this is your brain on instant coffee

time out magazine - tel aviv - interview questions and answers

1)      You have a new album that's supposed to be released next month after two years that you kept quiet -  a rather long hiatus in your terms. What were you doing in this time?

i worked on ideas,built a studio in berlin and took a year off from the not stop lifestyle.i would like to do soundtracks in the future,so i enjoy writing music everyday,but not all of it is meant to be shared like songs or album tracks....it's just me trying to be creative.

2)      Musically speaking, what is your focus on this album? What are the refrences you used?

to honest,when i go into a stuidio i have no plan other then to make up songs that i like.i am very much interested in reflecting some kind of full spectrum of my own moods and emotions and not filter that too much.i'm very interested in writing and working with other people that speak/sing in other languages...and to reach out and try new things.i am very interested in other cultures,more so then nationalities..and i am enjoying the process of redefining what it is too be myself as an artist...and what i can do as a project internationally.

3)      The name of the album reffers to hegel. Why did you choose the name?

it refers to the concept of having to rip something up and rebuild as a means of preservation... when you think of the word in the terms of german culture,they had to destroy and rebuild the entire thing to preserve it.i applied the same meaning to humanity and so it is in reference to the the image from the voyager space program on the cover.this image was sent to outer space on two crafts beyond our solar system,with a gold record giving examples and explantions about who we are and our location in case we make contact or these crafts make contact with inteligent life.i thought it would have been funny to include this german word suggesting that humanity needs to be destroyed to be saved.

i'm silly like that.

4)      You have quite an impressive output. In 1996 you even released 3 albums in one year. Do you have a punk attitude towards recording music, in terms of just playing and improvising?

i am interested in conceptual art and communications.my goal is to create ideas,so when i understand what an idea is hinting at,often that is enough for me artistically speaking,and i can move on.but yes,i am inspired by the do it yourself ethos.

5)      After making so many albums, do you still get excited when going into the studio?

yes,and i am looking forward to the future.

6)      How many different musicians did you have in the band over the course of the years, and how do you explain this instability?

right now the bjm consists of 4 people who have been in the group for 10 years or more and 4 that have been in for 20 or more.happy shinny people like rem we may not have been at times...but then again we are not writing songs about happy shinny people holding hands.

fun fact: chuck berry never had a "chuck berry band".i play with the people that are around and have time to do so...my desire to create is not attached to any random or select 4,5 or six people.

7)      You like to make a lot of references to rock music. Why is this dialactic approach so important to you? What do you think about other bands who do such pastiches, like lcd soundsystem for instance?

i think lcd were quite talented.in life we are bombarded with stimuli.i imagine primitive tribes incorporating bird calls in their music....i don't see a problem with using points of reference,pastiche or these tools.art is whatever and artist says it is.its something else to the critiques but then...who cares about what they think? :)

8)      Seems like you've dabbled throughout your carreer with every possible genre, except for electronic music, which is something you almost never touched. Why is that?

i dabble in that too. ha.for the most part,electronic music is disposable.dj's are a dime a dozen.electronic...the term is so vague.i'm into electronic...hmmm pierre henry?dilia derbshire?...or do you mean preset beats and auto-tune?
i've been playing mini-moogs since 1980 and programing non stop since then.

9)      It's very hard to make interesting and original rock music today. How do you overcome these difficulties?

"interesting" is an interesting word.to provoke the interest... yes but of whom.the police?the critiques?your fans? or the lowest common denominator? a very large percentage of popular music or what passes for music i find to be obnoxious.the same goes for mainstream media of all types...i try to make things that i enjoy...rather then write for an imaginary fan base or demographic that someone thinks will open doors for me,or receive awards or make me rich and famous or something like that.i am very fortunate to have some ideas and that i am able to express them and share them and have our network function the way it does...label,distribution touring and management...

