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| Subject: HERE'S THE Raft Interview | |
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Author: Saranow |
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Date Posted: 20:30:30 03/06/02 Wed In reply to: mushr 's message, "Re: Raft Interview" on 20:23:53 03/06/02 Wed I had problems finding it too, but somehow I stumbled on it...the interviewers questions are after each blank line. Is 'Shot Shot' typical of the album? All: No Tom: I wouldn’t say it’s typical of the album, but I wouldn’t say it’s atypical of the album Paul: you can’t really take any one track and say it’s typical of the album, Ben: But it is typical because it’s not like the others Tom: Which is typical of all the tunes on the record, they’re not like the other tunes on the record Ben: but it’s not typical in isolation, by its self Tom: This could get very confusing metaphysically Ben: It’s topical Tom: Is it topical? I’m following so far... Tom: Are you following? I’m not following I lost it ages ago, what are you talking about? Ben: Types Tom: Types? Listening to songs in isolation is never a particularly good thing to do once you’ve made an album that’s why we’re not so hot on singles... How exactly does the recording process work with your 8 trk hard discs? Tom: We’re still trying to work it out, no we all have the same digital recorder which can be plugged together and cross colaterised? Ben: We don’t all sit in a room with our own machine Tom: We each have these things at home so we can work onto these machines at home and then when we come together we can actually plug then together so we can record as a band across them, so they’re 18 tracks but you can line up 2 or 3 of them in a row. Right so presumably you all need to know what bit your doing so you don’t all come back with a different version of the same song Tom: No, no, no Ben: No, we all recorded at home bought the demos in, we all worked on top of that on the one or two machines Tom: Basically the songs are the demo’s more or less the same as the first album Almost identical to Bring It On in the method of recording except with much more expensive gear. And why do you do that? Tom: Because you record the moment, people don’t hear people enjoying making music anymore and it captures that sound usually when your close to when you’ve first written a song that’s when it sound best and by the sixth time you’ve recorded it everything ironed out of it that was any good ever so that’s kind of the reason, why we do it plus its very easy for us to control those machines because they’ve very simple and we’re the producers so we try and keep things easy for us What was working with Miti like? Tom: Yeah great engineer, works quickly, because he works in radio typically live stuff he has to be very fast which is perfect for us because that’s how we work So when we hear what we’re hearing on the record those are pretty much first takes which is what your saying? Tom: A lot of them are yeah, a few of them aren’t, most of them are probably 90% of them are first takes And if you get to the point where they get to ten takes then presumably you give them a wide berth? Tom: They become b-sides a lot of the time when they get to the tenth take Tell us about the songs on the album. Shot Shot? Tom: Fast, furious, great While we’re talking about Shot Shot the video, what was it like working with two of the biggest music directors in the music scene? Ben: Amazing, amazing! Tom: I can’t believe they had to put up with us, did they tell you we where just completely solid pissed throughout the entire thing, the video shoot ended when Ian fell asleep Ben: He was passed out in some corner somewhere Tom: That is a video shoot for you! Is that what’s flickering in and out? Tom: Yeah, just us coming in and out, by the end of it I actually hadn’t been that drunk in a very long time Ben: Yeah, it was good Tom: Because I had to stay on my feet all the time and you can drink a lot more when you’re stood up Is that because you don’t like making videos? Ben: Don’t like making videos Tom: No hate making videos as a rule But you must be quite pleased with the finished product Tom: It’s great, fabulous! Paul: That was fine to make that one, which is why we did it that way Tom: An enjoyable experience to be honest with you Tom: Actually another thing I was going to say about Shot Shot, it was the very first thing we recorded, we came back six months off got together got in a room played that, and that’s the first take as well so that’s it and it’s the first song on the record, that’s the important thing about that song its people who haven’t played music for ages getting together and going shit music Ben: That’s why it’s so fast Tom: And it’s just basically a rift And do you feel that way about going back to do the live gigs, excited? nervous? Tom: Yeah, with trepidation Ben: But we all really want to do it Tom: Yeah, its going to be good, hopefully not shit What’s been your favourite gig so far? Ben: Glastonbury Paul: Dublin Tom: Actually, I think my favourite gig would probably be in the middle of bastard no where! Ben: Plymouth was really good, Tom: Yeah Plymouth was great Ben: It’s not in the middle of bastard no where though! Tom: The last gig reminded us of a gig we did in Bristol at a place called the Louisiana with about 60 people and I was stood on top of a piano shouting at them, that was a great gig Do you miss those type of gigs? Tom: We still get to do them in places like Switzerland, last time we were in Switzerland we played to four people it was an absolutely brilliant gig a well Ben: I played bass at that gig Tom: Did you play bass? We basically just jammed and this one mad woman went like this throughout the whole thing. No one has any comprehension of why we ever play in Switzerland, we go to Germany and play nice big gigs and then go down to Italy and play nice big gigs and then we have to stop off in Switzerland Ben: And play to no one Tom: And play to nobody, because nobody knows who the fuck we are, we always end up playing in countryside towns in Switzerland, instead of Zurich or wherever, we always play in the sticks Ben: Its because Phil Collins wont let us in to the big places, after what we said about him Tom: Yeah Robert Palmer and Phil Collins have put an embargo on us! Are you being serious now? Ben: Yep Sorry to hear that Tom: Its terrible! Ok