 7Digital . For a free download of The Crimea album, Secrets of the Witching Hour, visit The Crimea’s website .
tags: | the crimea | the crimea 48a waiting steps | 48a waiting steps | davey macmanus | more...
Dangerous Dave interviews Jay Reatard!
Dangerous Dave interviews Jay Reatard!
09/06/2008
The Proud Gallery, Camden, is an unusual setting to be interviewing the saviour of the Memphis punk-rock scene, Jay Reatard. One of the more stylish venues in Camden, the crowd verge on semi-alternative and smart casual, giving an impression that they’re either pretentious creatives or attach themselves to a “hip-crowd” like leeches on a day-trip to Baker Beach. One certainly feels out of place with unkempt hair, armpits rising damp and a gut full to the brim with a days steady drinking. No doubt Jay Reatard feels a similar sense of bewilderment; the venue’s hardly jam-packed full of punters and those that are here strictly to see Jay could be counted on one finger. But when Reatard takes to the stage, his brown wavy mane, bassist Billy Hayes’ afroesque (sic) fuzz, and drummer Stephen Popes’ long blonde locks - teetering on the realm of surreal and sublime, even the ne’er-do-wells stand-up and take notice. The performance is a 100-mph punk-rock ride on a schizophrenic LSD wig-out; riding a beast of a chopper down the M25 in the early hours of Sunday morn. Blood Visions, a relatively unknown LP that remains one of the most original of the past year, has given Jay Reatard a lot to live up to. Not only does his performance fail to disappoint, particularly astounding given the venue, but the blend of paranoid punk-rock, 80s post-punk, and a pinch of new wave, far outreaches expectation. Having seen a clip of Jay knocking out a stage-invader with a vicious right-hook and having read countless reports of the multi-instrumentalist’s sporadic temper, I was expecting Jay to be a bit of a loose cannon; Anton Newcombe all over again… Perhaps it was the Vodka-and-Tonic I bought him or the countless beer stains down my top, but I like to think it’s because Jay’s a jolly nice chap that all preconceptions were thrown out the window with a resounding BANG! It’s been said that you had a turbulent home-life when you were younger, and that your problems led to you turning to music and leaving school at fifteen. Would you say that you used music as a form of escapism from your problems? I suppose; I mean, I think all art is some form of escapism. Mostly just from boredom man, you know? I didn’t really like… I stopped going to school, so, when you’re fifteen, you know, the majority of people you’re going to meet are going to be at school and there’s not really a lot of places where you can be social with fifteen year-olds outside of school. So it was purely out of boredom; I hadn’t really… I wasn’t around anyone so I kind of just created my own group of friends out of my four-track. You know, I was like: ‘Oh, okay, I can play guitar and drums’ , and it was like interacting with another person, you know, just over-dubbing; and then once I realised I had a four-track and I could do the guitar and the bass, it was like… It was just an escape from boredom man, I had nothing else to do… I think there’s a lesson to be learned there for kids of today. Turning their misdemeanours and all the hate into something far more beneficial… Sure. I mean like, around that age, I was doing the same thing. I was doing petty crimes and going to jail for fighting and stuff; but I knew there was probably - it sounds like a close shave, but definitely something better to put all the negative energy into. And I figured that if music and punk-rock could kind of inspire me, than why not do something while you’re, you know, pissed-off, rather than sitting around like some jerk who’s angry at the world? So would you say that punk-rock was more of an inspiration to you than the Memphis music scene you grew up with? Well, you know, Memphis as a city has always inspired me more than the music. I mean, I’ve only ever… The last ten or fifteen years, I’ve only really enjoyed a few bands from Memphis. It’s more like the city, it just kind of… There’s this kind of ominous negativity that always exists there. It’s quite a violent place that teaches you how to hold your outlook on life. I mean, most the people there are pretty friendly, but it’s definitely more the city that’s inspired me than the music itself. But Stephen (Pope) and Billy (Hayes) (Jay’slive Bassist and Drummer) are from The Barbaras who came out of the Memphis scene. You must have had respect for their music to bring those guys in? Yeah, I thought they were doing cool stuff, you know, and they were young; they didn’t have anything tying them down, and it just seemed like a good situation for all of us. Like, they can help me by giving me a band to play with live, and I can help them by getting more people into their music as well. I think it’s just the perfect relationship… Sure, that's the impression I get. So does the Memphis music scene have quite a close community? Well, you know, it’s tiny, it’s small and it’s very accentual. It’s the same group at any given time; the same fifteen people all playing in service bands. I suppose it’s just like anywhere else where there aren’t a whole lot of people. I mean, Memphis is a pretty small town - it’s like 800,000 people… Maybe. So, it’s not so much that there’s a scene, it’s just a small group of people that try and get along well enough to collaborate together. There’s no certain movement or anything, it’s just very slow; and people