ASIAN DUB FOUNDATIONTHE PRESIDENT SUITE IN HOTEL MARRIOT, HAMBURG, THE 1st OF MARCH AT 16.23 OīCLOCK
C.A.= Crippa Almqvist from Hell
S.C.S.= Steve Chandra Savale from Asian Dub FoundationC.A.- First of all, whatīs your name?
S.C.S.- "Chandrasonic" is my idea of name! My name is Steve Chandra Savale.
C.A.- I think all of you have artistnames, why is that then?
S.C.S.- Oh yeah, hahaha! Itīs a classic thing really. Itīs only that Dr. Das is very good at naming people. Everybody that works for A.D.F. has a name, not just the band...roadcrew and so on.
C.A.- And it was his idea to...?
S.C.S.- Now, he always does that, he has always done that.
C.A.- And to become a member of A.D.F. or the crew, you have to accept this?
S.C.S.- You will eventually get one. Yeah, you have to accept it, yeah, yeah, thatīs right. Our manager has a name, The Archbishop Sir Robert Rinsey(?). One of the roadies...hahaha...Field-marshall!
C.A.- This names donīt mean anything special, or?
S.C.S.- No, no, theyīre more...theyīre sort of like, uhhh, exaggerate...no, like cartoon names!
C.A.- Sounds also very cartoonish...
S.C.S.- Yeah, thatīs right, yeah!
C.A.- It stands here in the biographie that this last record, "Community Music", is named after a workshop where the band actually started...can you tell me more about it? Does it still exist?
S.C.S.- Yeah, it is...itīs very big! Well, it started in the early eighties by a jazzdrummer called John Stevens. And itīs more...itīs about how you, uhhh...itīs a different kind of educationism. Itīs about how to encourage people to work in groups, to value each other...through music. And about self-expression! It doesnīt matter if youīre disabled, if youīre black, white or whatever, if you donīt know anything about music or you know a bit of music. Itīs like music is a human right!
C.A.- So itīs open for people from anywhere...and not just Asians?
S.C.S.- No, no, no! Yeah, itīs for everyone. But they have focused on things, like there is women and technology, there is programs for disabled people and programs for Asians.
C.A.- And the music they make there...donīt all sound like A.D.F.?
S.C.S.- No, not at all. No way! No, I mean...one of the reasons why A.D.F. sounds like it does, is the variety of music actually at Community Music. All kinds of things, everything...jazz, gospel, jungle, techno, freeform jazz. Itīs all there!
C.A.- And the members of A.D.F. have all their own influences?
S.C.S.- Yeah!
C.A.- Whatīs your influences...what have you grown up listening to?
S.C.S.- Me? Well, like loads of other...loads of things really. Classical Indiaīn music, Quwali devotional music, Bhagran(?), which is an Hindu devotional music...
C.A.- So, only music from Asia then. Youīre not into European or American music?
S.C.S.- Oh no, no! Probably more, Iīd say. This is music I heard as a child...and Motown...Tamla Motown. My favorites would be bands with Stevie Wonder. If we go through my whole life...Beatles, Beach Boys, then postpunk actually, Joy Division, Gang of Four...uhhh reggae, Lee Perry, Scientist, Jimmy Cliff...
C.A.- Some of this stuff you mention I actually can hear as influences in A.D.F, but not really Joy Division.
S.C.S.- Ahaaa! Well, if you listen to some of the guitarplaying, you might.
C.A.- Oh, perhaps I should listen a little bit "Closer" next time.
S.C.S.- Hahaha, yeah!...and Public Image Ltd. Perhaps! I think you can definitely hear it maybe. Itīs not Joy Division...Public Image! And Parliament, Funkadelic...
C.A.- Oooh yeah, P-Funk...George Clinton!!!
S.C.S.- Yeah, definitely!...Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy is quite a big influence on the group, I think...uhhh, acid house, Public Enemy...
C.A.- O.K, you donīt have to name everything...
S.C.S.- When I start, itīs hard to stop! Can is a big influence on me...
C.A.- This sort of "krautrock", or what I should call it...
S.C.S.- Uuuh, thatīs a horrible term! I donīt know how you can accept that term? I know, itīs the english idiots...itīs disgusting!!! You might aswell call it...
C.A.- And there is not just Can! Also Faust, Neu...
S.C.S.- Yeah, I know, Faust, Neu...I like that! Neu is great guitar!
C.A.- Stereolab is very influenced by this music. Do you like them aswell?
S.C.S.- No, not really, actually! You see, the thing is, I think...in England especially, people get it wrong. To be influenced by a group like Can, or even The Beatles, it is NOT to sound like them. Itīs to have the philosophy of pushing forward, trying new things. You know, weīre influenced by Can and The Beatles...I think more than groups that sound like them, you know what I mean? Because we have their approach. Trying new things, new combinations, new approaches, you see. So, I think weīre in more of the tradition of Beatles and Can than Oasis or Stereolab is, you know.
C.A.- O.K, I read here in this biographie that you played in Higher Intelligence Agency...
S.C.S.- Yeah, I was in there for some years.
C.A.- ...who made some remixes of Pop Will Eat Itself-songs...
S.C.S.- Yeah, thatīs right! We did, yeah. Thatīs a long time ago.
C.A.- Yeah, about 5,6 years ago, or something.
S.C.S.- No, no, itīs about 10 years ago, that was.
C.A.- Oh, was it such a long time ago?