so back to the question! What's Rex Kramer like? Ben: It’s a blues song with silly synths on it and a loop from a man in Cambodia Tom: A sample of a man playing in a market place in Cambodia Your own sample? Ben: Yep You went there to get the sample Tom: Yeah that was the only reason he went, he heard he played there, his names Jim Okay, Detroit Swing 66 Ben: It been around for ages that tune Tom: That’s the oldest song on the record. Its kind of like us and Ben: It’s like what’s his name, Witness the Fitness bloke Tom: Oh, it is a bit like him isn’t it Ben: The British hip-hop guy, witness the fitness Tom: Someone must know! Erghhh..... Paul: Roots Manuva All: Roots Manuva! Tom: Its kind of like Roots Manuva in a strange sort of a way Ben: But Tom: But not Ben: Yeah, it’s a good tune Tom: It’s a real out and out pop song really Ben: Its built around that loop, I mean it’s a sequence Tom: Plus it’s got some great trumpets on it Ben: Yep, good horns, good baritone sax Tom: Listen out for that, that’s what it sounds like In Our Gun? Tom: Very good tune, serious one Ben: Written in a strange way, Tom wrote the computer bit at the end Ian learnt the cord sequence from that computer bit at the end, and we slowed it down and wrote the song Tom: A bitter twisted lullaby Why did you take the album title from that song? Tom: Because we’re a bunch of lazy old fuckers who couldn’t be arsed thinking of an album title as well Ben: And it sounds good So it was the fact that it was a song on the album and it was the best track Tom: Well we thought about putting a song on the album called Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline, but then we realised we would look like complete and utter twats if we did that, so we didn’t Ben: Which isn’t far from the truth though is it? Tom: That we’re complete and utter twats, no you’re right actually! Even Song? Ben: Tune written in Chile on a turanga. I’d love to ask you what a turanga is Ben: It’s a Chilean mandolin Tom: Your in the wrong band mate, you should be in the Levellers or something, you should be in a World music band! Ben: That’s why I love hanging around Realworld! Tom: For people that haven’t heard it yet it’s closest in style to Rie'swagon Ben: Yeah more chilled out, same bass line Tom: Same bass line basically as Rie'swagon and the moody synthesiser twists and watch out for the bassoon Ben: Great horns as well, really good horn playing Tom: John Barry style James Bond like horn playing in it, very good. Ruff Stuff? Tom: Very daft song I wrote on a computer, and Ballie sang it Sound Of Sounds? Tom: Lots of harmonies, I love Song for music that’s what that is Army Dub Tom: Bally and 505 making what sounds a lot like Ben: 505 is a box with nobs on it Tom: Sorry, yeah it makes a lot of noises Ben: It’s like a sequence, groove box, beat box Tom: Basically it makes you sound like Underworld like that So that’s their secret. Miles End? Tom: Miles End, it’s a song we’ve had, it is the end for Get Miles Ben: When we played live, we used to play that at the end, and we thought that’s jolly good Oh right a bit like Seven Seas Type thing Ben: What It was on the end of one of their(Queen) albums and then they actually made the whole song on the enxt album! Ben: Oh right I didn’t know that Tom: The song's about Peter Stringfellow Why? Ben: Well when we were playing live we had no verse lyrics and someone had taped a picture of Peter Stringfellow from Hello! And this article about him to my microphone stand while we were playing and recording Tom: To make him feel like a man Ben: Yeah and I liked it he had a Chinese robe on and a champagne bottle Tom: And a lot of the lyrics are just actually describing that picture of him... Is he aware of this? Tom: No and he should never be made aware of it because it’s basically an indictment of his sorry soul Okay Ping One Down? Ben: Song written while recording Song of Sound which is Tom: Well because song of sound is so nebulous and not there we needed to simultaneously work on something very solid and rocking So you’re off working one off against the other Tom: Yeah we just had a machine to one side Ben: While we where in and out doing vocal takes Tom: So that we could kind of work on that while we were doing it And which one felt like the real song if you like between the two Ben: They were just different sides of the same coin Okay, 1000 Times? Tom: Serious tune, sounds to me like the theme from Love Joy, strange that! Anyway, lovely song actually, but very serious tune When you say serious tune do you mean serious lyrics? Tom: Yeah, almost a bit pathetic in a sense, but that’s okay Putting your feeling on the line type thing Tom: Yeah, its that far away from being a bit cringe worthy because its so honest Ben: Good tune though Tom: Great bit in the middle sounds a bit like Pink Floyd Quick one on Pink Floyd, digression, are they a progressive rock band All: Yes they are!! Ben: Don’t let anyone else tell you any different!! I agree they are Tom: You see your arguments with our manager and not us! Okay, Drench Tom: Tune that Ian brought back from Australia with him and then I introduced him to a looping computer thing which he then used to create the end section. That song was funny because each bit is different from the bit before, it starts off as a an acoustic song then we turn into a skiffle band, and then depache mode Okay and finally Ballad of Nice & Easy Tom: Happy silly tune just nonsens that I did Ben: It’s about kids growing up Tom: Quite a bit Sesame Street Young kids? Tom: Well teenagers, it’s a teenage song, a bit naughty, it’s purile but fun And talking about growing up and being friends, how have all your relationships changed or not changed? Tom: We all hate each other now Or even professionally perhaps? Tom: Day after day of despise, Ben: Ever descending circles of Tom: Hatred Ben: Hostility Tom: In circles of negativity and rage, that’s basically it otherwise we get on with life Ben: Rampant chaos in an age of distrust Thank you very much. Still playing table tennis? Tom: Yeah, lots of table tennis, Ping One Down became the defining statement of the recording session Ben: You know relating to Ping Tom: It meant just get it done And do any of you use the pen grip? Tom: Blackie has been known to use it [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| Re: HERE'S THE Raft Interview | mushr | 20:58:20 03/06/02 Wed |