are really - most people are pretty uninspired. Most people are pretty non-ambitious, they just wanna kind of sit around and play some local gigs at their local pubs and then work their jobs, you know? There aren’t a lot of people who want to work a seventy-four hour life just to get a pay-check and a place to sleep, you know? Yeah, definitely man, I‘m the same. So how does the Memphis scene compare to other areas nearby, like Nashville for example; somewhere that produces shed loads of music? Nashville ’s like a really music industry town… It’s just like, you know… Nashville’s like Country music that’s all mass-produced, it’s a pretty soulless place, you know? It’s not very interesting. It’s fun though. I get the impression that heart and soul in American music comes from growing-up in the smaller towns and suburbs. The Black Lips recently told me that growing up on the outskirts of Atlanta helped them create better music… Sure, absolutely - I mean they’re from Atlanta , so that’s a pretty big fucking city; it’s like five-million people. But you know, Memphis definitely - I’ve always felt like I could create things without anyone really paying much mind and that’s always something that… I think if you try to do something with people looking over your shoulder or people anticipating what your next move is, then you become a little bit subconscious. Now I kind of get that feeling that people are watching my every move because I’m on a bigger label and - I’m never at home anyway, so I’ve gotta figure out a new process, because the old one doesn’t work anymore… (laughs) What about the transition to solo artist, because you’ve played in a lot of bands; The Reatards and Lost Sounds… You produce your own solo material as well. How have you found going from working in bands to putting all your energy into solo work? It was pretty natural because in the Lost Sounds we gave it our all; everyone tried their hardest. I mean, our goal with that band wasn’t really to be a band that fully collaborated with each other; our goal in that band was to try as hard as possible and things didn’t really work out. We tried it for six years and… I like the records we made and I’m proud to have worked on them, but I guess everyone’s a little disappointed about some people in the band wanting a little bit more - a little higher success than we did. So, you know, we figured it was best to go our ways and - I was so bummed in being with a band at that point; it’s kind of like dating a girl for six years and you break-up, you probably wouldn’t wanna jump straight back into another relationship. So I was very apprehensive, and I took a year off from even playing music and… The next thing just seemed like: ‘Okay, I can’t stomach the idea of being in a band right now, so I’ll start making stuff myself…’ Sure man, I like that. Good answer. But what about the music, how would you describe it? It seems to be heavily influenced by punk, but there’s also a touch of New Wave about it - especially on the final track (Waiting for Something)… Well, you know… It’s essentially punk-rock music in spirit; but from song to song, you know, I definitely don’t try to stick to a strict hole or anything. But I would say it’s… It’s the sound of nervousness. It’s kind of like really nervous punk-rock music and you know, I was a kid who grew-up and was born in the 1980s, so of course it’s going to have a lot early 80s’ influence or something. It’s a good sound to hear. But it’s just punk-rock music as far as I’m concerned man; in my humble opinion it’s just punk-rock. So you were heavily influenced by punk bands of the late 70s? Yeah, I mean the solo stuff has been more inspired by, like… I never really listened to a huge deal of punk until a few years ago. I kind of just wrote it off as shit; and then recently I’ve started listening to The Adverts and bands like that. I guess the solo stuff’s been more influenced by English music, I suppose. Does the inspiration for your lyrics stem from your sub-conscious; are your songs completely made-up; or are they autobiographical in some way - which is the impression I get from songs like My Family ? No. Every lyric I write I try to like, take an aspect of my personality and exaggerate it so that it becomes a bit more interesting, or more severe, or over-the-top. I mean, if I’m writing a song that’s about a guy stalking a girl and killing her at the end of the song, it’s nothing that I would ever do in reality but, you know, maybe it’s a passing thought that went through my brain that I really fucking want to kill that person. So I write a song about it. Shit man, that’s some heavy shit. Good though. What about the recording process; would you say that you prefer performing - the experience and reaction of a live audience - to producing and recording your music? I definitely prefer recording because music’s a pretty personal thing to me; it’s like, something that I like to do alone. It’s like this weird thing where I spend hours in my bedroom working on these songs alone, and then I figure out that: ‘ Oh, I might have to perform them in front of a few-hundred people, or whatever, and play them.’ So, you know, I honestly prefer recording; it’s more of a creative thing. But as far as like, the charge I get from playing live, they’re two different things, you know? I… Playing somewhere like this though; I guess it’s not ideal… (let‘s just say that the majority of the audience rank among the upper echelon of smart-casual; hardly the finest fodder for fast-paced punk-rock) Kind of not ideal but, you know, sometimes I like being thrown to the tigers. I kind of like the complication of playing to people who are unsuspecting, you know? The kind of look on their faces, and how disgusted they are sometimes, makes me realise I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do. There was that incident at the Silver Dollar where a guy climbed on stage mid-performance; you pulled him back and punched him in the face. Do you get pissed off with fans that try and disrupt your performances? Well, you know, I used to - when I was a teenager; I was in bands that were kind of like… It’s so depressing for all these people to say: ‘Jay was in these crazy bands’. I mean I was a kid, so like, when I was eighteen I didn’t think I had a future; so I didn’t mind like, having my shit broken, or having something thrown in my face, or cutting myself up or whatever - because I didn’t think I was gonna be 28 anyway… If I’m gonna be hit it’s apparent I’m not writing a tight tune - probably. I just feel pretty misunderstood by some of these people; they expect me to act like I acted ten years ago or something, but people grow-up man, you know? People say: ‘You’re losing your edge’ and all this stuff; but it’s fucking growing up just like anyone else. You can’t keep doing that shit forever; and there’s nothing more depressing than a forty year-old man who likes to get on stage and, you know, throw shit at people and roll around in broken glass or something. It’s like, I don’t wanna be Iggy Pop. Sure, definitely man. I mean, when I interviewed The Black Lips I got the impression that they’d matured somewhat; that the music is more important to them than pissing about… Now their audience acts that way! Yeah, exactly. So would you say that’s fairly accurate; that you’ve matured as an artist? Yeah, I mean, you know… It’s just this thing where it’s like… Some people just come to the show and they come to Black Lips shows, and they’re like: ‘If you guys aren’t going to create violence, we’re going to create it.’ Fuck ‘em! It’s irritating, you know - it’s silly! I think, yeah, most of those bands - we were young and we did stupid shit, pissed in our mouths and all this stupid stuff - but now we’re in our twenties and we write songs. What about moving to Matador Records… How big has the change been for you; from being signed to smaller labels and then signing for a major company? Essentially I can afford to make any record I want now, so that’s a change. But I’m gonna do things exactly the same way; there’s no reason to change just because you get a big budget to change things… Yeah, you know - it’s good; it just allows me to relax a little bit and not have to worry that I’m gonna be like, old and broke and homeless. And, you know, I think they’ll be able to get a lot more people exposed to what I’m doing, as opposed to some of the tinier labels I was working with; which all did good jobs with what they had to work with, but… You know, Matador, as far as internationally and what not, I think they’ll help us maybe get away from just playing to Indie people and those close-minded punk-rockers they mix with. My goal has always been to play music to like, your common person. The album, Blood Visions, has had some excellent write-ups - it’s been received really well. Are you surprised by how successful it’s been? Sure, I mean, you know - it’s doing alright. I thought it would just be another record; it’s like the eighteenth full-length record I’ve made. So yeah, I think that if you’ve made eighteen of anything, and then the eighteenth thing that you’ve made is the only thing that people pay attention to, it can be a bit confusing. It’s like: ‘Well, hey, I did all this other stuff, what was wrong with that?’ It can definitely fuck with your mind a little bit, but, you know - it’s good . I kind of feel like Blood Visions - the idea behind the record, was to take every band I’ve been in, and take the one thing I liked about the band and put them altogether into one big like… One good idea; one big focus of ideas. Some of the other bands I picked and watered down, I wanted to strip everything away that I hated about all these bands and just combine them all [into something better]. Some artists are talented but lack the passion and drive to carry on with their music once they start making the money. Do you see music merely as a career path or do you have a genuine passion for it? I mean, obviously I see it more as a passion or… Until recently I haven’t really… I’ve always made a living out of music but the quality of life is - I guess its called living what you’d call living; but people wouldn’t call what I’ve been doing living too well. But until recently it hadn’t really paid off and now I’m comfortable for a while and I don’t have to worry about it. But, you know, I’m making it so that the way I’m making records I wouldn’t have to tour if I didn’t want to. I mean, coming and carrying the gear up this fucking cobblestone road and going to all this trouble, of course it has to be a passion otherwise I’d just give up on it, you know? Words: Dave Dryden NOTES: The Blood Visions LP is available to buy on on 'In The Red Records'. Matador Records will be releasing six Jay Reatard singles, on limited edition vinyl, by the end of 2008, and a singles collection album. A follow-up to Blood Visions is due for release in early 2009.
tags: | jay reatard | blood visions | stephen pope | billy hayes | silver dollar | memphis | more...
Cassius discuss their Nike+ workout project!
Cassius discuss their Nike+ workout project!