S.C.S.- Yeah, it was about...unless theyīve done another one, since.
C.A.- Iīm talking about this track from "Dos dedos mis Amigos"...on the "Two fingers my friends!"-remix-album, called...
S.C.S.- Yeah, they must have put that on, yeah!
C.A.- ..."Familus Horribilus" and this is from -95,-96 I think!
S.C.S.- Nah, that track...unless theyīve done another one since. Iīve forgot what it was called..."Kill the girl,Kill the Baddies", or something.
C.A.- Do they still exist, Higher Intelligence...?
S.C.S.- I donīt know! I have no idea! I havenīt seen them for 6,7 years.
C.A.- What were you doing there?
S.C.S.- Programming, sampling!
C.A.- And what about this two other bands, Joi and State of Bengal, that Deeder Zaman (Master D) played in before?
S.C.S.- Deeder was in both of those groups, yeah! Well, Joi was the original Asian soundsystem, kind of hiphop, house soundsystem. One of the first actually! Joi of B...(?) it was called then. State of Bengal was the group Deeder was in before A.D.F, and theyīre still going. Thatīs his older brother...State of Bengal, makes fantastic music, really, really good music.
C.A.- So, is there an "Asian Underground" going on in England then?
S.C.S.- Well, we never accepted that term, so I canīt really say if itīs still exist or not. Iīve never really accepted it!
C.A.- What about Cornershop and other bands using sitars and other Asian influences?
S.C.S.- We never used a sitar! I never played a sitar in my life!
C.A.- And no-one else in the band aswell?
S.C.S.- Actually only Ma...no, NO!!!
C.A.- But donīt you like to make the guitar sound like a electric sitar?
S.C.S.- Yeah, sometimes, yeah. Sitars are too fragile.
C.A.- Youīre very much for this MIDI and sampling technique...
S.D.S.- Well, itīs just another instrument, isnīt it?...
C.A.- ...Yeah...
S.C.S.- ...itīs not different from any other instrument.
C.A.- And what sources do you sample from?
S.C.S.- Puuuh, anything really! I mean, we started with a lot of our parents records...actually Indiaīn records, Indiaīn film-stuff, classical stuff, percussive stuff. That was a big thing! You know, itīs a great thing that you can sample from all this old films and classical Indiaīn music stuff. That was really good! Thatīs been a big...thatīs a big source for us.
C.A.- A.D.F.īs first record, "Facts And Fictions", was released on Nation Records. Is this a indie-label?
S.C.S.- Uhhh, well, what in terms of being a small label? Yeah, itīs independant, it is, but it is actually linked up...well, it is...there arenīt many genuine independant labels anymore, not in Britain anyway. Theyīre always linked to a bigger company. Nation was linked to Beggars Banquet.
C.A.- So you donīt see any problems with signing to London/eastwest, which is Warner music?
S.C.S.- Not in an ideological sense, no way! You know, I donīt see why independent have this kind of more "political correct" kind of vibe than major ones, because they behave the same. They just got less money, hahaha!
C.A.-So, itīs important for you to have a record-label that have enough money to back you up with promotion and...?
S.C.S.- Yes, it is!
C.A.- ...also videos for MTV?
S.C.S.- Yeah, yeah it is! Because if youīre saying something, you might aswell say it to people, do you know what I mean? If you got something to say, a message to get across, then you should use everything out there. We wanna get Satpal Ram out of prison, we want everyone to know heīs there.
C.A.- Ah yeah! Can you tell me more about his case?
S.C.S.- Well, he is a guy who was attacked in a restaurant in Birmingham in the mid-eighties. And he fought back. One of his attackers died, but he got set down for murder. It was 6 against 1, racist attack, but HE is the one in prison, suffering for it. Been in there for 13 years!
C.A.- In a way the same shit that happened to Mumia abu-Jamal...
S.C.S.- Mumia, yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah!
C.A.- ...but the difference is that many people knows about Mumia, but not so many knows about Satpal.
S.C.S.- But you know, Satpalīs profile in Britain is quite high. A lot higher as it used to be. No-one knew about him! Until we did the record!
C.A.- Is there a chance to get him out of there?
S.C.S.- Well, we donīt know. But weīre fairly optimistic!
C.A.- Have you also met him personally?
S.C.S.- Oh yeah, a couple of times, you know! Primal Scream are helping us with this campaign, too.
C.A.- I read that you made this record together with them, yeah.
S.C.S.- Well, they did a version with it. A bit of remixing, mixing...
C.A.- I know that you also made a split single together with Atari Teenage Riot aswell...
S.C.S.- Yeah, long time ago! About 3 years ago!
C.A.- ...and how was it to work together with them?
S.C.S.- We didnīt really work together. That was more like we did a track, they did a track and it ended up on the same single.
C.A.-So, you never actually met them?
S.C.S.- Yeah, I met them a few times.
C.A.- And do you like them?
S.C.S.- Oooh, sometimes. I find them a bit...uhhh, I like some tracks!
C.A.- And what about their political attitude?
S.C.S.- Well, I think ours is different. Ours is a very practical one. Ours isnīt, you know...ours is about actually things that you can do, campaigns, educational things. So, weīre quite different from a lot of other acts, who have this "political edge", you know, because weīre actually...weīre NOT about waving flags and shouting for a revolution and stuff like that. Weīre actually about...
C.A.- My impression about A.D.F. before, was that you were very political correct with lyrics against racism and other shit that exist in the world like...
