How did the recent US tour go? Ben Watkins : I always enjoy trying to mess around with this idea of playing electronic music live. Where on the Moby tour we only did half an hour or 35 minutes, on this tour in some cases we did an hour and a half. You learn a lot … Read more
NOTE : This article was written when preparations were underway for the WOTAPALAVA tour in 2001. With tickets already on sale, the tour was canceled, reportedly because a suitable replacement for Sinead O’Connor could not be found. We’d had the opportunity to ask Neil Tennant a few questions, and decided to keep this article online … Read more
“The Lost & Found, ” the EP that marks the long-awaited return of Rasputina, is one of the more unusual collections of covers out there. Who would have thought that Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” would sound great played on cellos? The disc also features songs originally by Marilyn Manson, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, and … Read more
“Sonic Residue From Vapourspace” is not your usual remix album. In re-interpreting music from various Magna Carta artists, Mark Gage (aka Vapourspace) refrained from using any sounds not found on the original recordings. Thanks to Gage’s studio wizardry, the tracks ended up sounding radically different without relying on any new beats or samples. In an … Read more
Jimmy Somerville was first heard from as part of 80’s synth-pop trio Bronski Beat (“Smalltown Boy”). After leaving that band, he went on to the equally excellent The Communards before launching a solo career. His new CD, “Manage the Damage” is out now on Instinct Records. On “Manage the Damage” you worked with Sally Herbert, … Read more
A decade after their last release, Vancouver-based electronic band MOEV are finally back. While their new ep “Suffer” showcases an updated sound for the band, it still very much keeps to the style of classic MOEV. Fans of dark synth pop with a slightly aggressive edge will not be disappointed by the new cd. The … Read more
Can you tell me about the EP? Pete: “It’s called ‘Places To Visit’ and it’s on Sub Pop. The last album, although it came out last year, was recorded like a year before, that pretty much. So it’s the first new stuff we’ve done for ages. It’s a bit more experimental than our last album, … Read more
Steven Severin interviewed in 2000 about his solo releases and starting his own label (RE:) When Siouxsie and the Banshees decided to split, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do next? Steven Severin : I knew I wanted time out, first & foremost & the arrival of my daughter, Sadie … Read more
Having at one point released a year-long series of monthly limited edition singles, The Melvins are no strangers to unusual release schedules. So it didn’t come as much of a surprise when they decided to release 3 new albums over the course of about a year. “We had no concept’ other than wanting to do … Read more
The following is an interview with Ben Chapman, one of the actors who played the title character of ‘The Creature From The Black Lagoon’ (Chapman appeared as the creature in all above water scenes.) I originally did it for the America Movie Classics “AmPop” website, but since that has been taken down I am posting … Read more