02/06/2008
Following in the footsteps of Crystal Method, Aesop Rock, and LCD Soundsystem, French house/electronica duo Cassius have recorded the latest Nike+ Original Sport Music track. In collaboration with the sporting brand, Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass took on the challenge of recording a 45-minute continuous downloadable track with the specific goal for people to workout to. Zdar and Boom Bass, real-names Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard, are two of the most highly respected producers to come out of the French electronic scene. Collaborations with Wu-Tang Clan, Leroy Burgess, Jocelyn Brown and Ghostface Killah, as well as production for hip hop artist MC Solaar and electo-pop/dance trio Cut Copy, are just a few examples of the pair’s credentials. The Cassius duo are also renowned as perfectionists of their art, their attention to detail highlighted in the fact that single tracks alone have taken them years to finalise. These are just a few reasons why, when discussing the Nike+ 'CASSIUSPLAY' track with the duo, Boom Bass is quick to point out that Nike approached them as first option for the project . The limited time given to record CASSIUSPLAY, and the structure of a seven-minute warm-up period, a thirty-minute workout, and a seven-minute cool down, created quite a challenge for the band. Furthermore, both Zdar and Boom Bass set themselves the added objective of recording a piece that wouldn’t just appeal to runners, but their long-established fanbase too. “It was challenging because it was new to us,” commented Zdar. “We had the guide that it was for runners, and so you need a ten minute slow-track at the start and a ten minute slow-track at the end. But the biggest challenge for us was to do it not just for runners, but also for Cassius fans that prefer to their running on the dancefloor.” Whereas previous exponents of the Nike+ series have recorded the track as a single-entity, Cassius decided to combine a number of individual tracks and meld them together to create the flow necessary for a continuous workout. “We had a lot of tracks and a lot of ideas,” explains Boom Bass, “we didn’t want to do just one track. So we tried a lot of things, put a lot of things together, and ran to them to see how they worked.” Of course, that’s all very well and good, but what are the components necessary for a project as specific as a workout track? “In fact, that’s what we asked ourselves,” laughs Zdar. “We realised by asking friends and by checking what each of us listen to whilst working out. When I was running I was running with a walkman, listening to The Clash, and then I’d have forty-five minutes of mainly disco, disc-funk, and Italo-disco. We realised that you can run to anything.” Boom Bass is quick to agree. “There are no rules,” he adds with a smile. Trying out the warm-up section, the workout section, and the cool down period firsthand, was an essential element of perfecting the track. “At the start we said let’s do everything really fast,” recalls Zdar. “And then we tried it and said ‘Oh, it’s too purposey [sic]’, so we turned-down some beats and took-out some kicks. “Then we made a little beat with some reggae, tried it, and it worked. It didn’t take me off the running, so I knew it was going to work. Some people might say ‘I can’t work with this because it’s changing too much.’ Whatever, I don’t know. But with me, if I’m running I like the music to change every few minutes.” This approach will come as no surprise to those familiar with Cassius’ sound. The pair have dabbled in a range of genres; blending rock and blues with their synonymous house and electro sound is just one example of their limitless scope. As a result, the final 45-minute-track offers a diverse blend of influences. The opening seven-minute warm-up, the reggae section that Zdar refers to, was a particular highlight of the recording process. “The first song we knew would be perfect, the one with the reggae,” Zdar beams. “We had it finished maybe two months before Nike called us and we knew: ‘This one’s going to be perfect for the starting warm-up!’” Despite having the opening section already at their disposal, Zdar points out that it still presented a problem in context with their goal. “The problem was that it was twenty-five minutes and we knew we’d have to make it nine; otherwise it’s building very slow and then going nowhere.” Something far from ideal when the warm-up period’s over and you’re waiting for a 30-minute intense workout to kick-in. As for the ten-minute cool down period, this was another section that Zdar instantly fell for whilst experimenting with their objective. “I remember I was walking to the beat - ‘dmm, dmm, dmm’ - after listening to it; and I said ‘this is just too perfect for the last track!’ You can just cool down to it; get home, sit down and say ‘Ah, I just ran like a man!’” Zdar and Boom Bass, who both contribute vocals alongside French artiste Gladys, also decided to include the theme of running in their lyrics, an approach in stark contrast to bands that have collaborated with Nike+ in the past. Gladys is no stranger to the Cassius set-up; as well as being Boom Bass’ wife, she has collaborated with the duo on a number of occasions and, according to the pair, will soon be a long-term addition to the band. “She’s been singing with us for some time and now she’s really part of Cassius,” Zdar explains. “She has two sections of the track where she sings; I have one and he [Boom Bass] has one. We’re a team with Gladys; we write fantastic melodies, we write lyrics… I think the next album will be very good because there’s going to be the three of us as a vocal group.” CASSIUSPLAY is available for download via i-Tunes. For further information visit the Nike+ website: www.nikeplus.com
tags: | cassius | philippe zdar | boom bass | cassiusplay | nike | nike+ | philippe cerboneschi | more...
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