S.C.S.- Yeah, well we do do that. But you see, the thing is about the way the press perceives politics and music, is something weīre not really interested in. The music-press perceives it symbolically in terms of ripped T-shirts, red stars, flags and stuff like this. Whereīs our political activity, if you wanna call it that, is actually quite unglamourous.
C.A.- And what sort of political activity we talk about here then?
S.C.S.- Well, it sort of the band...itīs about publishing things like Satpalīs campaign, itīs about fund-raising for our educational projects, you know, things like this. Itīs not really about the symbolic aspects. You see, in Britain they try to sell us that we are the new Clash or something like that. And I say:-"Well weīre not really, because weīre not into...Clash is more about the hair-cuts and the looks!", do you know what I mean? And I...weīre not really interested in that.
C.A.- So, you would not call A.D.F. a "political correct" band then?
S.C.S.- Well, what does that mean?
C.A.- I donīt know. But for me, in a way, itīs people who see everything in black or white, and no grey. And who thinks that only their opinions are the only right ones, and if people disagree with them, then theyīre wrong, and also in a way "enemies". Which to me lead to even more hate than actual unity.
S.C.S.- Well, I think thatīs probably a good point, but I donīt see we suffer from that. I think ours is actually a very positive, ours is about getting information out to people that they donīt know, rather than telling them how it is. I wanna agi...(agitate?). Have you seen us live?
C.A.- Yeah, I saw you live in Roskilde Festival...
S.C.S.- Ohmygod, long time ago!
C.A.- ...I think it was -96 or -97!
S.C.S.- Yeah, probably -96! Well, couldnīt be neither actually! Well, ours is a party vibe, conscious party we call it.
C.A.- Yeah, I remember that. I think it was 2 or 3 oīclock in the night or something, in the best tent, the green one...
S.C.S.- Yeah!
C.A.- ...and I remember it was fuckinī many people on the stage, I think it was 11 or something, people playing drums and...
S.C.S.- No, no, the thing is, weīre only 5, and thereīs no drums! Youīre getting confused with another group!
C.A.- No, it was A.D.F., of this Iīm sure!
S.C.S.- We donīt even have drums on stage, and we certainly donīt have 11 people!
C.A.- Oooh, then I fucked my memory up...
S.C.S.- You just getting confused with Fun-da-mental!
C.A.- I know Iīve seen A.D.F.!
S.C.S.- I KNOW what you do! People do this all the time. They say:-"I saw you!". When they actually saw Fun-da-mental, or they saw another brown-skin group.
C.A.- No fuckinī way! I KNOW Iīve seen A.D.F.!
S.C.S.- Well, I tell you! It wasnīt 11 people, and we didnīt have...we donīt have drums!
C.A.- You have NO drums at all?
S.C.S.- Well, we do! We have them live on samples.
(7 seconds embarrassing silence)
C.A.- Goddamn, how embarrasing.
S.C.S.- Yeah, you SHOULD be!
C.A.- Hmmm, yeah...so,hmmm, thereīs also a record called R.A.F.I...
S.C.S.- R.A.F.I., well, that was the french version of RAFIīs revenge.
C.A.- And R.A.F.I. stands for?
S.C.S.- Real Areas For Investigation!
C.A.- Then you re-recorded this again under the name RAFIīs revenge...
S.C.S.- Because R.A.F.I. was only released in France, because Britain didnīt want us at that time.
C.A.- But couldnīt you buy it on import?
S.C.S.- Yeah, you could buy it on import, but we wanted a chance to re-record anyway. Because we was much better. And RAFIīs revenge is much better.
C.A.-And you also made a live album, called "Conscious Party"...
S.C.S.- Yeah, again that was just for France, only.
C.A.- And whatīs your attitude for making live-albums?
S.C.S.- Itīs good! I mean, we come over very well live, I think. Thatīs how we survive, by our live-shows. People know us through our live-shows, more than the records.
C.A.- So, you donīt find live-albums following the commercial way of thinking with...?
S.C.S.- Whatīs that???
C.A.- I mean, all the songs on the live-album you also can find on your studio records.
S.C.S.- Well, I actually think that theyīre two differ...very different, uhhh, arenas. You know, the reason that came out in France was, uhhh...there were few tracks available on RAFIīs revenge, that werenīt on the french one, so we needed a format to let people have those tracks, allright! And also our live-shows are very different than the music is. Itīs completely different vibe, you know, they would not really sound the same as the ones on your LP. They are pretty intense live!
C.A.- The new record I heard two times now this morning, and I like it...
S.C.S.- Thank you!
C.A.- ...but I also read here that itīs supposed to sound a little bit more mainstream than the records before.
S.C.S.- IS THAT WHAT THEY PUT IN THE BIOGRAPHIE???
C.A.- Well, sort of!
S.C.S.- Youīre joking!?!
C.A.- Not really...
S.C.S.- Can you translate this. Where does it say this?
C.A.- Hmmm, here: "Community Music ist musikalisch gesehen vielleicht auch ein wenig versöhnlicher als alle bisherigen ADF-releases, textlich aber bestimmt nicht!"
S.C.S.- Whatīs that mean?
C.A.- It means that the music is perhaps a bit more softer, not so much cutting edges as the records before, but the lyrics is still the same.
S.C.S.- I wouldnīt agree with that! I think itīs more cutting edges than the last one, hahaha! You know, who put this shit in the biographie? Honestly...!