10)  Any current rock bands that you like?

insert bands and albums i have released on our lable:

dead skeletons (icelandic artist collective with  dark spiritual illuminations...rythmic,esoteric,heavy psychedlic drone)

the third sound (another icelandic group based in berlin/former guitarist from singapore sling.eaqual parts jesus and mary chain / galaxy 500 .)

magic castles (minnasota sweet vocal harmonys gental summer psychedelic sound)

blue angel lounge (young moody group from hagen germany... they sound like the children of nico and the velvet underground...)

11)  Did san francisco have a big effect on your music? After all, it was the capital of psychedelic music back in the day.

when i first moved to sf,it was a healthy place for a young bohemian type "non-joiner" (that means a person that sort of makes their own way of life within the greater context of society watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn5MDaEqlSw )
at a certain point the dot com feeding frenzy thing happened and rents went through the roof and all of that hippy holdover stuff was sent packing.make no mistake,we fought our way up.we were not welcome to play the clubs..we rented masonic temples and threw giant parties...then the bookers took notice.but just to let you know...as liberal as the greatful dead fanbase might seem they are also the most narrow non minded non musical loving people.groups like i guess the starship,carlos santana or whoever from the 60s were so rich and so self exsorbed,just like the entire generation really,just busy aquiring wealth rather then supporting the quest for freedom of expression.we very much made our own way.

12)  I've recently been to san francisco and noticed there were a lot of homeless people. I even heard the rumor that the guitarist who used to play with fleetwood mac (I think it was peter green) is now homeless. Is this true or just a myth?

i live in berlin.germany takes care of its people.pays its debts and values hard work.the american system is bassed these days on something for nothing.win the lotery.sue the shit out of someone.buy a house on a loan,flip it and turn a massive no money down morgage and end up with thousands or millions for nothing...billion dollar bonuses,talen show inners and pop idols,internet start up ipo offerings and 26 yearlds with 100 billion...the dark side of capitolism is an ugly un-natural and ultimatly destructive force... have no illusions.western civilization is long over due for a radical rethink in my opinion,we are only as strong as the weak among us.we could all try harder to help eachother.

13)  Has acid played a big role in your music? Do you have a memorable trip that you can share?

i see no need to advertise or glorify psychedelic drug experimentation.i love to learn and have spent my whole life making information and exploration my hobby and job,and making work as play. alan watts shaped my music every bit as much as acid.

14)  I saw “dig” the other day and thought it was really good, but I understand that you disagree. Can you explain why?

it's advertised as a documentry about two groups,but really it is a story told with film clips...WRITEN BY ONDI TOMONER... not captured by....think about it.it did a great disservice to the dandy warhols in many ways.i wrote a statement about the movie as it was being shown at sundance.i feel the same today as i did then...no need to add or subtract to it.

15)  A lot of artists boycott israel because of pressure from pro-palestinian organizations. Were you approached by people telling you not to come here, and did it cross your mind to cancel (if so, please don't)?

finally we get to a question that i feel is worth talking about - thank you :)

let's not use my visit as a political statement of some kind... rather let me explain my own feelings on this complex issue.

 it really bothers me that groups or artists would accept an invitation to play,and then bow to pressures from anyone and cancel.it also troubles me greatly that they try and defuse the negative dialog and people trying to pressure them into joining a boycott.
if you are invited,and you accept the invitation go.
 on a personal level i do not care for the hawkish stance of bibb's style,but then i am not the leader of any nation ha.it is my understanding that there are many voices in israel...i can not solve the issues of security and nation building.its fooling and hypocritical to boycott israel and play in the usa or london or china or come on.why do people hold israel to some standard that only exists for them?is it antisemtism?who knows.all i know is the status quo needs to be looked at and worked on...but its up to israel to deffend the jewish people for obvious reasons that can not be left up to the world to decide...we have an example of that and its a dark stain on humanity.there are many people that are better quilified to speak about all sides of the many issues at play.
 i am an artist,i make music and play concerts.the action of me playing or not playing isn't going to solve the worlds problems...me being honest is a step in the right direction.i am not going for money,and i am not concerned with upsetting anyone with my actions or the repercussions etc.i am for peace, security and humany dignity for all people... i hope some of that makes some kind of sense - you can ask me to be more specific.

at any rate thank you for your time.