In Sides with Paul Hartnoll

June 1996 - Select Magazine

Interview: Andrew Male

 

You're calling this album "six unrelated sound scenarios". You what?

It all came about perfectly by accident. Usually, we find a theme and work it into the album but this time, rather than chasing a theme, we developed separate themes for each track. It's not meant to alienate anybody.

It's a very cinematic album. Lots of potential movie soundtracks there.

I'm glad you think so. 'The Box' was meant as a concept single. It's our soundtrack to an unmade film- kind of a cross between The Devil Rides Out and The Quiller Memorandum. We've got this friend who calls it 'The Devil Eats Out', because he reckons there's a takeaway food subtext running through the narrative. Never quite seen it myself. We'd love to do a real movie soundtrack, but all we ever get offered is sci-fi. It would be nice to do something less predictable. Like the next Jane Austen adaptation.

'The Box' and 'The Girl With The Sun In Her Head' suggest a big John Barry influence.

Most definitely. Particularly his music to Orson Welles Great Mysteries and Our Man Flint. I used to laugh at people who'd pay more than £50 for his albums, but I've been sorely tempted recently. We're also big fans of Lalo Schifirin and of course, you can't forget... I've completely forgotten his name. Shit! Er... Ennio Morricone!

You're playing the Royal Albert Hall in May. Any surprise planned? An inflatable Prince Albert, perhaps?

Er, no. But yes, lots of surprises. We're working with a couple of struggling film-makers who plan a piece of total theatre. It should be very exciting.

What's that bizarre squeaking sound in the background?

That's just my swivel chair. We've already sampled it. It's one of the main sounds on 'The Box'. We also sampled the sound of someone planing a piece of wood inside a metal pipe. We're actually very lo-fi. We're big Stereolab fans. I've drunkenly informed them of this fact a number of times. I think they thought I was your regular backstage nutter. We'd love to do a single with Stereolab. Them and Scott Walker. A Scott Walker and Stereolab collaboration. Fantastic. You have to dream.

Er, can we just add that we're currently petitioning for the release of this boy in South Yorkshire called Simon Sheffield. He's been sentenced for five years for spraying grafitti on a wall. 'Setting an example,' they call it. I mean, rapists get less than that. The world's gone mad.