C.A.- So, you didnīt go into the studio with the intention of:-"Hey,letīs now make thee record that breaks us into the charts and heavy MTV-rotation", then?
S.C.S.- No, no, that would be a stupid way to go into a studio.
C.A.- Yeah, but in a way I think this record should have a good chance to break bigtime for you, because itīs quite groovy!
S.C.S.- Well, thatīs the...thatīs the thing that matters, isnīt it? You know, I donīt like the tone of this bio, actually! I mean, I have to...Yeah, yeah, O.K., I want that translated, and people to read it! Sorry, carry on with your questions! Iīll just see if thereīs another biographie here.
(he goes to the buffét-table to look for another copy)
C.A.- Hmmm, yeah, well you also toured with Beastie Boys...
S.C.S.- Yeah!
C.A.- ...and how came that then?
S.C.S.- They asked us! They saw us live, and asked us to play with them.
C.A.- And this was...?
S.C.S.- In America, yeah!
C.A.- So, you know them personally now?
S.C.S.- Oh well, we got to know them a little bit. Not too much!
C.A.- And you also support them with this "Free Tibet"-stuff as well?
S.C.S.- Sort of! Weīre not really, actually. They didnīt really ask us about that. We have our own campaign to get involved in. We have to think hard about the whole "Free Tibet"-thing. Because the problem we have, of course, I talk for my perspective, I wonīt talk for the band, is the...yes, the chinese invasion of Tibet is a complete crime, disgusting! But in the same time, we wouldnīt necessarily want...We donīt like the cult of personality of the Dhalai Lama, you know what I mean? And a lot of the campaign to free Tibet, seems to be about promoting the Dhalai Lama, as a cult kind of figure. And weīre not into that!
C.A.- So, what does A.D.F. really burn for, what do you really prefer writing songs about?
S.C.S.- Well, itīs not about preferring, itīs just...
C.A.- I mean, whatīs your main messages, against racism and...?
S.C.S.- Yeah, yeah! Also, of course, weīre pointing out where racism exist. Which is in institutions, partically police-force and justice-systems! Thatīs probably our main target. Weīre very critical of the present labour government in Britain. We are...uhhh, we also have a particular philosophy about activity, in the way to work with people. Which is what "Collective Mode", the song is about. And, uhhh...well, we just write about what we feel we wanna write about. And remember, there is instrumentals on it too, you know, hahaha!
C.A.- Have you ever gone to a "Reclaim The Streets"-party?
S.C.S.- I have actually not personally, no! There actually happened very nearby, while we were in the studio. And we kind of went out, but it was kind of all over at the time we gone out. We just saw it on the news, while we were recording, and went out there, because we really wanted to see it.
C.A.- So R.T.S. is something you really support then?
S.C.S.- Yeah, I...yeah,yeah! There should be more of this.
C.A.- And what other activities do you support?
S.C.S.- I support activity generally! I support activity which is about positive attitude towards changing things, and greed. Re-assessing the way things are. I think the Seattle-thing was amazing!
C.A.- It stands about that in this last issue of "Orange Agenten"...in english also, if you want to read.
S.C.S.- Yes, I know! WTO...well, I thought that was really important. And I think that is gonna have quite a lot repercussions,because............................................................
(he looks through Orange Agenten # 2000)
C.A.- I think itīs on the next page!
S.C.S.- Yeah, I see it here, yeah, yeah, great! You see, what I think is important, is that this is a global...People from all over the world did this, Seattle, against the global institution, which is WTO. You see, thatīs where things are gonna change. Thatīs where...Itīs lots and lots of grassroot-organisations, across national bounderies, protesting against, resisting global institutions, like the WTO, IMF, multi-nationals. THATīS the arena now, you know!
C.A.- You can keep it, if you want. So, what sort of activities have you taken part in yourself then?
S.C.S.- Yeah, of course! Iīve been in loads. I mean in, you know, hahaha, from picket-lines to marches to videos to...The last thing we did, was a big...a few months ago, outside the home-office, for Satpal. Us and Primal Scream did a sit-in, outside the home-office. Yeah, we do lots of stuff like that! Last thing, actually the last thing, was the Mumia-march, in Berlin. "Free Mumia abu-Jamal-march in Berlin"!
C.A.- Oh yeah, it was the same day you played in Arena with Rage Against The Machine...
S.C.S.- Not,before!
C.A.- Yes, I meant that, and you also dedicated...
S.C.S.- Yes, of course, yeah! We had some...speech!
C.A.- How was it to tour with R.A.T.M.?
S.C.S.- Well, most of it was fantastic, actually!
C.A.- And are they nice guys?
S.C.S.- Yeah, very nice guys!
C.A.- Sometimes Iīve got the impression that theyīre a little bit "fakes", or what I should call it...
S.C.S.- Yeah, people say that! But you see, you could never accuse Zack of being a fake! I mean, the man just done so much! Especially for the Zapatistas! I never met such a commited musician, who actually done this thing...being out in the jungle...presenting Mumiaīs case at the U.N. You know, all this kind of things. I donīt think theyīre fakes! Hmmm, I think theyīre different from us, in the sense that...for us, the actual music is a message in itself, the actual sound. Whereīs they does something different. Theyīve actually attempted to radicalize the most conservative form of music in the world. Which is L.A-rock, hahaha! Which is the most women-hating, egocentric music on the planet...is L.A heavy rock! But they have, to their credit, they tried to radicalize, they taken it somewhere else. Whatever their audience actually gets that, Iīm not so sure. Or need, or...I think with A.D.F., if youīre into A.D.F., you,...just for the moment we walk on stage, or you hear our record, you have to make a...kind of decision, do you know!? Because I mean, you know, they.........................................................................................................................................
