Andrew Weatherall has just released his debut solo album, A Pox On The Pioneers, but, as you all should know, his music M.O. is a long and illustrious one.
From his early days with the Boys Own crew at the wide eye of the acid house storm and his oft-praised production work on Primal Scream’s Screamadelica, Weatherall has gone on to cultivate his own eccentric, Albion-steeped visions of electro, techno, dub and kosmische as part of Sabres of Paradise and Two Lone Swordsmen, has mixed arguably the greatest ever Fabric CD, and produced and remixed acts as diverse as My Bloody Valentine, Saint Etienne and most recently Fuck Buttons. He’s also partial to a bit of rockabilly, but then, aren’t we all?
The man formerly known as Lord Sabre created a very special FACT Mix for us earlier this month, and soon after we were able to enjoy a tete-a-tete about fine tailoring, Nabokov, Devendra Banhart, basil daiquaris and, of course, A Pox On The Pioneers.
What’s your current obsession? What’s been interesting you?
“The Crimean war photography of Roger Fenton, the life and works of Walter Sickert and Nabakov’s Bend Sinister.”
Tell us about the new album…
“In a nutshell it’s seven songs concerning the true cost of heroic failure, one song about a glamour model and two instrumentals.”
Beyond the obvious, how would you say A Pox On The Pioneers differs from Two Lone Swordsmen and other work of yours that preceded it?
“It has a brevity and focus lacking in nearly all my previous work. Believe me though, I have little difficulty in being in charge or telling musicians what to do or making sure they do it quickly. I don’t do ‘jams’.”
Who played on the album apart from yourself?
“My spiritual adviser (and mixer of the best basil daquiris in east London) Chris Mackin, drawing and colouring-in maestro Chris ‘The Headless Truth’ Harris a.k.a. Lung and Battant’s resident plank-spanker Tim Fairplay.”
Do you tend to rely on pre-writing, or do a lot of your ideas stem from studio mucking?
“A lot of the lyrical content is pre-written and the music comes from what I rather describe as exploration – sounds and chord sequences – than ‘mucking’. As I said earlier I’m not a big fan of the jam.”
Were their any particular inspirations – musical or otherwise – that fed into the making of this record?
“Musically I would point you in the direction of the mix I sent to your esteemed organ recently and lyrically the inspiration came from any number of film noir, both classic and obscure tales of Edwardian explorers and a host of writers including Dashiel Hammett, Henry James, Etgar Keret, Patrick Hamilton, Gerald Kersh and Rudolph Wurlitzer.”
Has it been at all hard for you to overcome self-consciousness when singing?
“Like many in the world of music I’m a self-conscious exhibitionist so it’s always reasonably difficult but there’s nothing like being in front of hundreds of people, many of whom are shouting obscenities because they were expecting some techno, to test one’s mettle and force one to see things through. The main point of the exercise was to do something fraught with danger with a high possibility of failure. That and I didn’t want any celebrity guest vocalists.”
Pox definitely sounds like your most vocally confident release to date…
“Thank you, but one should improve with practice, again especially if that practice takes the form of performing in front of hundreds of people shouting obscenities because they were expecting some techno.”
How would say your approach to production has evolved over the years? Would you say you’re less fussy than you used to be, or more fussy, or..?
“It’s slightly more competent and no longer involves gimmicks or the kitchen sink.”
How – of at all – would you say your tastes and listening habits have changed over the years?
“About five years ago I lost interest in hip-hop having heard too many ‘caps’ busted in too many arses and around the same time came to the conclusion that I was trying to listen to too many musical forms, it was therefore not that difficult to close one musical avenue. The other closure concerned was modern electronic music, but not the stuff one dances to or was made pre-1980 of course.”
What was the last TV programme you watched with any pleasure?
“Jonathan Meades’s Off Kilter series of documentaries.”
You’ve just finished producing the new Fuck Buttons album. How did you enjoy the process? Are you pleased with the results?
“The ‘process’ was both physically and mentally demanding and some days when I got home I felt the same way I used to as a teenage building site labourer after an afternoon on the hod. This is a good thing by the way. I’ve not listened to it since it left the production line although people tell me it works.”
When we spoke to you a couple of years ago you mentioned that you had a weakness for fine tailoring. Can you elaborate? Any sartorial wisdom to pass on?
“Avoid all high street outlets (unless purchasing thermal under garments), never wear clip on braces, always wear proper shoes (but not those ones whose toe area turns upwards as seems to be rather prevalent). Bespoke needn’t be prohibitively expensive, although a somewhat disappearing breed there are still back street tailors available to help one plough one’s own sartorial furrow. Under no circumstances walk through the doors marked ‘Top Man’.”
This year sees the publication of the Boy’s Own book and various related celebrations. Does it feel weird that 20-odd years have elapsed since the days of the Outsider and all that?
“I recently played at the Boy’s Own re-union party and the walk from the front door to the DJ booth was an experience akin to drowning in that most of my life flashed before me. Great party mind you.”
Can you explain why you, ahem, “love” Devendra Banhart so much? What form do you imagine a collaboration between you and him might take?
“Mr Banhart is the earnest hippy troubadour sitting on the stairs serenading impressionable young ladies in Animal House. I am John Belushi in the same scene. Watch it and that’s the form I imagine our ‘collaboration’ would take.”
How’s London been treating you recently?
“High rents and weekend twat invasions on my manor on the down side, but not even that spoils the joy of free culture courtesy of galleries and museums.”
What’s your favourite facial hair configuration?
“I’m currently working on a George V beard arrangement.”
What’s your most treasured record?
“‘Train To Satanville’ by Gin Gillett.”
The decade’s nearly over. How’s it been?
“I well and truly fucked up the first half but pulled it back with a reasonably productive late spurt.”
Hanoi Jane
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