JahWobble So they were like instrumentals with spoken-word in there. Some of the tracks –“Bad Baby” is a great track as well! And I could have really done something with it! I remember thinking with that: “I can’t imagine adding a lot of stuffwith“Bad Baby”…”.With Fodderstompf you can take lots of different ways. You could add stuff…With “Bad Baby”…Yeah.What we would end up doing? I think you have to make it even more minimal.And would it be special? That was it. Some of the tracks were just too difficult.“The Suit” I found to be very difficult. It is what it is. It is very paired down. It was one trackwhere I was just using some dub techniques. And paying particular attention to the lyrics. Whereas stuff like “Albatross” – yeah,great! You can put it across.These are guitar chords that I think work. It’s not a minor change in there. I think the change goes to A-minor or maybe B-minor. I don’t remember! I made a change; I made a modulation. And thought: “We can make a modulation.We can make even bigger drum-beat.We can make it really thematic!”. Stuff like “The Suit”, as I said was the very difficult one.“Public Image”–funny enough. I was thinking: “I’ve already done [numerous] versions of it! Let’s have fun!”. For some reason, I was thinking Spanish. I don’t know why! I was just thinking it would be great!” – make it a really…It’s respectful. But it’s a completely crazy take on it! Quite a lot of your work is based on sound production. Even within the newest version of 'Death Disco' it sounds completely different to its version that came out on 'Metal Box'. When you listen to it now, it's not just a song but it's like an advanced composition. I was wondering, did you have this definition at that moment? In a sense that you stop being a songwriter and start being a composer. Because it's not that easy to wear these two hats. That’s correct! And that’s very much saying about it. These songs are already composed. But you’re gonna have them in a compositional way. So very much. It was very much a case of sitting there. Looking at a screen with sections written down, bass and drums down. With some changes in there. And then writing some simple things over the top of that.Writing some bass parts.And making them simpler versions of the bass lines with chords. Just simpler kind of stuff. Reversions of the basschords in stuff like “Albatross” where you’re using some compositional skills. When you’re using something like that, it’s fantastic! There was a drama series in this country a few years ago called Life On Mars.When a guy wanted to go back to the 70s and I was like: “Well, I’d love to go back to the 70s! Just for a couple of days and walk around! I’d love to do that!” – it felt like I was able to go back to the 70s with it. It was like a dream. Wow! This is fantastic! With the new technologies, it was a www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 12 - perfect time with the pandemic. Cause you couldn’t go anywhere! I’d worked closely with that guy who’s probably the best guy to understand all these things (laughs). When I heard'Death Disco' for the first time, it blewmy mind.And within your solo-creativity, you tend to unite different polarities. Just like Keith and you did on this song. But there's always a point of distraction that's difficult to get to - how not to make fell everything apart when you're something that different and that experimental? Yeah. I think it’s quite polytonic, I suppose, at times. It got quite a polytonic feel. You’re mixing just funk disco-style with classical music. So, it’s a bit of a collision of stuff on that particular track. I think, what helped – we were writing from a chordal basis. It’s trickier if you start writing compositions with a G7 chord or an F-chord. I think, if you’re just writing with pure bass lines it makes everything kind of easier. You get into a fixed sound. You get into a fixed mode. It’s not like trying to mix various chords and scales.You can make…I guess,what I’m trying to say is that you can kind of make the discernible scale. And I guess, because of that scale it might be why Keith did the original version [of “Death Disco”] in that way. Maybe the scale of the bass as much as anything…Maybe the tempo…Maybe it was the first thing that came to mind to him to play.Was an old idea.Classical music-idea. It was the only track on the record that uses an oldoriginal idea. Simply take “Theme” or “Poptones”. The guitar is quite unique-sounding. Harmonically. When you set up to record such a strange, deep piece of art like Metal Box, don’t you have a fear of losing these qualities? Yes, it’s difficult! Because you could fall flat on your face. I think it takes a great effort to play the bass lines correctly…Obviously, they’re very important. Even with the tempo and some of the keys. You’ve got to have this weird sound. Things got to have weight with the drums. They got to punch with it.You have tomake sure that you get there. Metal Box is like an expressionistic art. Based on a European expressionism, in a way. Very much like a brush drawn across the canvas. No bourgeoise finesse. Very primal. Very European in a way. Eastern-European. Very primal and very vivid.And hopefully, that’s still there. But that was right from the get-go with “Rebuilt in Dub”. Lost its’ energy and vibrancy of the original. Otherwise, if you’re making something [and] there’s no energy – it’s like watching football team. Even before they make passes or make amove,you can tell –something’s wrong. There’s no energy. They’re not happy or something. That would be terrible if they didn’t have that strong feeling ... (Read more on wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.be) Dan VOLOHOF
13 Publizr Home