(he lights himself a cigarette and says nothing)
C.A.- Hmmm...you donīt think that some of A.D.F.īs lyrics in a way take your fans for being a little bit stupid?
S.C.S.- How do you mean?
C.A.- I mean that when you sing against racism and the cops, and want to open the eyes of this problem for your fans...you donīt think they already know all this in a way?
S.C.S.- Oh no, actually! No, weīre not interested in preaching to the converted. Thatīs why we did the Rage-tour...Do you know what I mean? Youīre saying that all this people that come to Rage...we had some, especially from Germany and Switzerland, we had a lot of very racist messages in our guestbook. I mean, most of the messages were fantastic, saying: "Iīve never seen you guys, thought it was great!", you know what I mean? But there was two or three: "Verpisst Euch aus Europa!"
C.A.- It really fuckinī stood that???
S.C.S.- Yeah!
C.A.- And this from people who attended the actual concert?
S.C.S.- Well, yeah! So, we...you know, we been taking lots of risks with all this incidents, and we will continue to do so. I mean, you know, a lot of the R.A.T.M.-audience are heavy rock fans, yeah. They come there for a particular kind of music. So, to see five asian guys, playing a mixture of dub and jungle...Well, probably music that half of them never heard before. That alone to see a group of asian people playing it, thatīs a pretty...thatīs pretty challenging, I think. But I donīt know, maybe you donīt think so? I think so!
C.A.- Well, yeah! Probably it is, yeah! But now over to something completely different. Is there nothing from the so called "capitalistic world" that you find quite amusing? For example, do you like to play Sony Playstation?
S.C.S.- Now thatīs...Thatīs a ridiculous question! I mean, itīs a...hahaha!, well, what I mean....thatīs ridiculous! What...what youīre saying is...because youīre against the particular way the things are organized, or the wealth is distributed, or something like that, you shouldnīt play Playstation?
C.A.- No, it was just a question.
S.C.S.- No! What youīre saying is that...that a perfect socialist society should have no Playstation, hahaha!
C.A.- No, I just asked you a question. Donīt you have any humour?
S.C.S.- Oh, if we have humour? No, we have no sense of humour whatsoever!
C.A.- So, can you joke about everything?
S.C.S.- Absolute no! No, we donīt have jokes! Jokes are banned on the bus! Everyone is not allowed to smile, or else he gets fired!
C.A.- So you canīt joke about everything then. About jewish people or swedish blondes?
S.C.S.- Why do you need to do that? Why does humans need to exploit other people?
C.A.- No, Iīm just wondering if itīs WRONG to do that?
S.C.S.- Well, generally it is!
C.A.- So, when Woody Allen makes jokes about jews, itīs O.K, or? Can jews make jokes about themselves?
S.C.S.- Making jokes about themselves? Well, it depends on the context of the joke, doesnīt it? You know, is it offensive, is it a naturally humour based on, uhhh, a stereotype, or an exclusion of people. I donīt...I mean, I donīt know the jokes youīre talking about of Woody Allen. Well, I canīt actually think of...Iīve seen many Woody Allen-films. I canīt think of any jokes where he is, making direct one-line derogatory statements about jewish people. I find his things more about...what is funny about his, is the situation stuff. Itīs the situation, you know!
C.A.- Where do your ancestors come from?
S.C.S.- India! Iīm a son of a Indiaīn!
C.A.- Could you joke about Indiaīn people?
S.C.S.- Yeah, of course! Yeah, but itīs sooo stupid. I mean,itīs a...why O.K, allright!
C.A.- Iīm from Sweden, and have no fuckinīproblems to make goddamn stupid jokes about stupid swedish people...
S.C.S.- Yeah, but itīs all a question of context...
C.A.- Yeah! But sometimes itīs cool to be self-ironic, īcuz it can take away the prejudices more than...
S.C.S.- Of course you can make jokes about yourself, but it depends on the joke, doesnīt it?
C.A.- Yeah!
S.C.S.- Is the joke saying...if the joke is based on some stereotypes, that asian people smell, or they are thick, or...or, you know. If itīs derogatory, if itīs really derogatory, then no! But if itīs based on a light-hearted thing, you know...itīs easy to tell! You know, I donīt see why people have this problem. You know, itīs really easy to tell what joke is derogatory, and what joke is not.
C.A.-Yeah, it is!
S.C.S.- You know, what I mean. Itīs easy. If you donīt know, then the problem is with you.
C.A.- O.K., another thing now...do you take drugs?
S.C.S.- Which drugs, and when?
C.A.- Well, whatever, whenever! Are you straight edge?
S.C.S.- I have done!
C.A.-And now youīre straight?
S.C.S.- Oh no, not really! I just find it...You see, with A.D.F. you canīt really take drugs and play, because the music is too hard. Itīs difficult to...I used to get stoned, and drink before I played. Canīt do it anymore, because the music is so tight. Because youīre playing guitar along with the drum...high-speed jungle breakbeats. You know, itīs like (he snaps with his fingers: snap! snap! snap!) you got to be beyond it. Nowadays I might...uhhh, if I wanna get stoned, Iīll just make a whole day for it, and eat it, or drink it. I wonīt smoke it anymore!
C.A.- So, you seem not to have problems with drugs, then. You know this "straight edge"-movement that came from the States in the eighties, who thought that drugs made people losing their "idealism",and become lazy motherfuckers...begging for money for the next six-pack. You know, in a way how the system wants them to be, no threats at all...
S.C.S.- Yeah, but itīs like...Letīs, letīs put this in context. People polarize this. They say either you for drugs, or youīre against them. Like thereīs nothing in between. All right?! Now...and I think here is where the problem lies, right! In fact, I think the police and drug-dealers have a mutual interest, in actually this...this kind of like, continuing. To keeping things underground, and then the police can actually argue for more police-powers, and things like that. Itīs so obvious, right in Britain, that you would solve a lot of the heroin-problem, by taking heroin OUT of the illegal areas, and the illegal control. With all drugs, itīs obvious! But they wonīt do it, because they wanna keep it that way. They wanna criminalize whole sections of society, thatīs why. But you know, I believe in de-criminalisation of cannabis, of course. I mean, itīs allright to have the occasional joint. I think to make a career out of sitting around, doing nothing, getting stoned all day...is a very boring existence.
C.A.- And what about people growing themselves, and make a living out of selling it to others?
S.C.S.- No, Iīm not quite indifference with that. What Iīm talking about is, making drugs your career. And not in the selling sense, but in the life-style sense. There is some people who just cannot enjoy themselves, without lines of cocaine, or cannot imagine going out without extacy. Thatīs bad! Thatīs very baaad! To me, drugs is just one of many, many states of mind, that makes it a great thing to be a human being. But if youīre gonna say "Iīm a heroin-addict!" or "I smoke dope 24 hours of the day!" or "I canīt...!" People are...the extacy-scene, people are desperate: "YOU PLAYED THE WRONG RECORD WHEN IīM COMING UP ON EXTACY!!! HOW COULD YOU???", you know what I mean? What kind of mentality is that? Itīs sooo ridiculous! People...I think when the drugs control you, thereīs a problem. And the thing is...we have this, the outlaw-thing! You know, itīs like...what am I trying to say?...I think there is too much...People make a fuzz about drugs on both sides. Obviously those who is trying to repress it, and criminalize it. But those who make a career out of, and define themselves through drugs...is bad too! You know, if thatīs your only conversation...there is some people whose only conversation is drugs. Like half of the people who live in Amsterdam. You know, their only conversation is drugs, hahaha!, you know what I mean?! Thatīs crap! Drugs should be waving hands and things, and taking you somewhere else. Not keeping you in one place. Otherwise, forget it! But I wouldnīt say that LSD is a...LSD is...I had some very interesting experiences, I would say that. That was, out of all the drugs...Not very popular in these days, I donīt think...LSD. I would say, that for me personally, I think I learned a lot from that. Other people donīt, and for other people itīs very dangerous. I wouldnīt advocate it! I would say that, that for me, it was very important for my development as a person.
C.A.- Now Iīve been asking you so much questions about what youīre think of this or that, and not so much about the actual music. So, do you have something to say about how it works in the studio, or something?
S.C.S.- Well, ask us a question, hahaha! Thatīs too general, because itīs, as you can hear, thereīs so much in the music there. Itīs like you know...I think we take risks with our music! We combine things that people say you shouldnīt combine, you know what I mean? Like guitar with jungle-beats and, you know, heavy bass. Hmmm, we have a lot of spoken word-things on this LP, aswell! Yeah, you know, I think our approach is very open!
C.A.- It stands here that the CD Iīve got send from the record-company, is a promo-album. And not the final version that...
S.C.S.- No, I think thatīs it!
C.A.- Oh, it stands here on the biographie: "ACHTUNG! beigelegtes Promotion-Album ist NICHT die endgültige version!"
S.C.S.- Well, I donīt know. I donīt know what theyīve send you, you know what I mean? I canīt monitor what goes on in Germany, I live in London, hahaha! So, I donīt know, I donīt know what you have!
C.A.- Yeah, O.K.! Youīve been regarded as thee best live-band in U.K. from Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, so I take it for that you like playing live. But what is your attitude going into a studio making records, then?
S.C.S.- Well, they both different arenas, and they both got their sets of problems, you know. And joys, and problems like anything else. I donīt think A.D.F. are that productive in the studios we should be. We need to have our own set-up, our own proficiency. Weīre not really good in going into corporate studios. Theyīre quite frustrating!
C.A.- How long time did you spend in the studio for "Community Music"?
S.C.S.- It was about 4 or 5 months, if youīre asking, yeah! Before that it was 2 months, and then before that, on the first album, it was about 4 weeks.
C.A.- And now, youīre very satisfied with this new record, Iīll take it...
S.C.S.- Yeah!!!
C.A.- You find it the best one, aswell?
S.C.S.- Yeah, yeah, yeah! Well, itīs got to be! I wouldnīt want it to come out, if it wasnīt better than the last one, you know!
C.A.- And now, do you have some other projects coming on?
S.C.S.- Hmmm, I think weīre just, weīre just really...the main thing now is the new album, isnīt it? You know, doing promotion, hahaha!
C.A.- You find this really funny, to sit in luxury hotelrooms giving interviews?
S.C.S.- Depends on the interviewer!
C.A.- Yeah, and did you have any good interviewers here today, then?
S.C.S.- Some good, some very bad, hahaha!
C.A.- Ach so! Well, your record-company gave me half an hour, which I think is over since a long time ago by now. So, is there anything last you want to say?
S.C.S.- There is anything you want to say? That you want to ask? You ask me anything you like! No, actually I quite like when...do you know, I like when interviewers come up with questions that we donīt normally get asked. Yeah, you had a couple of good ones!
C.A.- Thanx! But you know, I donīt really like this, to interview bands about their new record or tour and blahblahblah. I give totally a shit about this!
S.C.S.- Yeah! Why does this people...?
C.A.-Yeah! But, I mean, in that last number, Orange Agenten #2000, I wrote an article about the Comic-library, where I otherwise work in. So, I like comix...Do you like comix?
S.C.S.- Yeah, I have done it in the past, actually.
C.A.- Have you DONE comix???
S.C.S.- No, no, no...I havenīt MADE them, no! I used to when I was a kid. But I was a big...but I grow up on Marvel comics, and then later 2000 A.D., and then "Watchmen" and...
C.A.- "Watchmen"?! Goddamn good stuff!...And "V for Vendetta"?
S.C.S.- "V for Vendetta", yeah! That was good! The thing about Alan Moore, he never ends his stuff really well. His endings are allways really crap. His build-ups are great! The best was "Dark Knight returns". And that was great! Donīt you think so, "Dark Knight returns"?
C.A.- That ainīt from Alan Moore. Itīs from Frank Miller...
S.C.S.- I think that was actually better than Alan Mooreīs stuff...Frank Miller.
C.A.- So you donīt like the ending of "V for Vendetta", where he sort of...
S.C.S.- I find it weak! And you see, the thing with Alan Moore...he sets up this great theme. He sets it up. And then the ending is allways disappointing. Like Watchmen! All THAT, just to build a big monster! Come on!!! Itīs too...
C.A.- I still think "Watchmen" and "V for Vendetta" are two of my favorite comix.
S.C.S.- Oh yeah, they are great! It is the whole vibe and doing that with comix, but...there is allways, (he make clicking sounds with his mouth), unsatisfying ultimately, I think. You know?
C.A.- Hmmm...
S.C.S.- But great vibe, great basic concepts. Those whole ideas of an alternative history told through superheroes. Brilliant!!! Did you read the bri...there was a kind of British Watchmen aswell, which was quite interesting. It was in 2000 A.D.,whatīs it called?..."Zenith"! About...Looks like a British version of Watchmen. With Watchmens with Brit...very British heroes. That was quite good! And what was the other ones? There was quite few really good graphic novels. What were they called?
C.A.- For me the most interesting comic-authors in American superhero-stuff are English. You know, like Dave McKean and Neil Gaimanīs...
S.C.S.- Neil Gaiman, yeah!
C.A.- ..."Black Orchid"!
S.C.S.- "Black Orchid", yeah! I know that one. It was quite interesting. The thing about that, that lot, they go too much into this goth...gothic-like territory for me. They really like that. No, I liked more Alan Mooreīs...ahhh, was that Alan Moore who wrote? I like the comedy ones aswell! Alan Mooreīs comedy one, the DR & Quinch.
C.A.- Ahyeah! You like that?
S.C.S.- Oh yeah, yeah!
C.A.- This sort of strip...
S.C.S.- Yeah, yeah, I like stupid stuff. And I like the short stories aswell,"Future Shocks". You know, the little, short Alan Moore ones...I really love those!"DR & Quinch" is wicked aswell. Ahhh, Miracl...Marvelm, oh!,"Miracleman", now THAT was good! That, iīd say, was probably the best actually of Alan Moore!
C.A.- You seem to be really into comix! I wasnīt sure if I should ask you about it first, you know.
S.C.S.- Innit? Well, I havenīt for a while, really for a long time...I havenīt really been into it. I think I had a short burst on it.
C.A.- Well, I could recommend you some REALLY good ones, if you wanted to.
S.C.S.- Oh yeah, what then?
C.A.- Thereīs a French guy called Didier Comés, who have made a book called Silencé. I donīt know if itīs translated into English. Do you read French?
S.C.S.- A little bit, but not enough to read a comic. No, unfortunely!
C.A.- Mmm, but i think you can find it in English. You should read that.
S.C.S.- Yeah, in English! They probably...I bet theyīve done it...in English, you know. Yeah, probably they have. I know comix is quite big in Germany, isnīt it? I mean, there are a lot of interesting comic-places in Berlin. Iīve been on a couple of parties in comic-shops, you know. And I...think itīs great! Itīs quite "in" there. I think that...in Britain, I think it lost it. In the eighties...Britain went comic MAD! Late eighties. But now it seems to, I donīt know, .seems to have lost...the edge. Well I donīt know, thatīs just from me and my perspective. But I lost interest in it, in the end of the eighties with "Watchmen","Dark Knight"...then Neil Gaiman-stuff. Oh, I try to think what was really...what I really liked with Neil Gaiman. Hey! I know the last one I got was, oh dear!,"Arkham Asylum". That was a long time ago! Did you read that one aswell?
C.A.- Yeah, I like it. So, you donīt mean Sandm...
S.C.S.- "Sandman" I didnīt like! It was too gothic!
C.A.-Too gruftie for you?
S.C.S.- Yeah, yeah! I liked...ahhh maaan!, I donīt know. I loved "Halo Jones", if you know that one. "Halo Jones" was wicked! That was a great story, lots of really good ideas in it. Yeah you see, thereīs a lot of good stuff out there, really.
C.A.- Mmm. Well O.K., over to books now. Is there any book you would recommend everyone to read? A book that has changed your life?
S.C.S.- Oh wow! One book? When I was a kid, I read two books that changed the way Iīve read a book about things. One was "1984", an obvious one! And the other one was "Flow my tears,the policeman said" by Phillip K.Dick. Do you know this guy?
C.A.- Phillip K.Dick? Not personally, but yeah, he wrote "Bladerunner", oh!, I mean "Do Androi...
S.C.S.- "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep"! "Flow my tears, the policeman said"! Well I recommend them as the...well I would recommend "1984".I probably recommend another Phillip K.Dick book really, rather than that one, "Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep". I actually...for information, I actually recommend "Hidden Agendas" by a man named John Pilger...P I L G E R. I donīt know if you can get it in German. But this guy is a very famous leftwing journalist, whoīs written a lot of amazing stuff, uncovering things. Itīs quite depressing reading, but itīs also like, you know, tells you how to look through the lies. Thereīs a new book aswell, called "No Logo" by...Naomi...oh!, whatīs her name? I look for a name. But this is a book thatīs directly came out of the Seattle protests.
C.A.- I think i can find out her surname on the internet!*
(*=Naomi KLEIN)
S.C.S.- Yeah, yeah, yeah! But that I would really recommend, because that is politics NOW!
C.A.- O.K., now I ask you my standard question, that I always been asking the bands Iīve interviewed: which 3 records would you bring to an empty island, if you got stuck there for some year? Of course you can mention 4 or more. So, which is your all-time favorites, the real classic ones for you?
S.C.S.- Does this island have a disc-player, hahaha!?
C.A.- Yes, of course!
S.C.S.- Albums or singles, or?
C.A.- Well, whatever!
S.C.S.- It would have to be Public Enemyīs "It takes a nation of millions,to hold us back", because I need to get the energy from that record. Temptations "Temptations Greatest Hits", I would have to have that...uhhh, I think I have to have...I have to have "The Congoes", which is a Lee Perry-production. You know Lee Perry?
C.A.- Lee "Scratch" Perry? Yeah, but again not personally!
S.C.S.- Yeah, I have to have that! I think I need four sets of voices, The Temptations and The Congoes, are beautiful four set of voices! Uhhh, what else would I need? Oh, I have to have...some big Parliament or Funkadelic-compilation, because that would keep me going. Because that īs makes me really happy, that music!
C.A.- So, this is sort of music that you want to hear, when you go out and dance?
S.C.S.- No, I actually...I like to be...yeah, that allways works, but I like to be surprised, aswell. You know, I like to hear something "Wow, thatīs good!", you know!
C.A.- O.K.! Now, the last question! How do you stand politically? Or you donīt want to put a label on yourself?
S.C.S.- Not really, not really! A mixture of many things, really. I think A.D.F. and Community Music probably has more in common with a...a quite obscure type...If you want to be academic about it, we have more in common with the anarcho-syndicalists. Which is all about roots, like networks and small organisations...grassroot-organisations. This kind of collectivism kind of spirit. Linking, holding on to all each other. In practise, thatīs what we are. But you know, that doesnīt really help very much...giving you a big fancy name.
C.A.- Do you think that a anarcho-syndicalistic society could ever work? Yeah, it works for you and your friends, but do you also believe together with the rest of the human race, with all itīs greed and hierarchy-shit?
S.C.S.- Well, it doesnīt just work for me and my friends. I mean, you know, it works...Community Music works, Disabled Peoples Attaching Network works, the protest against Seattle...in Seattle works, if you know what I mean? This things donīt...I think itīs part of a very long-term process. That the human race, kind of, improves itself, you know. And finds out better ways to go. Probably we will never live in a perfect...perfect society, probably not,but thatīs not really...You can certainly make things better than they are. Much better, you know!
C.A.- Oh yeah, absolutely! But now I really donīt have any more questions. So, is it something you would like to round off this interview with, that you think the readers would be pleased to know about?
S.C.S.- Oh, I donīt know! Iīm not really good at saying that. I need questions! You have to ask me questions, hahaha!
C.A.- Andrea, hast du eine Frage zu ihn?
ANDREA-???
S.C.S.- Any question! Iīll answer anything! Absolutely anything!
C.A.- Have you ever watched a porno?
S.C.S.- Yeah, of course! I mean, everyone have one station in their life, when it comes to watch pornos.
C.A.- THAT was the last question!
(I collect all my papers together)
S.C.S.- Yeah, I see that!
C.A.- Thanx for the interview!
S.C.S.- O.K., nice one! Thank you!Text: Crippa
Foto: Andrea
P.S! You all should know that Chandrasonic throw out the journalist from "Spex" or whatever magazine just before me. So, he was the first 10-15 minutes quite on a "bad" mood. And the guy from the record-company east/west together with Chandrasonic himself promised to reservate 2 free tickets for the concert in Columbiahalle on the 2nd of May for me. But under strange circumstances everything fxxked up, so I canīt say if there was 11 people on the stage playing drums. What a pity!
AN.OK 4U2 CRIPPA XXX 666 ;-) ORANGE AGENTEN
